The Icelandic Woman

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Katie

This week I set out on my first international travel in almost exactly one year – an inspiration trip with coworkers from our Converse Women’s All Star design team. Leaving my 7 ½ month old baby for the first time was difficult but we were headed to Iceland, which had been a dream destination of mine for a long time. After just 3 ½ days there, not only had I fallen in love with the unique little country, but I was struck by the recurring theme of womanhood that seemed to find it’s way into almost every aspect of the trip. Maybe, as a mother, I’m now more sensitive to this sort of thing, but through the kindness of some amazing local women and the impact of some incredible scenery, I’m leaving Iceland feeling more inspired and empowered than ever before.

Fjallkonan, or the “Lady of the Mountain,” is Iceland’s guardian spirit symbolizing power, beauty and independence (image via wikipedia) // View from The Pearl: hot water storage meets revolving restaurant, set atop the Reykjavik hillside.

Our whole trip was made possible by Elly, our tour guide extraordinaire and prime example of the impressive multi-faceted kind of woman that the Iceland seems to cultivate. Elly grew up in Reykjavik, but is also very worldly, having lived abroad for many years and now working as a stewardess on Icelandair. For our entire trip she filled us with fascinating information on Icelandic history, heritage, and its natural sciences – all given with a deep sense of pride and a great sense of humor. In addition to being a flight attendant and licensed tour guide, Elly is also a member of the volunteer rescue team, trained in mountaineering, and is a mother of four grown children! If that doesn’t make you exhausted just reading about it, you can start hating her right now because, as you can see below, she’s also drop dead gorgeous and virtually ageless.

Our group at the highly rated Grillmarket restaurant for dinner. From L to R: Noemi, Jessica, Katie, Elly, and her partner Haukur, a professor at the University of Reykjavik

In the dark morning hours when we first arrived, Elly took us swimming at a nice public pool, a popular activity in Reykjavik, where we Americans modestly dodged the opportunity for some womanly bonding in the communal showers. All refreshed and ready for some coffee, Elly then introduced us to her friend – one part of a sister-team who owns the adjacent café, Systrasamlagi∂, which also carries high-end beauty products, teas, and yoga gear. We would quickly learn that Elly couldn’t go anywhere without running into someone she knew! After some shopping and lunch, we were lucky enough to attend the opening of an all-women photography exhibition at the National Museum of Iceland, featuring past and present photos of Icelandic life from the last 140 years. For the final stop of the day, we visited the Icelandic National Art Gallery to see the dramatic works of Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir, which “applaud the female sexual energy.” This is when I started noticing a trend!

Assemblage photograph from the National Museum of Iceland // Creation 1 tapestry by Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir, image via kristing.is, as seen at the Icelandic National Art Gallery

The following day, Elly accompanied us on an adventurous glacial snowmobiling excursion and a tour of the famous Golden Circle geologic features. This was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life and it was amazing to feel connected with such pristine natural surroundings that are so steeped with ancient stories. At Gullfoss waterfall, one of Iceland’s most famous landmarks, we learned about Sigridur Tomasdottir, a farmer’s daughter who is credited with fighting to save the falls from the threat of a hydroelectric power plant being built there in the early 1900s. She is just one of many remarkable women in Iceland’s exciting history – a list that, more recently, includes Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the world’s first democratically elected female president. A divorced single mother and woman’s rights advocate, Vigdis remains revered by all of Iceland, even in retirement.

Noemi, Katie and Jessica posing in front of a chunk of ice that had chipped off the glacier // Pausing on our journey to capture the beautiful landscape. Snowmobiling excursion by Mountaineers of Iceland

Tribute to Sigríður Tómasdóttir // Gullfoss waterfall in all its glory

The next morning, Elly had arranged a meeting for us with Elínrós Líndal, creative director of Icelandic fashion house, ELLA. We were met by a tall beautiful blonde – a single mother with a degree in psychology, an MBA, and a love for fashion, who explained how she grew her company from a garage upstart into the socially and environmentally conscious luxury brand it is today. It was quite an honor to hear Ella speak, especially after telling us that she will be president of Iceland someday. This was a lesson she was teaching us – to make an affirmation of your goals so that your attitude and actions will follow suit and guide your path. Instead of worrying about the latest fashion trends (or “fast fashion”), Ella explained that her brand represents the idea of “slow fashion” – high quality classic looks that promote respect, confidence and independence. Through a series of core brand values, the mission of ELLA is to change the world by empowering women, but the most inspirational part of our meeting was to witness how Elínrós, herself, truly personifies the mantra of her company and is another shining example of a dynamically successful Icelandic woman.

