I made SHOES!

I made SHOES!!!

Actually I made them more than a year ago, but never got around to tell you all about it. Which is strange, as I did made a ton of pictures with fully intending to do so. Now, when I would need to finish the Aidah gown on a deadline, I bombed my sewing room and the time while I am putting things back in order, is just as good as any to make up for that.

So shoemaking (as well as knitting and sewing, and flying) is in my blod. I already mentioned my maternal grandparents, who made shoetops, tops for gorgeously decorated clogs and wooden soled slippers in the seventies. I wanted to make shoes since... I think since highshcool or so, when I first fell in love with the ballerina, and maryjane type of shoes, but they were not available here.

 On the top of that, shoes are very sensitive points of reenactment, because good historical, or historical looking shoes are either not available and / or expensive, they can make or break an outfit. Now, I am not a "shoenaczi", I think often there are modern shoes that can give you an illusion, not breaking the style, and believable, and I also wear those too. 

However, shoemaking was something I was (and still am) itching to do, and the flat regency shoes are perfect to try out the first time. 

 

I have been following Franka Műhelye (the Workshop of Franka) for years on Facebook, with the intention of going there, but by the time I collected myself enough to do it, she left for maternity leave, and then the Plague came, and everything closed.

So when she opened her workshop again I was jumping on the opportunity real fast. 

I had some ideas, looked up regency (the age of napoleon) shoes online...

I had a few favorites, like these:

There are rounded and pointy toes, but from my collection of inspirational pictures, iit is very easy to see, that I prerreferd the pointy toes. Thankfully, the workshop had poitny toe lasts. Since I have one of those that tie around the ankle, I selected something less typical, these with ties on the instep.

After selecting the leather (blue, what else?) we started. The techniques we used are modern cemented techniques, for now, I will be satisfied to have shoes look the part, and use the technology that is readily available, and easier. 

We made the pattern. For that first we taped the last, and then I drew the lines, I wanted my shoes to have. 

Peeled off the shapes, stuck it on a paper and drew the final pattern, adding seam allowances.

Copied the patterns on the leather and cut it.

Also cut the lining of the shoe, from a thin, soft leather.

That was the point when Franka said "all right, I will sew up the leather for you". And then I was like "WHHHHAT? I can NOT SEW my shoes? What the hell am I doing here then?" It turned out that many are afraid of the leather sewing machine (or the sewing machine all together), and prefer doing everything else with their shoes, but the sewing... Oh well, that is not me, definetly NOT ME. I am NOT afraid of the sewing machine. I nagged Franka enough to tell me, "Okay, you can try the machine, and see, how well can you handle it, and we will see. "

I sewed that little trial piece, and turns out, yeah, I can handle an industrial sewing machine pretty well, thank you very much, and I was allowed to sew up my shoetops. 

I cannot tell you the feeling, when I hammered down the seam and turned the thing to the right side.

I think I already mentioned this also a few times, that by now, I should not be surprised, and I still am. Its like "WOW? these are REALY looking like..." and this time there was also the memory, the smell of the leather and the cement (the glue), the movement of the hammer, I saw my grandmother and grandfather movements in my hand. 

Put together the lining and the outer layer

Sticking and extra piece to strengthen the heel

The second day we lasted the shoes

First the lining, 

Then the outer layer.

The toe of the shoe got a layer for strengthening between the lining and the outer.

Shaping and reshaping. Pulling thight and pulling even thighter.

A few days later, when it properly dried, went back and added the sole.

The sole is so not historically accurate plastic, but it would work for todays asphalt walkways.

And then a few months later we even managed to shot some pictures too.

I love these shoes. I did wear them once to dancing, and they are lovely. I was sure that it was not my last adventure of shoemaking (and you can see,  already have the next pair - which we photograhed the same day, but I will write up a bit later).

Model photoes: Norbert Varga @ Bodeszphoto

Workshop pictures: my phone.