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!

Bike Shoes Update 7/12/11

This is just a really quick post to say that I've closed the pre-orders for my bike shoes trial run. The last model is on it's way to my last-maker. On order are twelve pairs of shoes to be made once the lasts come back.

While I'm waiting for the lasts, I'll be collecting supplies that need to be restocked and start discussing color and detail options available to the customers.

Then I get to be the crazed shoemaker!



In case you're bored with the same picture over and over again, I'll give you something new to look at next time!

There are a few details to work out, but there will be some more announcements to be made in the near future. I'm applying to participate in an event coming up that I'll post once I've heard back.

Cheers!

Bike Shoes Are Go! Plus a Boston Trip Recap

Fantastic news!

I seem to have met my minimum to start on the trial run of the bike shoes!

It would be great to get a few more people in on this, so give me a ring or send a message if you are interested. I plan on sending my bike last to be copied by the end of the week, so I need a final list of sizes by Monday, July 11th.

If you are local, it's possible that I can measure you myself (depending on time and your distance from me or proximity to CTA trains) - It's nice to talk to people in person - so it's preferable if it's possible.

Oh, and FYI: Because this isn't meant to be custom, you don't need to be local or follow a rigorous measuring protocol to take part in this.


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Boston was blast!

I was able to make the trip because there were a number of things going on - a high school reunion, networking with bike folks, pedorthics research and then on to a family reunion in Rhode Island to celebrate my parents birthdays. This trip was packed, and long and cool.

Did I mention long? It's been ages since I've left town for more than a few days - here I've been back a week and I'm still getting back into a groove, if you've made it this far into the post, you already know why I'm especially excited right now!

Out of shear luck, the tenants where I crashed in Boston were mostly involved with bikes somehow, so I got off to a great start meeting people just by staying put and hanging out (thanks Laurel!). Besides the where I stayed (and the reunion), I also got to to have a great time hanging out and catching up with some old friends!

I have rediscovered how bad my sense of direction can sometimes be by wandering around Boston. I probably would have been better off without trying to geek-out with the map program on my phone and just submitted to looking like a tourist - I can actually read a map, though you wouldn't know it if you'd seen me. Ha!

I still managed to stop by Geekhouse Bikes in Boston and Royal H Cycles in Somerville (as well as an unplanned visit to Independent Fabrications!). Thanks everyone for taking time out to talk, show me cool stuff and chat about how and why we make things.

I made it in to a few bike shops - both for eye-candy and to see what is what. Fitters at two locations of Wheelworks indulged me in conversation about how various fitting systems incorporate footwear issues (and vice-versa). Superb Bicycles in Boston was a pretty cool shop to visit - cool bikes and a cool selection of bike-centric clothing.

From Boston, I bussed it to Rhode Island to hang out with extended family (that I don't see often), immediate family (that I should see more often) and wish my parents a happy birthday!

My flights were mostly uneventful and now I'm back in Chicago!

Now, I have a bunch of stuff to make happen, so I'm signing off. I hope you've had a lovely Fourth of July weekend and you're looking forward to a great week ahead.

Cheers!

Updates Before I'm Boston Bound!

I am leaving for Boston tomorrow morning! While I'm away, I'll be checking my e-mail to discuss the bike shoe project, etc...

The Bike Shoe trial is listed at the top of my News Page

I'm just starting to add descriptions to the work on the footwear portfolio page - just a bit at a time.

Cheers!

Bike Shoes Trial Run!

So, yesterday I mentioned I want to do a trial run on the bike shoes - here is an updated version of the proposal:


The basic design is engineered to be pretty quick builds, so I can make them relatively inexpensively. Since the big hurdle is the cost of getting the lasts copied, I need a small group of interested people to put down deposits. While, I'm not comfortable stating it here, I have a trial price in mind that should at least cover a small range of lasts, the materials, plus help me keep the lights on. This is for handmade - not made to measure - bike shoes for use with clips and straps (heck, there's nothing that says you need to use these on a bike!). If you are interested, contact me and we'll discuss what options* there are and how to proceed. I'm not asking for specific sizes - give me a shout and we'll see if a natural range results. I am thinking at least six people will make it a go, and I need to know soon, as it takes some time to get the lasts copied.

