Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I should have this pair finished soon.

I finished a pair of boots today. Introducing: “Coca-Cola Cowboy”

Here’s a link to my Youtube video for June.

It’s a Boot Life

Cowboy boot soles traditionally have a double row of wooden pegs in the sole, and the hole for the pegs is created with a pegging awl in a wood handle. Here I’m demonstrating how to hold the pegging awl and haft. See how the side of my hand is sort of squished against the boot? When I hit the handle my hand compresses and then rebounds, which helps to bounce the awl back out of the leather.

If you’re going to sign up and take my leather inlay/overlay class in Eureka Springs, Arkansas next weekend, you’d better hurry!

Eureka Springs School of the Arts class with Lisa

I had a dentist appointment today and this afternoon I felt myself becoming very grumpy and not wanting to finish inseaming these boots. And that’s when I realized… the numbness had worn off! I took some aspirin and got back to work, and eventually my mood improved.

YouTube video for May: making beading

It’s a Boot Life

I put these boots on the last today; you can see by the color variation that the foot leather is still wet. This design is titled “If Heartaches Had Wings.”

A pair of boots on the last: The first one fought back so hard that I had to take several breaks between attempts while I gave myself “pep talks” that mostly consisted of me telling myself that I sucked and no longer deserved to call myself a boot maker. The second one jumped right onto the last and is sitting there looking smug.