Scrap leather from shoemaking was used to make these bags, by women in challenging circumstances. They provide a safe way to carry your phone, with space for credit cards and cash as well!

These earrings, bracelets and cross-body phone bags are being made by women in challenging circumstances who live near me in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. They are all made from scrap leather, mostly from my shoemaking, but the bracelets are made from the finest Italian leather that I picked up from a nearby factory …

A week or so ago I posted the trial mock-up for a customer who has such sensitive feet that she couldn’t bear to wear any footwear that she could find commercially. I made her a simple shoe from elk hide, which is so soft. All of the seams were turned out so she won’t feel …

  There are so many foot afflictions, and unfortunately I have never taken the  training necessary to become a pedorthist. (A pedorthist is a professional who has specialized training to modify footwear and employ supportive devices to address conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs.) So, I have learned to decline most requests for …

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 …

was There was a knock on my door. Not expecting a visit, I answered in curiosity. There stood an elderly man with silver hair. I recognized him as a neighbour from a couple of houses up the street. We had greeted several times, but never really talked. His hands held behind his back, he explained …

I just put “Forever Flip-Flops” in my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/754206451/forever-flip-flops-ease-beach-and-ocean?ref=shop_home_active_1 This article will give you an idea of why I created a flip-flop that lasts forever. The sole is made of conveyor belt scraps and the straps are made from bicycle inner tube. However, the straps can be made of other materials, such as fabric …

I think it was in March that I started revising my “Simple Shoemaking Handbook”, and thought I would complete it by, at the latest, July…now it’s cold outside (well, not where I am, a vacation in the Azores was perfectly-timed with the book’s completion.) Along the way I learned new processes, materials and tools, so …

renbootz Years ago I obtained a photocopy of a book with directions for making Renaissance boots. It didn’t have a cover page, and no indication of who the author was. So, I’ve made a pdf of it, in hopes that the information might be useful to you, see link above. It might be of interest …

If you are a fan of waxed braided thread from either https://www.etsy.com/shop/leatherwurx or a spool from abbeyengland.com, you can keep the thread from coming off your needle by, after you have threaded the needle, puncture the thread about 1/2″ from the end with the tip of the needle, then pull the thread on through until …