It's the end of a long day engaging with all the visitors to the Cockpit Open Studios. This is where the building where we have our studio is opened up to the public. We do this twice a year and it's a chance to let people see what we do and hopefully buy our wares.
Cockpit is a fascinating visit. Run as a charity, it rents studios to designer/makers, and so is full of jewellers, ceramicists, rug makers, printers, weavers, etc. There are over 90 businesses here. It is a great place to work as it is full of creative energy.
I usually do some making during the day because people really like to see the artisans at work. So today I was fitting up a last after a fitting and got those velvet pumps to a stage where I can attach the sole using the pump stitch. This construction is not as robust as a welted shoe but a skilled artisan can make them strong enough to wear at home and even to dance in. Not recommended for a walk on the farm.
