It is a good stage to learn from mistakes - why it matters that the bevel and channel on the welt are even, why you need to follow the edge of the last as you welt and to keep the welt taught as you work.
When you learn something new for the first time it is sometimes difficult to pick it up again the next day. A night away from the threads had previously adept welters tying themselves in knots this morning as bristles came off, twists came on done and threads were snapped. In fact threads were snapped quite a lot as some of the guys had to re-learn their sensitive touch!
One of the students today made an interesting comment about the pictures we had posted of previous classes. He was amazed that he was actually making something that he could wear and which would look like a proper pair of shoes...and said that the pictures we have blogged and on the website don't really do justice to the standard of the shoes that the students make.
(Dick Turpin aka Ian - an unusual look for a shoemaker)We promise to rectify that from this course onwards and will try to post close ups of the finished shoes (as we did for the New York crew) showing just how excellent the finished work is.
So soling tomorrow. Alex already has one sole on (a first for the courses at this stage) so for him it will now be about making sure that his work continues to be excellent - difficult as tiredness and information overload sets in.Until tomorrow and my last day with a great bunch of blokes...and of course, the valiant Sue who has kept Morph on track all week.