It will help speed things up greatly if - before you contact me - you get your feet measured using a Brannock device at your local shoe store. Whether you identify M/F or other, please have them use the mens' device. Make sure you are standing up for the measuring of both feet. The instructions for the use of these devices have changed over the years - your particular store might not follow this set.

I have to get back to the studio, now, but please get in touch if you are interested or you have questions.

Cheers!

* I know not everyone wants bright red shoes - color is one of the points to discuss with me!

There Will Be More Bike Shoes!

Now that the Bike Chic fashion show is over, it's time to keep going!



I'm really liking the bike shoes so far, but I'm hoping to get a few people into other sizes this summer. The basic design (the red ones) are designed to be pretty quick builds, so I can make them relatively inexpensively. I still haven't costed them out, but I'd love to chat about it if you are interested. The big hurdle is the cost of getting the lasts copied. If I can get a few people in different sizes interested in putting down deposits on handmade - not made to measure - bike shoes for use with clips and straps - we can discuss a reasonable price. I don't have specific sizes in mind yet, so give me a shout and we'll see if a natural range results. I need to know soon, as it takes some time to get the lasts copied.

I'd like to play with composite lay-up, but that may dramatically increase the price - I will discuss it if there is interest.

On a related note (to handmade bike stuff anyway), I'll be visiting the Boston area very soon. I'm hoping to get an opportunity to meet some bike framebuilders while I am there - give me a shout if you are one and you have time for a chat, or maybe you know someone and can get me in touch.

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I need to make space both at home and at the studio, so....

I'm selling one of my bikes - here's the craigslist ad.

I am selling one of my industrial sewing machines. This is the Consew flatbed straightstitch machine with reverse. It has a nearly new clutch motor and K-legs with a heavy wood top - I'll be asking $200 as is (which is a good deal for those parts alone) - I'll up the price if I decide to lug the head to the machine shop to have it checked out. Contact me ASAP if you want it as is- there is no listing for it yet.

Bike Chic, Bike Shoes And A Plan

For those of you who couldn't make it to the Bike Chic fashion show today, here are some photos of the finished shoes - later, I'll post some shots from the show itself!



Something that resembles a plan:

Over the last year in the studio I’ve been trying some new things and continuing explorations already in progress – in a roundabout way, it’s been about feeling out a direction to take my work. I’ve decided to focus most of my studio efforts into developing and making cycling footwear and accessories. This is a subject that will allow me to continue to explore many of the things that I enjoy – such as materials research, last design and shoe/object making. Refocusing my studio work will require some changes both directly and indirectly related to my practice.

To focus on cycling stuff, I need to commit to some research and development, as well as some further professional development. I’ve decided to finish my prerequisites to sit for the Certified Pedorthist exam. Getting certified is partly for research, and partly for credentials to help me get a job. I think having my C.Ped will be useful if I’m making shoes that need to be particularly bio-mechanically sound, plus while I was taking the pedorthics course two years ago, I learned some techniques I can apply to engineering footwear. This should be a win-win situation – I’m expecting it to take a while to see the cycling shoes project bare fruit -- and having my C.Ped will keep me employed until then.

I'm still taking commissions - not only bike shoes, though that's going to be my main focus moving forward - plus right now, I am seeking something to help pay bills and opportunities to fulfill the intern hours required for pedorthics certification.

Finally, I still have my small leather goods for sale on Etsy - they want to make you look sharp and hold your keys, cards and cash for you!

Bike Chic Thursday!

Thursday at noon at Daley Plaza downtown Chicago is the Bike Chic fashion show!


Probably without the killer heat - bonus!

Hope to see you there.

Bike Chic Fashion Show Is Next Week!

Hey everybody! Just a friendly reminder that Chicago is presenting the Bike Chic fashion show on Thursday June 9th at noon in Daley Plaza!

I'll be providing the shoes to designer Seth Meyerink-Griffin's two looks on the runway. We should be doing the fittings on Saturday and I'm waiting until the show to post the final pics of the shoes.

On a related note, I've updated my About page a little bit, and I'll probably be making a significant post after the show next week.

Have a good weekend, and I hope to see people at the show if you're local!

Bike Shoes Progress

Things are certainly coming along with the shoes I'm making for the Bike Chic fashion show - here's a look at them so far:


The shellac isn't as nice as the trial I did last year, but I think for now it turns out how it turns out, so they are ready for soling, which starts tomorrow.

