Finished Projects!

This past week I either finished or shipped my most recent projects - the ankle boots and the second trial versions of the Velo shoes.

These ankle boots are done in Horween leather from my library. The upper design is a blend of a derby and a balmoral design - well suited to using contrasting materials:

The foot is a Black-cherry Chromexel that I've been holding onto for years (gorgeous, but too heavy for most of my work), and the tops are out of the Vintage Buccaneer London-bus Red. The lining and tongue are the Vermont lining leather in the Wakami color.

The construction is my stand-by of the semi-stitch-out construction, finished with a wedge heel and a ripple sole.

I happy with the way these came out!
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I've also finished the second trial of the Velo shoes:

The first two are in the Buccaneer leather with Vermont facings:

  

This second one was done as a special request. I had the lasts available, so I was able to make the pair in two different sizes. You might be able to pick it up in the full size image, but I altered the facing pattern a little to minimize bulk around this customers particular foot:

  

This pair is done in a new leather I picked up as a potential replacement for the Rust Buccaneer. It's a bit too thick to use as both uppers and facings - especially in toeclips - but this customer doesn't bike, so it's not an issue. My supplier hasn't been stocking the small sizes of the rubber sole I've been using for walking soles, so it has a different option:

 

I did make a pair for myself this go-round. I used an odd piece of Horween leather I had lying around with some of the scraps from an Italian veg-tan I had left-over form a project several years ago. They match a set of toeclips I wrapped when I was working them out for a customer. I'll try to grab a shot later of them together:

 

Overall, I'm happy with this version of the Velos. There are some definite improvements over the first version, but some of the others I'd like to find a happy medium on. As far as time and efficiency, it is better for me to do a larger number of pairs in a run, but it was good to see the results of some bits on a small scale.

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I'm working on some non-paying projects currently, but I am taking new jobs - and don't forget to check out my Etsy store for my small leather goods!

Etsy!

I was traveling last weekend, so I didn't have many opportunities to post my new items to my Etsy store - but some of them are now listed!

I've made some new variations on my wallets, as well as a few of my card cases. The first items I've freshly listed are the wallets I'm tentatively calling the "Apiary" group - they are named for different types of bees and wasps.



Not up yet are some one of a kind wallets from limited materials Maybe tonight or tomorrow?

If you were missing my other wallets - they are back after a momentary disappearance from my store!

I have not posted about my Velo shoes in a while - I'm planning on posting about the changes to this next group, as well as some new stuff in my studio that's going to help with one of the processes that was being difficult - as well as making a huge improvement to my wallets and opening up the possibility of some bags in the future.

March-ing forward!

Ha! Sorry, couldn't resist.

I'm keeping busy. Working on some new accessories (really - don't laugh!), continuing some custom commissions... and of course the second trial of the Velo Shoes!

With only a bit of hesitation, I think you can expect to see a couple new additions to my Etsy store next week. It came up this evening, so I though I should mention it - I don't sell my shoes through Etsy - maybe in the future? Anyway it's all small goods and accessories. Someday I'd like to have a second shop to delineate my Velo items from my others. Still just an idea for the time being.

Velo updates:

I received the New iterations of the Velo lasts on Friday, and I finished cleaning them up and making a couple of small changes yesterday. Today I started "felling the masking tape forests" as part of the patterning process. There will be a few small changes to the uppers - a combination of functional and aesthetic considerations.

In addition to the shoes, I'm also prototyping an ankle boot version... we shall see.

I made a trip to Horween to look at some new leather - one of my most popular selections is at it's end. It was purchased several years ago, so it will be very nearly impossible to replace it. I'm really taken with this new one - here is a wallet I made to demonstrate the colors for a Velo customer:



While it's too late to order more sizes, I do have a decent size selection as of now - let me know if you are interested in Velo Version 2 and we can talk sizes.

I've finally gotten new cards using the bike-centric motif I'm using for the Velo project. Just the start of promotional materials I need to put together:



I think there're a few other things, but they can wait. Don't forget to like my Facebook page - I've been adding WIP pictures a little more frequently than the blog posts!

Bike Shoes Update 8/18/11

It's been a while since the last update, but things are picking up speed after some delays.

The person copying my lasts for me had to delay the production, but they are back on the job now! I need to visit family next week, but the lasts should be waiting for me when I get back. Once the lasts are in hand, I'll check them over and the patterning process starts.

