Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I’ll be building heels on these boots all day, one layer at a time. This photo is already outdated; I have two layers on and will add a third when I get back from walking to the post office. I’m choosing thin layers for these heels to make it look very dressy and sharp, so it will probably require six to eight layers to reach the desired heel height.

I received the nicest email yesterday from the new owner of these boots:
“I wanted to thank you for the wonderful boots! I realized that I never sent a thank you note to you and I want to apologize for that.
They are definitely a work of art and will be cherished FOREVER!!!”
This pair is titled “Someday When Things Are Good”

Can I tell you all a personal little secret? I think I’m beginning to love my Curved Needle machine. This big ol’ sewing machine has been my biggest weakness and greatest fear but recently I realized that it’s a sewing machine! And I love sewing machines! So I began approaching her with joy and curiosity, and we are getting along better than ever before. Just look at the beautiful job she did on these soles!

As many of you know, I lost my sister (my only sibling) unexpectedly almost two weeks ago. It’s been a rough couple of weeks but today I was able to go back into my shop and inseam a pair of boots. Inseaming is my comfort and my meditation so I was glad that was the task awaiting me when I returned.

I thought y’all might enjoy a photo of my vintage bottle of passive/aggressive Bottom Stain.

TIS FINE

Slightly damp, and therefore still slightly darker, boot toes

Design for a new pair of shoes

I gambled on the foot leather for this pair of boots. I had a beautiful alligator in a color I wasn’t sure I could get again. The customer saw it and chose it for their boots, but I knew the piece was a little small. However, I also knew that the size would only cost me one corner. It was a corner I needed to pull on while lasting the boots, but which would then be pulled completely under and/or trimmed away. I carefully measured to make sure I was correct, then sewed a patch in place so I’d have something to grab while lasting. Sure enough, I definitely needed that patch while I was lasting, but it’s now pulled completely under and will never be seen again.