The fittings are this weekend, so that is my deadline - maybe I'll have a chance to make up the red ones before the show?


Oh, and visit my Etsy Store and buy things!

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.

They Will Be Shoes!

I am working on some shoes for something upcoming (tease!) and I'm working on modding a pair of athletic lasts I've had floating around for a bit. The project is coming up soon enough that the lasts and shoes need to be good first time out, so I'm taking it slow and steady.

The technique for reducing the vertical height of the last uniformly from the bottom of the last uses a flex-shaft, drill bit and a stop-collar:



I've drilled two different depths, so when I rasp down the remaining material, I will have to blend the curves:



A little tool I've had for many years, that has proven to be invaluable to me, is this little miniature spoke shave. I use it to make fine adjustment and smooth out the bottoms of lasts:


I have a great deal of shaping left to do, so I'm expecting to be working on it most of the week between other projects and studying/research:

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.

State of My State

Just a quick post!

I am working on some new small items for sale, so keep an eye out for new stuff in my Etsy shop soon - some will be companion pieces for some existing designs, and some will be stand-alone items.

I have edited the text at my Etsy shop to clarify that I am happy to discuss custom items, and also renewed the expired listings.

Upcoming! I've started working on some new descriptions of what I'm working on, as well as the kind of work I am particularly happy to be approached about. I'm looking at the end of the week to have the updates up.

I am excited to be discussing collaborations with a couple of Chicago designers, and I hope to share some of that in the future!

Til later,

Cheers

A Coat

Before moving into the new studio, I made a few pieces - some personal projects and gifts/prototypes (see previous post).

I've been desperately in need of a new coat, but I wasn't in a position to go out an get something, and I didn't have time to start drafting something from scratch. I've been checking out the Burdastyle website for a while now, and I found a coat pattern that had some elements I liked. It was originally meant to be a spring-weight piece, so I needed to alter the pattern to allow for a lining, heavier fabric, and room enough for layering sweaters and such. I had some denim fabric I'd been saving for some pants that I decided would be put to good use for the coat. For warmth, I used a cotton flannel you might recognize from the original folding boot prototype:



When I was working at the cafe, my hands were really taking a beating, so the processes that are crucial to shoemaking were not pleasant, to say the least. I have been wanting to get back into some cut and sew stuff for a while, so it was a good alternative for the state of my hands. A lot of the knitwear pieces I've put together recently had, um, issues... I don't know how much was machine error, improper machine, or just me being out of practice. The coat was a good project for me, since I was able to remind myself of some of the particulars of using woven materials vs. leather. It certainly has some issues - awkwardly executed intersections in particular, but overall I'm pleased - and I have a new coat!

Prototype Bags and Gifts

For the holidays, I made gifts for my family.

For my Dad, Sister and Brother-in-law, I made bags. The original pattern was one I found on Burdastyle, but I made significant changes to it, adding in elements and finishing techniques I like to use. I was using these pieces for prototyping - I'd like to be able to make these for sale now that I've gotten a sense of what worked and what needs to be changed. I had to use a machine at the school to do the finishing, so if I want to continue to develop this bag, I'd like to invest in a new sewing machine, so it will probably be a while.

All of the materials were things I had on hand, except for some strapping (that I kept running out of) and some interfacing. I made one for myself, so I could get first-hand sense of how well they work. All leather with a fabric lining:


For my Dad, I used leather for the back and flap (in one piece) and a fabric with a similar feel to waxed cotton for the front body and lining:


For my sister, I used leather for the front flap, and felt for the body. It is lined in a purple cotton twill:




For my Brother-in-law, I used a navy blue garment leather I'd been hoarding for years and black trim. Since they were the colors of Cobra from the G.I.Joe comic, I decided it was time to use a patch I picked up from a comic shop many years ago:


All of them have a drawstring to prevent water from getting into the body when the flap is down, but they can open up wider for ease of access.

As they are now, the bags are one big compartment - I installed snaps for combining accessories like pockets (to be designed later).

For my Mom, I knitted this hat - it's another of the first hat I knitted for myself. I'm kind of obsessed with some of the elements in the design:


I've been continuing to knit. With my energy level low for a while, I spent a lot of time knitting various personal projects. I've really become addicted to it - I haven't started designing original pieces yet, but I'm getting confident that I can start putting to paper some ideas I've had floating around in my head.