Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

Stitching puts the finishing touch on a design, especially when there are what appears to be randomly placed flowers and leaves that need stitching to tie them together.

This is the face of happiness and realized power. Morgan had two pairs of soles to stitch on the curved needle today and she asked me to go up front and let her do it by herself. After the first pair I heard, “Hell yeah!” and after the second pair I heard, “IT WENT EVEN BETTER!”

Here’s a little lace-up shoe I’ve started. It took lots of patterns and pieces to get to this stage!

Anyone who knows me is aware that I believe in the healing, redemptive power of Craft. I admire the fact that the prison system in Texas still gives space for craft shops and craft, and many inmates earn money to support their families and build savings for when they’re released by making items to sell in those craft shops. I try to treat all my customers with respect and do right by them; the fact that my inmate customers appreciate this so deeply demonstrates that’s not always true for them. This man, Jeffrey, is a good customer of mine and he surprised me by sending me this beautiful hand-carved leather notebook. I will treasure it always!

If you’ve ever wondered what happens with the long dangling threads that are left after I inseam: I used them to lace in the metal shank.

A few years ago I saw a photo of a bespoke boot online and I was obsessed with how they were patterned. I didn’t copy them exactly but I certainly was heavily inspired by them, and I made myself a pair. Patterning mistakes were made that first time, and it took me hours to understand how they should go together. But they were wearable and I wear them often, so a customer saw them and requested a pair. Remembering how difficult it had been for me to understand how the pieces went together the first time, and since it’s been long enough for me to forget, I decided to make myself a pair for practice. And… they were so easy and went together quickly! The whole time I was sewing the pieces together I was nervously asking myself, “Has shoe patterning *finally* started making sense to me or am I making mistakes and I’m too dumb to know it?” It appears to be the former because all the pieces went together without any disasters! The toe’s a little discolored because the leather is wet, but aren’t they sweet?
Also, I’m still searching for the perfect shoelaces. I thought one of these would work but I hate them both, so new options are being shipped to me now. Keep watching to see what I finally choose.

Long ago, I developed the opinion that time spent patterning is never time wasted. If you spend the time thinking about your pattern and making sure it’s correct, then sewing all the pieces together is easy. When you don’t spend time on the pattern, you’ll use that time (and more) later trying to adjust everything to make it fit.
These boots are really demonstrating the truth of that to me. I spent days and days thinking about this pattern and how the pieces would go together, and because it was far outside my comfort level that time was difficult for me. But I have to admit that once I started this boot it has amazed me with how easily it’s come together.
The toes are done now so from here to the finish it’s just normal shoe making!

Why was Lisa crying this afternoon? Someone sent me a care package of vintage boot catalogs and materials, and this original Jay Griffith boot catalog was in it. I’ve seen catalogs from companies where Jay worked but never a Jay Griffith catalog.

Vintage catalog is on the left, unused and framed Jay Griffith boot company matchbook cover is in the center, framed Jay Griffith boot company newspaper ad is on the left. Both of the framed items were a gift from Clint Hickman and they made me cry too when he gave them to me.