#shoemaking classes

I'm going to keep this one a bit short because it's late and this fauxredhead is tired. 

So where were we...

After we modified the lasts to fit our feet, the next step was creating a Mean Form- for those of us into sewing, it's basically the shoe equivalent of a Block. A Block and a Mean Form are basic shapes that fit the body or last perfectly. They aren't designed or made pretty, they are just a basic form from which you create patterns.

The best way to make sure you have a precise Mean Form is to tape your last up, mark a few key points, and cut it down the center front and center back. After smoothing the round shapes down onto paper, you trace both halves on top of each other and find their average. This is your Mean Form.

This is a picture of my taped-up last, by the way. By the time you're done with a basic tape-up, each part of the last has at least four layers of tape on it, ensuring it will keep its shape when you take it off the last to begin pattern making.

And this is both of my lasts taped up with a few key markings on them. The most important one being the lower one, called the Vamp. The Vamp is the point where your foot begins the bend upwards. How you find that is a little complicated to show without a number of step by step photos, but the thing to take away from all of this chatter is just that the Vamp is important. For example, the Vamp is the height at which a shoe must cover your foot in order to ensure that is stays on. If you go below that point, you need to make adjustments elsewhere in your shoe to compensate for the lack of leather on top of your foot. (You can also see some rough sketches in this photo. Because I wasn't able to get or make a stacked heel, I abandoned some of these ideas in favor of the "emerging" look, seen bottom left.)

So. Once I had taped both my lasts, I used one to create the mean form, and used the other to start roughing out the topline of my future shoe. I did this using thin green tape, which really helped me create smooth elegant curves. As you can see if you look very closely at the picture below, the green tape goes below the black mark indicating my Vamp. I chose to do that for a sexier look, but compensated by tightening up the topline of the shoe and back heel. 

In front of the taped up last, you can see my patterns taking shape. The one on the left is the outer layer, and the one on the right is my lining. I would explain why they look the way they do, but honestly, it's all just pattern drafting. And once I get my shoemaking studio set up, I will teach anyone who comes in all about patterning. That's a much more detailed process that I'm sure I'll write about at a later date. 

By the end of the patterning process, I had decided on my colours and cut out my leather. The plum leather is kid skin, and the red is kangaroo (one of the strongest leathers on the planet).

Next up, I'll discuss a little about the construction process.

You might be wondering why I'm not in Oregon right now, taking the next shoemaking class in the series. 

Here is what the current plan looks like:

The next class was already full, and although my teacher was willing to let me into the class, it would have been crowded in his tiny little studio. It made more sense for me to wait until the next round of classes in 3-4 months. The plan is to re-take the course I already took, but acting more as a teacher's 2nd than a student. Then I will take the 2 week class a few weeks later, again working as an assistant but still learning a lot, and then the following month take the 10 day class to make fetish boots. 

In the meantime, I'm aiming to set up my little studio space so I can practice my ass off and thus get more from those classes when I do take them. If I can sew leather with ease and last quickly, then I can really focus on precision and gaining deeper skills from the master craftsman with whom that I am taking classes. It just makes sense to utilize his 30+ years of knowledge on things other than "help me sew this, I'm scared!". 

Tomorrow morning I begin my first road trip alone to Oregon where I will be taking the first shoemaking class. I am nervous and incredibly excited! I will be taking photos and extensive notes during the class, so I'll try to post updates whenever I have a free moment this week.

And let me thank you all one final time for helping make this financially possible. You've been amazing!!! I cannot say thank you enough. 

xxx

Shoemaking class begins next Saturday, the 16th. So far my incredibly generous friends have helped me raise $250 (see below) towards the costs of the class and living expenses. To help close the gap I’m selling stuff on amazon and ebay, but that’s all I’ve managed to come up with. Any suggestions on how I can raise more this week would be greatly appreciated!

UPDATE** Oh wow, I'm up to $310 $410 $420 now. You guys are amazing and generous and I cannot thank you enough. I will document my work in the class next week, and do everything I can to make sure you know that your donation was well spent and appreciated more than I can say.

