Tip for making stitch-down shoes over lasts
Hopefully you can see a last under this sole. When making stitch-down shoes over lasts, the sole needs to be 1/4″ bigger all around than the sole of the last so the upper can be cemented, then turned out onto that 1/4″ that is visible all around the sole of the last. Then, the sole […]
I’ll never look at fungus the same way again!
These sandals from fungus workshop are particularly appealing to me–the way the straps are made is hard to figure out, they’re magical. Fortunately I have a pattern for them from Tim Skyrme’s Simple Sandalmaking book here: I love the stitching that anchors each strap, and the name of the maker that is embossed on the […]
New tutorial: How to make warm boots for little cold feet
My one-year-old grandson needed a pair of warm boots. Out came the wool coat I had felted, the polar fleece from a thrift shop XX large pullover, and a wide bicycle tire inner tube. Since I decided to create a tutorial as I went along making his pair, I made the boots all by hand […]
My very own pair of center-seam shoes
To double-check the directions for my new shoemaking kit, I made a pair of shoes for myself. I had some mauve scraps that weren’t big enough for making all the upper parts, so I cut out and lined the pieces that made up each part, punched stitching holes in them, then stitched them together. For […]
1930s Film of a German shoemaker making boots
There’s a lot to learn from this movie if you are making fully-lasted shoes.. I don’t make fully-lasted shoes, but I still need to nail the sole to the bottom of the last when making “stitch-downs”. And, that has always been challenging. But after watching this video, I took a bicycle inner tube, cut it, […]
Want to save $2,300.00 on a pair of sandals?!
These Dolce & Gabbana sandals cost $2,395.00. You could make these sandals for less than $95.00, meaning that you could save a lot of money! To make pom-poms in a fast and easy way: http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-pom-poms.html, they might cost $1.00 each..There are online instructions on how to make yarn tassels also. The little pom-poms on a […]
Punch patterns
An interesting way to embellish footwear is with punch patterns – here’s a selection that might give you some inspiration. You might also be inspired by the way Emily Ruth Davies uses punch patterns on her beautiful shoes – http://www.ruthemilydavey.co.uk/. All you need is a punch (00), a mallet, a pounding board underneath, and a […]
Ultimate fully-lasted shoemaking video
http://jbfcustoms.com – treat yourself to a look at the shoes Jacob Blaise Ferrato is making in Cleveland. Even though they might be the “most complicated shoes you can possibly think of making” (made possible by that dandy sneaker sole that he happens to have, and the fabulous machine for stitching those soles to the shoes), […]
Lacing stitch mystery solved
These shoes show what can be done if all the stars align: you have nice leathers, soling is available, you have no doubt been a leatherworker a long time to perfect the brown lacing stitch, you’ve got a great machine that stitches with the thick white thread around the edge of the shoe – and […]
Your shoes are rubbish
http://makezine.com/2014/05/08/your-shoes-are-rubbish/ Wow, I’m dizzy already! – never had a spinning photo before. But this sneaker has some interesting lines. To see how it’s made, check out the link above.