Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

I didn’t get my August newsletter sent out until yesterday (the first of September), and then I forgot to post it so now it’s really late. I will try to do better next… ooops, THIS month.

August newsletter

Here are the completed Austrian coat of arms boot tops.

I dyed and finished the soles, and now I’m starting to build the heels.

Yesterday I pegged the soles on the two pairs of cowboy boots that I’m making this month.

Here I’ve marked where the first row of pegs will go. This is a #5 Stitch Marker.

Each cowboy boot sole has a double row of wooden pegs.

Here’s a close-up the Austrian coat of arms boots. The boot tops are completely stitched! I’m thinking of naming this pair “Take These Chains From My Heart.” I can’t think of a good classic country song about Austria.

The August episode of “It’s a Boot Life” is on YouTube.

It’s a Boot Life

If you’re a boot or shoemaker and you’ve been curious about the Baker Leather, now is a good time to try it. Thanks to Brexit, the prices have come down on almost everything. Plus, everything that sells is one more thing I won’t have to put away. 🙂

www.sorrellnotionsandfindings.com

The last time I posted a photo of these boots I said that they were “ready to be inseamed.” Inseaming is sewing on the welt–that narrow strip of leather going around the toe–and in my shop it’s done by hand, not on a machine. The boot on the left has been inseamed. Can you see that the thread is pink? I did that just for fun; when it’s done properly the thread will never show or be seen again unless the boots are someday torn completely apart to be repaired.

I have the toe boxes in, and the boots are ready to be inseamed.

Here’s a look at how I prepare the lasted boot for the next step. I like things to be neat, even if it’s a part that will never be seen.

I like the corners on this toe style.

I finished all of the black thread stitching on these boot tops. Hurray!