Making children’s shoes is especially rewarding because you know what they are made of. Most shoes offered today consist of synthetic, glued together components that aren’t healthy for a growing and more vulnerable body. Wearing shoes made of such material often leads to sweaty (and sometimes smelly) feet.
There is something special about hand stitching clothes. First of all there is no noise, no rattling of a sewing machine. Then there is the slowness of it, what is the hurry anyway. Also I can sit outside in the sunshine while stitching and hear the birds sing or watch my children play.
I’m nearly finished writing a sandalmaking e-Book. These photos show one of the 8 sandals to make in the book.
Although I’ve been making sandals for over 10 years now, I’ve learned so many new things while making the projects for the book, researching everything from scratch as if I was a beginner.
They say the best way to get familiar with a subject is to write a book about it, this is so true. It certainly has taken my sandalmaking to a new level.
But it’s not only the content of the book that has challenged me to go new ways, it’s also the technical side about self-publishing an e-Book that opened a new world to me, I’m so fascinated by it all.
In the process of writing the book, I’ve taught myself product photography, in design and setting up a blog and landing page. Of course, there is no end to learning, something new to master always comes up.
The book How to make unique leather sandals is available now! Follow the link to find out more about the book!
Why do boys’ clothes have to be so boring? My 5-year-old loves colours and so do other boys, I’m sure, yet the clothes available for them are often so dull.
This t-shirt I made using the reverse appliqué technique. I first stenciled a design onto the fabric, sewed around each shape with embroidery thread and then cut the shapes out to show the fabric underneath.
I love decorating leather. This batik leather wallet is the result of my recent discovery that leather can be decorated using the batik technique.
I was inspired by photographs in a leather craft book from the 70s where someone applied paint to leather with the batik technique, when I saw the photos (black and white, unfortunately) I just had to try it out.
I experimented with different designs and colour combinations using up all my leather scraps in the process (and a lot of dye) until I had a surface I liked and which I stitched into this wallet.
I made this tunic for my daughter out of handwoven silk from India. Silk is my absolute favourite fabric, I buy peace silk, so-called because no silkworms are harmed or killed in the production process.
You can find peace silk fabrics at FabricTreasury an Etsy shop, located in India. The pattern I used for the tunic is from ottobre magazine 2/04, I made a few changes though.
Making boots at home is the most wonderful feeling of accomplishment. You can make them look exactly like you want them, choose the material, colour, decoration, height and so much more!
I started making shoes 10 years ago, they didn’t look like these then. I used to take apart old shoes to figure out how they were constructed and then experimented with basic shapes, different leathers, dyes and ways to decorate it while teaching myself leather craft techniques.
I got so fascinated by the fact that I can actually make shoes at home that I haven’t bought another pair of shoes since.