ELLA’s flagship concept store // Elínrós Líndal, image via www.ellabyel.com

That afternoon we met with two more inspiring women: Brynhildur and Gudfinna, the co-founders of the design collective Vik Prjónsdóttir. In 2005, after graduating together from the Icelandic Academy of Art, the two women formed Vik based on their shared appreciation for the ancient myths of their culture as well as their commitment towards its current environment. Each piece in their collection is based on a traditional story and it is made locally out of sustainable Icelandic sheep’s wool, but the resulting pieces are anything but old-fashioned. Featuring quirky color combinations and bold patterns set on re-imagined everyday items, the award-winning brand has found great success in its unique offering. It was a pleasure hearing their passion as the ladies told us about each piece and described their design and development process. When they showed me a few ways to wear the Swan shawl, I just couldn’t resist and bought one on the spot – ah, the power of storytelling!

The designing women behind Vík Prjónsdóttir // The Raven version of The Swan cape I purchased. Images via www.vikprjonsdottir.com

Over the course of the day, Elly introduced us to even more amazing Icelandic businesswomen including the designer of the label Skaparinn, who gave us a tour of her couture design studio and the owner of the shop Insula, which sells wool pillows in a stunning array of colors, amongst other well curated design pieces. Even as I type this recount of my trip, the Icelandair magazine in my seatback pocket is displaying the headline: “The Design Issue: Read About Four Up-and-Coming Women Designers.” Inside, the article begins, “These ladies represent the new generation of [Iceland’s] emerging design aesthetic: colorful, punchy, drawing on striking elements from the nation’s history, pop culture and their own sense of quirk.” Coincidentally, while warming up with a coffee at one of Reykjavik’s nice bookshops earlier in the day, I encountered a book entitled, “The Icelandic Woman: Powerful, Unique, Independent.” It’s exciting to make the connection of how this special strength that has been engrained into the DNA of women from Iceland for centuries is finding new outlets in the design and fashion worlds. If I can internalize any amount of these Icelandic sensibilities, I will be coming home not only a better designer, but also a better woman – and whenever I need a boost of inspiration, I look forward to returning here for more!

Visiting the Icelandic ponies // The Strokkur geyser erupting at the famous Geysir geothermal area

The Icelandic Woman book by Snæfríður Ingadóttir // An early morning dip in the Blue Lagoon

 

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Baby’s First Christmas

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Katie

This holiday season is a very special one for the Blauer family because it’s our son Hunter’s first Christmas. For this reason, I was especially excited to get into the holiday spirit and with Thanksgiving happening so late this year, I threw convention out the window and decorated for Christmas in mid-November. It’s been a joy to watch our baby gaze at the twinkling lights and reach out to touch the prickly pine needles of the faux tree we’ve used for the last ten years. As I was showing him the shiny decorations, I realized our tree would not be complete without his own “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament that would help us remember this special year.

When I was growing up, my parents partook in the trend of collecting Hallmark Keepsake ornaments. Back in the 80s and 90s the ornaments were impressively detailed and exquisitely crafted, each representing a sweet or whimsical moment of Christmas. Hung together they make for a beautiful tree (see above), full of little details you can peruse for hours. Hallmark’s offering has lost some of its quality in later years, however, and my parents collecting has tapered off. Nevertheless, when I found myself in need of a special ornament, I stopped into the Hallmark store to weigh my options.

Unfortunately, the baby snowman with a binky jammed in its mouth was not going to cut it – a prime example of the poor taste we’d now come to expect. The less offensive option was a simple pair of baby booties with a snowflake design in either blue or pink. But why would I buy molded plastic booties when I could make a real pair myself? This was the only inspiration I needed to remember that something custom and handmade will always prevail over the generic store bought kind.