I've been keeping busy while waiting on the lasts. I'm still in the process of replenishing my materials and supplies, but that is very nearly completed. I've been working on sample shoes to tweak the patterns and try out a couple of additional material varieties:



Above is an upper using my Horween "rust" leather with the trim worked from one of the scrap bin leathers - it's a pretty neat combination.



The second upper is from a waxier Horween latigo with a softer hand than the original red - I bought this option for customers that need more flexibility. The black trim is the same material from the tongue and top binding.

Both of these tests use a slightly different pattern layout on the toe and backstrap reinforcing:


I welcome comments on the pattern arrangement - sometimes subtle changes bring about dramatic reactions - what do you think?

With things being delivered next week, I will become crazed with shoemaking and I'll be hitting the ground running.

For a slight distraction from the bike shoes theme, next week I'll post pictures of pair of shoes that are moments away from being finished.

Now - I have work to do!

P.S.: I still have a sewing machine for sale!

Leather, Updates and Ideas!

I got to swing by the tannery yesterday to see what leather I could pick up to round out the choices for the bike shoes trial - always fun, and sometimes frustrating, it is the nature of how I procure hides. More on that later....

So now that I have all the colors I'll be able to offer, I'll go through my stock to see how much I have of what so don't promise six pairs of something I only have enough for three - or some similarly horrifying result.

There will be black - which is surprising since it's been years since I actually bought any (other than for trims and linings), plus there was one piece of red hide that should work as a softer alternative to the red latigo (see preceding posts for pictures of "those red shoes"). Unfortunately, there was no longer any more of the actual red latigo, so what I have in stock is it for the foreseeable future unless some company decides to order a several hundred feet.


Something I don't usually do, is go through the scraps bin. It's usually depressing to find a minuscule scrap of something gorgeous that I can't get restocked without thousands of dollars investment. This time I did, so there are some fun options for trims and possibly one unique shoe in one variety (it's a bit oily though):


Variety of leather is one of the benefits, as well as the downsides to being an individual artist/craftsperson/designer (whatever). I can usually come up with some pretty unique solutions to the needs of a customer by dropping by the tannery - even though sometimes it will come with a very hefty price-tag depending on what type of leather it is, as well as what grading it has. Horween specializes in very good quality leathers. I get to see a lot of samples that were made for specialty markets, and I have a huge library of swatches of ridiculously cool leathers going back to my student years. Unfortunately most of them will probably never be available to me, so I keep them for color and tannage reference and daydreaming.

The leather choice issue is also why finding a variety of crust leather that I can custom dye is so very appealing. If I could get a somewhat large quantity manufactured without committing to making hundreds of shoes all the same color, the volume pricing could potentially offset some of the cost of providing custom and semi-custom color options.

I do buy some upper leather from other suppliers - except for some premium Italian stuff, I keep having more bad experiences than good (mostly inconsistent quality). I don't feel bad about making those my last resort these days.
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I need to update my materials and make new cards and a new brochure type thing. I would really like to do some promotional items to sell, such as T-shirts and cycling caps. They would be printed with a variation of my header logo, so I've been shopping around screen printing shops and researching a particular cycling cap I like. I don't know if I'd be pursuing this while I'm working on the trial run, or afterward when I'm reviewing the trial and working out the logistics of a larger run.

I would love to hear from people any ideas on taking pre-orders or something similar. I'm wondering if using something like Kickstarter to graduate to the next stage might be something to consider.
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Some of you may have noticed that I took down my link to Etsy (as well as the pieces on it). I decided to try them out at a local boutique - Wolfbate & B-girls in Chicago's Logan Square. It's a pretty nifty shop, and people can see my stuff in person. I will probably gradually restock some items on Etsy, but I want to see how things go at the shop first.
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In an effort to make space (and a few dollars), I have one of my sewing machines up for sale on Craigslist here.

I'm thinking of holding a studio sale to make some space, and get rid of materials I probably won't ever get around to using - I keep buying fabric for projects that I don't have time to make. I'm going to be pretty hectic once the bike shoe lasts get here, so it needs to happen pretty soon - if at all.

Until next time,

Cheers!

These Could Be Yours Now...

They're made of leather and they're for sale!

Small Things!

