Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I’m starting a new pair of boots. This is a design I’ve done before titled “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” updated with a Cherokee Star top band.

I’ll let them sit on the trees overnight so they’ll have a nice shape, then final polish and they’re done!

The next step is building the heels; they’re almost finished!

I’m envying boot makers with normal sized feet at the moment. To make this design for myself I had to shrink it down until it’s right on the edge of what’s possible. It was hard to cut out, hard to skive, and it will be difficult to stitch—there is no margin for error.

They’re on the last now, and beginning to look like boots.

Inside-out boots wouldn’t be nearly as much fun so I suppose I’ll turn the other one too.

Cutting the vamp tongue is always exhilarating because there is zero room for error. It’s certainly not like I can go grab another crimped alligator vamp out of the scrap box.