'dots and dashes'

The heel on this shoe was an experiment...
- With my Dremel drill press (to make the holes for the dots)
- With toothpicks (cut and sanded to make the dots)
- With waterproof ink as wood stain and leather dye
- With ebonizing solution (steel wool and vinegar) to color the heel
It's not a refined result but I like it.  A lot.
These techniques were all new to me.
Which made making this shoe particularly enjoyable.

Once more into the breach

Updated Strap on 'Forward Motion'

Lasts with more eccentric shapes

Circumstances the past few months led me to take a break altogether from shoemaking.  Getting back to work is always a bit of a struggle and I have been circling my worktable the past few weeks trying to settle down.  Fortunately, with a little good natured nagging from my son (best son ever!) I am finally on track again, finishing two new lasts and reworking a strap on a previously finished shoe that I was never fully pleased with.
                        It's good to be back.

'Walkabout'

This shoe probably best represents a style I would be inclined to wear.  Sort of a fashion hiking boot. The stacked heel was made from the wood on a discarded lino block as was the heel on 'Cirque'.

'Talaria'

 My previous winged shoe was more of a three dimensional sketch of a shoe. This one is complete. It has been named 'Talaria' which in fact means winged sandal.

I will be without a computer for a while so no posting likely again until October.  I now plan to spend some time becoming more adept with wood carving.

'cirque'

This is the latest.  I've named it Cirque.

I fear this will never be a 'business'.  I
am not motivated by income, and the longer
I make shoes the longer it takes to make them.

But I love it when they come together as
I imagine them and am encouraged when others
love them too.

Maybe it's more of a calling :)

Shoe Tea

'Hoofer'

 So...
Two  weeks ago some very dear friends had an afternoon tea with my shoes as the main attraction. I was quite nervous leading up to this but it was wonderful. All were enthusiastic and encouraging and it gave me confidence to keep working.
This is a hobby, not yet a business.  I suppose, one day,  I will have to begin selling them.

Still, I have no idea what I would charge and it makes me a little anxious just thinking about it.

So I will be Scarlet O'hara for now and think about it tomorrow.

And keep on making small shoes.

'Ain't no Sin'

I have a new last in the making - lower heel and slightly squared toe.  And I acquired some great scarlet suede (it is truly fantastic, the items one can find at thrift stores - an ugly shirt and an old wooden table leg can be transformed into multiple tiny shoes).

I look forward to working with the color red although it challenges me greatly.  I prefer muted natural colors but one must expand one's horizons.
 

'Whirlwind'

                 
                   Or, so I've heard.

thrilled!

My neighbor just gave me a tabletop band saw. I am so thrilled I could burst.  My husband joked that I was as happy as if I had been given a diamond.  I think I'm happier. It is exactly the tool I need to move forward.

incommunicado

I have been working, really I have. Experimenting.
The shoe in the background has a trapunto skeletal foot on each side.  Yes, I know it's strange but this is my favorite shoe yet.  The fabric is rust dyed muslin. I've actually finished this shoe with a different heel and a lace with small tassels but I don't have photos of it yet.  In the foreground is the second last before I cut it in three.  The heel was an adventure in wood carving.  It will be on a shoe I am currently making with a scrap of  whimsical fabric given to me by a friend.   I will not be posting much in the near future.  But I will be working.