My headache finally went away late this morning - it's been one of those ones that's not excruciating in the way I imagine a migraine would be, but it sort of clouded everything and made me swear alot. I blame the wacky weather we've been having this Spring. But the good news is I've finished with the fun stuff! I have a pile of small leather items to put up on Etsy:



There really was a pile and there is even photographic evidence because sometimes I'm easily amused... but I can't show it to you now because that camera isn't at home. It also has all the nice pictures of what's about to be up for sale. So tonight and tomorrow morning I'm working on a spreadsheet for costing the items - I'll edit the pictures tomorrow sometime and get the listings up.

I'll be introducing two styles of wallets and two types of single loop key fobs.
The first is the same as ones I did last year, but using Horween leather:


And the second one is the Bondage fob:

Instead of the "D" ring I usually use for the snap to attach, I used a steel "O" ring - not the most original name, but it'll work.

So, I'll leave you with the prototype wallet and say goodnight:

Appearing Soon!

I wanted to let people know what stuff to be on the look out for coming up really soon.

On June 9th, Chicago is presenting the Bike Chic: Commuter Fashion show as part of it's Bike to Work Week, being put on by Bike Chicago.

A while back when I found that a friend, Seth Meyerink-Griffin, was possibly taking part in a bike fashion show, it seemed like an ideal time to take my bike shoe explorations off of hiatus.

Well, Seth is doing the show! As of now, my participation is kind of unofficial, but I will be providing the shoes worn by his models for the Bike Chic show. The shoe lasts I was modifying recently are for one of the pairs of shoes being modeled.

Here are a couple images I'm basing my designs off of - just a couple quick sketches from my sketchbook. These aren't the final designs and I'm working with Seth to keep the color story coherent, so this is just a little something:


Bike related things have been at the forefront of my brain for a while now, and I'm happy to have found something to spur new activity on the bike shoes.
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In other news, I've had a delay with the hardware for the small leather goods, so I can't finish them up before I go out of town for family stuff. Final assembly will happen Monday and Tuesday, and I'll be listing things on my Etsy site in the evenings as they are finished.

I will be doing a new style of single key fob, as well as the old ones, but in new leathers. I am introducing two wallet styles - one is a chain style with the double looped fob, and the other is something to put in your pocket or bag and can be outfitted with a grommet for a chain if desired. Here is a shot of the prototype chain wallet with fob:

... and here's my little assembly line:


So that is all for now. I'll definitely put up a post when I get the Etsy listings up and running, but I also have had some things on my mind that I'm pulling together. They're related to current projects and I'd like to get some feedback on them, so I'm going to put some of them to text while I'm on the train.

Dye!

I had one of those happy accidents that can yield some really neat results. When mixing dye for a project, I got this sweet acid green that contrasts really neatly with a tipping of orange when it's applied to a textured leather:


I'm experimenting with finishing techniques to keep the brightness and high contrast - otherwise, it results with the color close to what I was actually shooting for (but am less excited about):


Bikes have been on my mind a lot lately, so here is my photo album from the 2009 NAHBS... just because everything is so very, very pretty:

Organizing the Studio, Organizing the Blog!

I am still tweaking it and deciding what is going to stay on the about me page, but check it out. I've made an entry that talks about the kind of projects I am particularly keen to work on.

I've created a new page describing my three primary last styles. All of my lasts are available for doing custom work, including ones not showcased on my lasts page.

I may have mentioned that I wanted to build a new cutting table and possibly a divider wall? Well, as a birthday present, I was able to purchase the materials - yes! Consequently, the studio was shut down for a couple weeks(!) while I was building. I'm still cleaning (oh, the dust!) and organizing, but it is really very cool that I'm finally able to give things a proper home.

This is the new cutting table - it is very much overbuilt, but I can really heap abuse on my studio furnishings, so this is a good thing. It has a very large shelf underneath that will someday have drawers to protect rolled up leather:

Two of the legs have heavy duty casters so I can move it wheelbarrow style:


These are not the most brilliant of pictures, since the quarters are close, but I built a dividing wall to separate the "clean" from "messy" areas of the studio. One side is paneled with smooth white paneling that works as a white board to take notes on:


And on the back side, it is paneled with peg board to hang my tools over my shoemaking bench:


While the inevitable scrapes and bruises are healing, I'm putting everything away and creating task areas, such as a dedicated dye/airbrush station for working on my custom dyed pieces.

Along with everything else, the small leather goods were put on hold during the building, but I did pick up a fantastic piece of leather from Horween - it was a splurge, but it will make some really nice pieces.

