Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

This is the boot top design with the navy alligator heel piece to demonstrate the color scheme.

Both vamps are on the crimping boards.

This is my crimp break. It’s a tool that puts the initial stretch in the leather so it’s easier to put on the crimping boards.

Today I’m crimping a pair of navy alligator vamps. Here I’m beginning to stretch them over the crimping boards.

It’s not enough to just draw a beautiful design; now I’ve made the patterns for making the design a reality. To me this picture represents Art and Craft. The design that I’ve drawn is Art but the patterns that will make it possible for me to create the design are Craft.

I’m starting a little pair for myself too. Just because I start a pair for myself doesn’t mean I’ll get to work on them until they’re completed in a timely manner but I remain ever optimistic.

Guess what happens after I finish a pair of boots? That’s right–I start another pair. This is the design for one of the boots I’ll be making this month.

This pair of boots is titled “Behind the Scenes.” They have an ostrich foot and ten rows of stitching on the tops, done on that old black Singer sewing machine in the background. They’re being shipped to Texas today.