Skip to main content

Construction Process VIII (Final part)

 Stitching the parts together This is the final part of the construction process series.  This is where all the parts are stitched together.  The lower leather part with the upper parts.  The vamp and the back leather part. For this task start by threading the needle.  This needle is a different kind.  They are called Osborne Braiding Needles at DICTUM ( https://www.dictum.com/en/sewing-tools-materials-bbc/osborne-braiding-needles-708419 ) and threading them is easier than using the saddle-maker's needles.  They hold two "teeth" that I suppose they hold the thread in there.  I am not sure if I did it right but for the whole project it did hold the thread pretty nicely without disengaging the thread at any time. I first passed the thread in the V shape lamina passing both teeth and then the short part of the thread again in the V shape lamina passing only the first tooth and that's it.  This needle does not hold a sharp/pointy edge and is perfect for this stitching pur
Post a Comment

Sole design and construction

 A very important part of the shoe is the sole.  Design it so it fits your foot.  Native American Indians did this according to the Craft Manual of North American Indian Footwear book.

Place your foot on a piece of paper and  outline the circumference/perimeter of your left or right foot on it.  You might choose to include the foot arch in your drawing or not.  Keep in mind that if not the shoe might become loose over time with wear.

Also note that the design of the sole will reflect the design and look and feel of the whole shoe.  Make your choice wisely.

I used Crepe sole for the middle part of the sole and rubber sole for the outer layer.  The layer that will come in contact with the earth.  Crepe is 4mm thick and rubber 1.8mm.

Crepe is made of bee's wax and has this honey colour.  The rubber is the black one in the pictures.  I chose a cheap one and I know that this might be a bad choice later on (if the rest of the shoe is still in one piece) where I will need to replace it early on.  Choose a better quality one such as Vibram.  Ken Diamond does so.

Sole material


Use scissors to cut the Crepe.  It is almost impossible to use knives or roller cutters to do so.

Rubber can be treated with scissors or otherwise.  As always cut the rubber a bit wider so the to glue it with no worries and later on when dry you can cut it exact with a pair of scissors.

Sole materials



Stitching the sole on the leather is the hardest work to be done for those moccasins.  Be prepared to brake some needles and to harden your finger tip's skin in the process.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Construction Process VIII (Final part)

 Stitching the parts together This is the final part of the construction process series.  This is where all the parts are stitched together.  The lower leather part with the upper parts.  The vamp and the back leather part. For this task start by threading the needle.  This needle is a different kind.  They are called Osborne Braiding Needles at DICTUM ( https://www.dictum.com/en/sewing-tools-materials-bbc/osborne-braiding-needles-708419 ) and threading them is easier than using the saddle-maker's needles.  They hold two "teeth" that I suppose they hold the thread in there.  I am not sure if I did it right but for the whole project it did hold the thread pretty nicely without disengaging the thread at any time. I first passed the thread in the V shape lamina passing both teeth and then the short part of the thread again in the V shape lamina passing only the first tooth and that's it.  This needle does not hold a sharp/pointy edge and is perfect for this stitching pur
Post a Comment
Read more

Construction Process V

 Preparing the Rubber Sole As mentioned on my previous post, there has been a mistake in the construction process.  Be aware of that.  The piercing of the lower leather part should have already taken part just after the bonding of the reindeer leather with the sheep lining leather.  Thus using the lower part blueprint with the holes already designed and pierced the lower leather part should have been marked and pierced. At this point there is no going back and this job will be done after the rubber sole has been glued on the crepe sole. Preparing the rubber sole involves scratching its surface with 60grade sandpaper.  Not much.  It is already prepared for gluing by having grooves by design.  I use the sandpaper perpendicular to those already designed grooves. The crepe sole has already been prepared i.e. sanded so there is no need by now to do the same thing.  By the time there are vulnerable stitches on the crepe sole you should not touch any more this surface.  Use only a brush to cl
Post a Comment
Read more

Construction Process III

  The Inner Leather Sole As the lining of the shoe is made from sheep skin leather I decided to use an inner sole from the same leather that the outer shoe is made.  Deerskin.  More specifically Reindeer skin leather.  This will make the area where I step onto the shoe more durable and will last more I suppose. Making and cutting the inner reindeer leather is done with the same technique as the rest of the leather is done.  Using chalk for marking and the roller cutter for cutting the leather. And bellow fitted on the lower leather part (lining side) as if will be glued and later stitched together with the crepe sole. Ken Diamond here makes three rows of stitches.  Stitches that will last long hold the inner leather sole with the lower part and the crepe sole.  Though he does not use an outer rubber sole for protecting those stitches in some of his shoe designs so I suppose this technique is a must. Stitching as we will see later on those parts together  is the most difficult part as f
Post a Comment
Read more