Back at home, I already had all the materials I would need: left over sherpa lining from my Colorado boots, green leather from the moccasins I made for gifts last Christmas, ribbons taken from an Anthropologie shopping bag and a pair of jingle bells snipped from another decoration that wouldn’t miss them. The finishing touch was to add the requisite “Baby’s First Christmas” inscription across the sole which we accomplished in gold foil with the hot stamp machine, along with his name and birthdate on the other foot. Although this pair is fully functioning from the shoelace to the padded footbed liner, Hunter’s feet are already much too big to fit in them – which isn’t a problem since he’d rather put them in his mouth than wear them anyway! Merry Christmas 2013!

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Phidias Gold x Katie Blauer

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Katie

Be Creative Or Be Forgotten. This is the mantra of art-based streetwear label Phidias Gold, headed up by the very talented Wesley Eggebrecht. The unique creations at Katie Blauer are guided by a similar mindset and so collaborating with Wes on a pair of shoes for his fiancé, Kara, was a great match. Wes is known for his illustrative black and white line-work and so it didn’t surprise me that the girl he was marrying chose a wedding gown with a dramatic black bow (even their cat, Tomo, looks like a black and white graphic come to life).

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For their wedding invitation (above), Wes used his awesome lettering skills to create a hand–drawn card where all the information is tucked into the shape of the couple’s home state of Michigan. For the shoe design, instead of merely being inspired by this detail of the wedding, I was able to incorporate Wes’s beautiful artwork directly onto the fabric of the shoe (thanks to new technology that allows for printing on canvas). It’s not very often that the groom gets involved in a wedding shoe project, but using Wes’s invitation so literally took our capacity for customization at Katie Blauer to new heights and I’m sure it added even more meaning for Kara when she wore the shoes down the aisle.

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Wedding photos by Michael Murphy IV Photography. See more shots of Wes and Kara’s wedding here!

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Photoshoot at Five Guys

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Katie

Wanted to share a few of my favorites from our own photoshoot of Allison’s hamburger shoes. The simple retro atmosphere of the local Five Guys provided such a perfect backdrop that for a brief moment I could have sworn the shoes were born there on the grille instead of back in my studio. I don’t think the busy line cooks really cared or understood what we were taking pictures of, but the shoes attracted plenty of interest from surrounding patrons. Even I have to admit this is the first pair of shoes I’ve seen that look good enough to eat (I’ll have to make a dessert-themed pair next)! Learn more about the story behind the shoes here and then view them in the Gallery!

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Weddingburger

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Katie

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This summer I had the very special opportunity to design an especially unique pair of wedding shoes for a good friend of mine, Allison Bamcat. Allison is an artist with a quirky cool aesthetic who loves humorous juxtapositions and her vintage carnival wedding was sure to hold true to form! This was my chance to design an over-the-top pair of shoes for a girl who expected no less than something totally out of the box and during an impromptu brainstorm session at lunch one day, the idea of the hamburger shoes was born. It’s not that Allison and her Swedish fiancé, Rikard, particularly love hamburgers, but it’s the happy surprise to see that iconic form appear in such an unexpected context – like as a pair of shoes or even a wedding cake – that makes it work for them. Allison has often incorporated hamburgers into her artwork (see below) and the yellow and red pop-colors fit perfectly with the other details of the wedding day – from festive bunting and carnival ticket table cards to Allison’s own space clown tattoo! The pair of pickles represent Allison and her best friend (who she has endearingly nicknamed Pickle) and even the opal sesame seeds were a nod to Allison’s opal engagement ring. Turns out these shoes were every bit as meaningful as they were silly, and for this creative client, they were a perfect fit!

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Burger Valentine commissioned by the Boston Phoenix, // Wario Burger featured at the “…Loading” show at Resistance Gallery in London // View more of Allison’s art at http://bamcatart.tumblr.com/

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Wedding photos by Dandy Lovin Photography

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Double Double! Finished hamburger shoes by Katie Blauer. See more views in our Gallery!

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Katie’s Baby Shower

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Katie

The fun I had planning every detail of my own wedding is what got me started in this business of working with other brides and the unique set of details they’ve chosen for their own events. So when the time came for my baby shower, it felt like a rare opportunity to create a small-scale version of my wedding all over and I jumped at the chance to design every detail – all the way down to the custom shoes, of course. That being said, the great success of the party was all thanks to the team effort of our official hosts, my mom and mother-in-law, as well as my three sisters, who each played an important role (while graciously letting me still hold the reigns).