:D 

Have you ever wanted to know how shoes are made, how to make your own dream pair of shoes for yourself or some other gorgeous creature?  Shoes that fit your feet like a glove, tailored to you, and with the great satisfaction of having been made by you...? Even trying to find a book that can teach you the basics is almost impossible...

Look no further than the gorgeous Paul Thomas and his fantastic evening classes and intensive courses in the heart of London!  A true cordwainer, Paul took some time out from making shoes to answer a few questions - lovely man that he is!

Where did your love of footwear come from?

       As a child I always had a fascination with shoes and would spend hours in the shoe cupboard trying on all my family’s footwear.  When I reached my teens and discovered fashion I was very disillusioned with what was available to men in particular, shops only seemed to stock classic styles in a choice of black and brown; style and image was important to me so I regularly travelled from West Wales to London in search of the perfect pair!

Have you always had a passion for hand-making?

      Yes most definitely, I love the exclusivity of a hand crafted product, mass produced perfection has never really excited me, my mum taught me to knit when I was nine years old, and I supposed that’s were the love began. I was the only boy at school wearing my own creations; I kept this a secret from the other kids from fear of being singled out, although I did draw a certain amount of attention!

So, Paul, I see that you not only run your own classes, but also work with the London College of Fashion; what do you enjoy about teaching, and what inspired you to start?

      I fell into teaching really; I love the art of sharing skills and have often collaborated with other crafts people in my designs. Cordwainers College were I studied in the late eighties early nineties, asked me to come back and teach in the technical departments 18 months after graduating. I was in the process of setting up my own business and saw this as a regular income to support me while establishing myself as a designer maker. It was then that I discovered a love for enabling people; watching students grow and develop in a mutual love of shoes.  I began running my own courses in 2000, I realized that a gap had appeared in the market of schooling, I felt that too may restraints were being placed on students to be more commercial and the style of teaching had become very generic, everyone developing their skills through making the same shoe.  I thought more would be learned through variety of styles and designs happening in one room, then everyone could share in their experiences.   There was also no were for graduating students to go to continue their study in more advanced skills or make their products, also part time evening classes ran on making classic styles, and this did not allow for any individual design input; due to the fact that different disciplines of the manufacture where held in different rooms, so would have been impossible to deliver teaching without running from room to room.  My studio was up and running and all contained in one room, so this is were I began, first with a group of four which has now grown to six, a size that is manageable without compromising the learning experience, allowing plenty of one to one tuition.

What would you say is your teaching style?

      A difficult question to answer, I would say relaxed, informal, fun, accommodating and informative. These are the main key points any teaching environment should have, with a let’s give it a go attitude. Shoemaking when I was studying was very old school, if it wasn’t leather it wasn’t possible.  I think it’s very important to try new things, so I would always encourage students to experiment with materials that were new to shoemaking.  Not all were successful but some interesting things began to happen.

Bespoke shoes are also in your repertoire; what is the most amusing or different pair of shoes you have been requested to make?

      I would have to say there have been quite a few, ranging from a pair of size 12 stiletto boots for a gentleman with a rugby players physique, to a pair of flesh coloured cloven hooves to name a few.

Have you ever refused a client's design?

      Yes, sometimes what the client thinks they want is not what they want at all. Their visualization in 3d can be non-existent, I consider it my job to enhance their aesthetics.

What makes a fabulous shoe designer in your opinion?

      A child's eye, to be able to look at something with complete naivety as to its purpose, I think this is important to any designer wishing to develop.

Describe your favourite pair of shoes.

      I have many it’s impossible to choose one pair, but if pushed it would have to be my fish skin trainers I recently finished, my favourites are always the new designs I am working on.

If you could work with anyone in the world, who would it be?

 It would have to be Salvatore Ferragamo if he were still alive, he really inspired me I loved his ethos.

Name something that you find iconic.

        The invisible sandal made by Ferragamo in 1947, it still looks modern today.