Monday and Tuesday saw our intrepid shoemakers stitching soles on. First they made their threads. Just like the welting threads but thinner - 3 cords of hemp rather than 5.
Wednesday was the day for heel building, starting with the split lift or rand. On this particular one, the notches which help to bend it round the curve of the heel went a little too far. They should stop before the heel marks to avoid them being revealed when cutting the breast.
Two heel lifts went on using paste and nails. The heels were then shaped with the knife.
Today saw them cutting the seat and heel breast and finalising the shape of the heels.
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| Nicely cut seats |
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| Cutting the heel breast |
With the heels built, the students moved on to the last process which is finishing. They started with rasping the heels and edges.
The last two days will be taken up with making the shoes look beautiful - glassing,sanding, inking and waxing.
Until Saturday, happy shoemaking!
