Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I always have personal projects to work on when I’m waiting for something to dry or just need a break from my real work. These pieces will be a pair of shoes for me someday.

I’ve decided that my delight in ensuring every step of the boot making process is precise is not due to some sort of compulsive desire for perfection. It’s laziness. I took a tiny bit of extra time to make it nice and neat at this point so that later when I lay the soles, there will be a defined and smooth place for them to go. Putting on the soles will be easy and there won’t be ugly gaps or spots where they don’t want to stick.

The first one said, “No, I don’t want to go on the last today. NO, you can’t make me! NO, STOP TRYING TO PUT ME ON THE LAST! OK, fine, but I hate you!”
And the second one said, “Yes ma’am, I’d love to go on the last today and I think you’re pretty!”
In related news, someone asked me once how I coped with working alone. My answer was, “Anthropomorphism.”

Sunburst boots are sideseamed and ready to put on the last

I’ll be starting this pair of boots soon.

The sunburst boot tops are stitched now and ready to become cowboy boots.

There are supposed to be two rows of stitching so I have another row to go, but this will give you an idea of where I’m going with these boot tops.

Guess what comes next? My vintage Singer 110W with the old clutch motor has been lonely and she’s ready to go!

I asked my apprentice to guess, without counting, how many yellow pieces I needed to cut for all of the sunbursts. The answer is 52!I also asked him to guess how many I’d ruin when I skived them but that answer turned out to be zero. 😂