Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

Seven hundred and four tiny little holes, punched one at a time along the edges. I used to have a gimping and brogueing machine — gimping is cutting a scalloped, shaped edge and brogueing is punching holes along the edge, but only for shoes. In cowboy boot making punching these holes is called perforating, and because cowboy boots are extra, the shapes are so complicated that no machine could accurately follow the edges.

I wanted to keep the gimping and brogueing machine just because it was cool. I never did use it and finally I sold it because I needed the space for a machine I actually would use.

I have all the pieces cut for the Karner blue butterfly boot tops. I love the rich earthiness of the colors.

Earlier I posted a scan of the design; now it’s a pattern. It’s not possible to accurately create complex designs without taking all the time needed for precise patterns. Next I need to carefully cut either four or eight identical pieces of leather (depending on if they’re in the center of the boot top or a mirror image on each side) and then skive each tiny piece without stretching it out of shape or nicking a chunk out of it.

New boot top design, and this one’s already been approved! The butterfly is supposed to be a Karner blue Butterly, so a bit more realism is desired. True photographic realism is impossible in this medium but we want to at least do an inlaid butterfly that will remind one of a Karner blue.

Possible design for a new pair of shoes, submitted to client for approval. Patterning shoes is still really difficult for me but my brain celebrates thinking about patterns and creating patterns and seeing the geometry behind patterns and… everything about making patterns.

The front panels and back panels are ready to be side seamed. Soon it will begin looking like a pair of boots!

Bluebonnets and scissortails take a while to stitch.

This is an excellent example of a graceful inlaid and perforated (the little dots along the edges) cowboy boot top band.

Here’s a little peek at the process of assembling an inlay/overlay design. A design this complex requires much thought about how the pieces will be shaped, which parts will go over and which will go under, and what order they’ll need to be put into place. It’s always fun when you turn it over and see that all the small oddly-shaped bits have come together to create the picture you intended. Stitching will link the floating flowers and leaves, and add the final details to the scissor tail bird.