This coming month is turning into a really busy time! There's some really exciting stuff I should be able to announce soon, plus I should have a few more items on Etsy soon, so keep an eye out.

State Two

The elaborate new text stuff is delayed - boo! Though I have made some good progress on it.

This is a picture of some wallet prototypes I'm working on:


They look pretty good in the picture, but I need to troubleshoot some more. I'm happy with the patterns, but I need to either 1: change the leather, 2: use a different machine than my collection, or 3: both. These are some of the items that I'll have up on Etsy soon-ish.

On a related note, I'm going to visit the tannery when I get back from a trip to Michigan - I'll be looking at new leathers for the small goods projects and shoes. I'm also looking for leather for the bike shoes and the studio dyed/colored leather investigation since one or both projects will be coming off of hiatus.

So, I'm getting back up to speed, and the studio- while still a work in progress- is becoming functional.

Veldtschoen Photo essay

Here is the completed photo essay on building a veldtschoen-or stitchdown- style boot:



This is not a perfect example, but I'll point out some general aspects of the veldtschoen:

This is a very casual construction, especially without mechanical assists used in factory production and it has a distinct look that exaggerates the shape of the toe.

Construction:
The primary feature is the upper being flanged out to create a shelf for the upper to be sewn to a midsole- sometime referred to as a runner. In most constructions, a particular lasting pincer is used, which has a hammer to lever over the last bottom and pull it tight. Without this assist it is extremely difficult to get the vamp area tight to the last- even after using some questionable aids....

The last for a veldtschoen should have a distinct feather edge all round, with a full arch. When machine stitching the midsole on, it is desirable to have a bevel all round the feather edge of the last. As in the photos, the shoe is presented to the outsole stitcher "bottoms-up". The work table presses against the shoe upper and the curved awl passes through a hole in it, which is set back between 1/16th and 1/8th inch from the leading edge. The bevel in the last allows the work table to press the upper into the void. This offsets the distance of the awl passing through the hole, placing the stitch right at the crease. The photos don't illustrate this adequately and will need to be supplemented with illustrations later.

Aesthetics:
Depending on the leathers chosen, some construction details- both desirable and not- will show through in the end.
Many shoemakers employ side linings in both cemented and sewn footwear- this is not very practical in this application and soft leathers are going to give it a "slipper-ish" look to the way the material holds the foot. It is not unusual for Veldtschoens to be unlined.

Other leather choices will certainly offer different results- I will certainly build this way again. Given the leathers I go back to time and time again, my inclination is to focus on my previously favored variation.

I hope you find this informative. Comments- whether for clarification- or correction- are welcome.

New Folding Boots

Before flying to Las Vegas, I finished up these new versions of the folding boot. This time, I used a wool blend felt and Horweens rust leather on the outside and the customers blue leather to line the shaft:

Bicycle Shoe Project

One of my recent fascinations are bicycle shoes. Last year I picked up a pair of older (early 90's/late 80's NOS?) SIDI bike shoes- which I promptly took apart to see how they tick. A few days ago I picked up another pair of Italian shoes that look older than they really are (apparently). The shoes are interesting for a few reasons: the uppers are of an incredibly simple pattern, the combination of detailing and material choices to define the functionality and the hardware requirements.

I'm using these shoes as reference pieces to explore a bit of performance footwear, combining full leather construction with the functionality required of a bicycling shoe.

Instead of creating an original last for this exploration, I've had one of my lastmakers pick an athletic last model with a high toe-spring from his library to copy. Pictured is the pair of lasts, One of them is carefully taped for patterning.



I'll update on this project as it progresses.

Erick

Gunton 2007

Lest anyone who hasn't looked at my website (which hasn't been updated in ages) think I only use the Elf last, I thought I would post a pair of shoes I did last spring.

The design is a classic oxford with a button closure. I used a last I started developing for mens or menswear styles- I call it the Gunton, named after my father and grandfather. The last was introduced at the One of A Kind Show and Sale 2006 (!).



I'm really pleased with the color combinations- rust quarters with black galosh and antiqued brass buttons. The upper leathers are locally made here in Chicago, while the lining is a veg-tan of unknown origin.

These are pretty typical of the aesthetic I've been developing over the last few years. If time allows, I'm going to pull together a handstitched shoe on this last.

Erick
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Up next: I'm currently working on a bicycle style shoe, which I'll post some pictures in a few days.