Cake by Party Favors in Brookline, MA // Flower arrangements by Blooms of Hope in Belmont, MA

The theme came together easily by starting with décor items we already had, such as our collection of 20 Muffy Vanderbear dolls. Popular with little girls in the late 80s and early 90s, these collectible bears boast an incredible wardrobe of intricate costumes for every theme and occasion. For the purpose of our little boy baby shower however, we turned them into a vision of the classic teddy bear with just a simple blue ribbon. We also decided to re-use the same vintage cut glass vases from my wedding, supplementing them with a large lot of matching bud vases found on eBay. From there, the blue hydrangeas, grosgrain ribbon, and crocheted doilies all fell into place as part of this precious “granny-chic” motif.

I loved designing all the paper-goods for the shower, which included drawing a Muffy bear illustration to be incorporated across the suite. On each invitation and thank you card I hand colored the ribbons and flowers with colored pencil, for that extra custom touch. Since vintage cards often featured little rhyming poems, I wrote one for the front of the invitation, as a play on the classic “April showers bring May flowers” proverb. Finally, all the gold foil letterpress was done in my studio using a hot-stamp machine, which tied together nicely with the other gold accents at the party, such as the custom engraved pencils and chocolate-bear favors.

As for the shoes, since I was the client and there wasn’t the formality of a wedding to consider, I knew this was my chance to go over-the-top with an avant-garde design. (Rest assured I purchased a set of Muffy bears from eBay in order to avoid beheading ones from our own collection.) And while the shoes were a huge hit, nothing could surpass all the love and advice showered upon my little baby bump. Thanks again to my planning team, the vendors we used, and each and every guest for making it such a lovely and memorable day.

Katie and her grandma, Rose Snow, at Flora restaurant in Arlington, MA // Beatrice dress by Alice by Temperley, gold skinny belt from Eddie Bauer, David Yurman jewelry.

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Misc. Six

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Katie

As the weather warms and the snow melts more and more each day, it’s hard not to get into the spring spirit this time of year. With an early Easter to celebrate and Tax Day coming up, we’re compelled to start cleaning, organizing, and generally preparing for a fresh start. This same feeling should also apply to a spring cleaning of the computer! After sifting through a pile of sticky notes on my desk and flipping through a folder of inspiring images on my desktop, I’ve chosen to share the following six favorites collected during this winter’s hibernation. Interestingly, there seems to be a running thread of metallic and over-the-top items in this round-up, leading me to assume that with the daily inundation of imagery we’re exposed to, it takes quite a statement to make a lasting impression.

#1. First up is the collection of luxe headphones by Frends. I learned about them from a Refinery 29 email back in January proclaiming they were “The coolest headphones we’ve ever seen. Ever.” Indeed, I’ve never seen headphones look so good (like a premium handbag-turned-piece of jewelry for your head), but this was not the first time I’d heard of Frends. The brand was started in 2006 by a couple of pro snowboarders and over the years has grown into a whole crew of frends (there’s no I in friends). I remember their booth at Agenda (an action sports tradeshow) in Huntington Beach a few years ago, because I had stopped to chat with one of the frends, Scotty Lago, a rider from New Hampshire who I’d met a few times before at various industry events. Back then, the booth was filled with t-shirts (no headphones yet) and it’s nice to see how far they’ve come, from channeling their individual expressions of style in snowboarding to a covetable expression of style in fashion.

#2. I love these images of French artist Hubert Duprat’s fascinating work, although it might be more accurate to commend the work of the Caddis fly larvae, who are the true artists behind these gilded creations. The Caddis larvae live in fresh water and construct protective cases of found materials from their environment (usually things like pieces of wood, shells, sand, stones, etc.). Since the early 80s, Duprat has been collaborating with these specialized creatures by moving them to a home aquarium and replacing their natural building supplies with gold leaf, pearls, and semi precious stones. As Duprat describes, he “creates the conditions necessary for the Caddis to display their talents.” The resulting sculptures are so organic and unique, can you imagine wearing one as a piece of jewerly?

#3. Keeping with this theme of intricate metallic “objets d’art,” I’ve been kind of obsessed with Emil Stejnar’s pusteblume light fixtures ever since I wrote about them in a Misc. Six post from last year. Since then, my husband and I have procured two matching wall sconces and a large chandelier to hang in our bedroom. In fact, we’ve purchased additional fixtures that have been either stripped for spare parts or resold upon finding better options. While most of the current availability on the market are of similar ceiling pendants differentiated by size and condition, every once in a while a really unique piece from the collection pops up that surprises me. For example, I’ve never seen anything like this set of table lamps we found on eBay a couple weeks ago. They wouldn’t have gone well in our house and ended up selling for an unknown “best offer,” but it’s still fun to save the lovely imagery as part of my own digital collection of inspiring home décor.

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#4. A friend sent me the link to Ana Ljubinkovic’s Showcase 2013 collection, knowing that I would be enamored by her imaginatively whimsical aesthetic. After pouring over her Spring and Fall lines from 2012, I was an instant fan – from her eclectic mix of colors, textures and shapes, her looks are all very girly-glam, while some elements seem edgy and even retro-inspired. Of course I love her intricate work with pearl encrusted surfaces, but was especially taken with her deer head shoes, which spoke directly to my personal affinity for anything with a kitschy Swiss ski-chalet vibe. In fact, these over-the-top shoes have already inspired a pair I have in the works for my upcoming baby shower, so stay tuned to see my own take on fantastical footwear!

#5. Here’s an unexpected collaboration that was fun to stumble upon. BlackMilk clothing, the Australian maker of all things printed spandex (mostly leggings), has teamed up with the powers of Middle Earth to offer a line of Hobbit and Lord of the Rings pieces so fan girls can “get your nerd on,” as designer James Lillis explains. I remember reading the Hobbit and subsequent trilogy some time around 5th grade after my dad had passed the set of books from his own childhood on to me. My favorite thing about the whole experience of exploring Middle Earth were the maps to be found on the endpapers of the books that were so artistically and authentically illustrated to compliment the stories. So while I’m afraid I would not be interested in wearing a dress featuring the likeness of one of the movie characters, when I saw the Hills of Gondor leggings, my inner nerd definitely paused to consider adding-to-cart.

#6. Just a couple of interesting coincidences on the catwalk. First is a love for creepy-crawlies; both Lanvin (above-left) and Tory Burch (above-right) centered much of their Fall 13 collections around various beetles and bugs. If you think about it, this motif makes a lot of sense what with iridescent finishes and lucite accents coming on strong in the last year, as well as Fall being the perfect time to find inspiration in darker, more gothic details. No sooner had I taken stock of Tory Burch’s clever execution of placing a custom piece of hardware (the dragonfly) up the back of the heel, but I stumbled upon some Spring 13 shoes from Viktor & Rolf (below-left) and Diane von Furstenberg (below-right), who’s chrome-ball hardware up the heel makes it look like the two brands were sitting at the same table during a design brainstorm session! Nevertheless, this trend in new hardware shapes is a statement I can’t get enough of.

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Gallery Preview: Purple in Progress

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Katie

This month I had the pleasure of creating a special pair of shoes for a very deserving bride. Ali, an admissions coordinator at a school for Autistic children, spends her days helping scared and uneasy parents get their children the services they need. Outside of work, her free time is filled with classes and long clinical rotations as she earns her nursing degree. On top of all this, Ali still finds time for charity work, organizing Mo-vember fundraisers and blood drives in memory of her father. As her future sister-in-law describes, “she is patient, kind, caring and selfless.” I’m not sure how she does it, but through all of this outpouring of support towards others, Ali always looks fantastic. She has a great sense of style and knows what she likes – a trait that, in the case of custom shoes, can lead to extraordinary results!

From her thoroughly completed Questionnaire, she painted me a clear picture of an urban chic wedding with a distinct color palette and definitive details. Ali’s plan is for a wedding that fuses modern and classic elements, but in my first concept drawing (shown above), the design turned out to be skewed too modern. I focused heavily on the stark clean lines of the floor to ceiling windows at her contemporary style venue, Boston’s State Room, and my plan to mix high contrast colors and materials came across a bit too strong. Ali explained these concerns and I went back to the drawing board to evolve the design in a way that also spoke to the more traditional, softer aspects of her wedding dress.

This opportunity for client collaboration and the search for the best solution is what custom shoes are all about! In Ali’s case, we both agree the resulting pair truly blends the modern and classic styling she was looking for: the knotted satin across the ankle strap and vamp area brings both softness and an eveningwear attitude to the shoes. Coupled with a trio of ivory pearls that elegantly elongates the foot, these classic details are set off by a bold imperial purple base that will coordinate with the chic purple orchids and other modern accents Ali has incorporated into the event.

Another aspect of the process that went into this purple pair, was the opportunity for a fitting of the shoes so that any necessary tweaks could be made before the big day. In most cases from my custom shoemaking experience, the shoes have not been able to be finished until right before the event or the client and I do not live close enough to meet in person. For this pair, because Ali’s tailor required the shoes to be finished prior to her dress fitting, much like the dress alterations themselves, this also allowed us time to make adjustments on the shoes. Happily, every part of the shoes fit perfectly except for the ankle strap, which was a bit large. So now it’s back to the studio for this last bit of fine-tuning as we work to ensure that Ali will walk down the aisle in shoes as auspicious as she is!

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The Emerald City

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Katie

Around this time last year I wrote about Tangerine Tango, the 2012 Pantone color of the year, and the stunning examples we saw of this vivacious color on our family vacation to Belize. This year we traveled to Cartagena, Colombia for a friend’s destination wedding and by similar coincidence, hues of Emerald – the official color of 2013 – came to life before our eyes. Pantone.com describes this year’s color much as I would describe our time spend in Cartagena, “Lively. Radiant. Lush…”

All photos by Katie and Adam Blauer

As Colombia’s national tourism website agrees, “Green is a color that identifies Colombia as much as the colors of its flag.” The country embodies this year’s color both symbolically through the green hues of its natural landscape as well as literally through the precious emeralds it has mined since antiquity. In fact, Colombia is the leading producer of the finest quality emeralds in the world. While in Cartagena, we visited the Museo de la Esmeralda and witnessed the history of this brilliant mineral as well as its evolution, from formation in nature to the end consumer.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute further explains, “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation.” This vivid, verdant green is also widely known to represent new life, prosperity and unity – all the best wishes one would bestow upon the marriage of dear friends. This past weekend in Cartagena, surrounded by Pantone’s official color of the year, we were able to do just that.

Free People blouse, Anthropologie skirt, Martin Margiela shoes, Cole Haan clutch, David Yurman jewelry

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DIY Moccasins: Mass Production

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Katie

I’ve always been known for treating my family to handmade cards and gifts for birthdays and various holidays. As early as middle school, I was on such a roll with the card making that I had taken to signing the back of each card with “Katie Kards Ink.,” my first company name. This year for Christmas, in the lull between wedding seasons and after the success of my first pair of handmade moccasins, I decided to create a pair of mocs for each of the women in my family. Making seven pairs at once turned out to be a much larger endeavor than I had initially imagined and I was working like a little elf to finish them up right up until Christmas Eve. Needless to say, the holiday moccasins were a big hit and now all the ladies in my family are sure to stay cozy in these chic little slippers through the winter months ahead.

Here are a few tips I learned along the way, as an addendum to my first DIY Moccasin post. The major takeaway is that you may want to consider adjusting your tools in order to help ease the process of making multiple pairs at once.

Hole punching. Each pair of moccasins requires approximately 300 holes punched. Instead of using a rotary hole punch tool, which would quickly result in a case of Carpal tunnel, try using a tube style punch set with a poly mallet on a poly cutting board. This technique will save your hands and protect your tools, while ensuring clean crisp holes every time.

Stitching. In addition to using a large blunt needle to help stitch with the waxed thread, when it’s time to lace up with leather laces, try using a Perma Lok Needle. This threaded tube holds tight to the tip of the lace and definitely facilitates the sometimes-tricky job of sliding a leather lace through a small leather hole.

Gluing.This traditional handmade moccasin pattern technically does not require any glue for assembly, but in order to add my preferred style of footbed and tassel decoration, I ended up using quite a bit of contact cement. Whenever using toxic adhesives in this kind of quantity, make sure to work in a room that is well ventilated and wear a respirator mask with organic compound filters.

Sizing. Two of the seven pairs were made in deerskin leather (tan and yellow), rather than cow suede or full grain leather. This made for larger-than-normal fitting moccasins due to the deerskin being so thin and stretchable. Also, you’ll notice this style of knotted tassel detail at the lace ends does not allow for any adjustability. Coupled with the fact that the moccasin pattern is only offered in combined whole sizes (4+5, 6+7, 8+9, etc.), expectations for a perfect fit should be relaxed. Remember that with any hand made gift, it’s more about the thought that counts!

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