Blog

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Breaking News

March/April issue of Asheville Made
Deborah Shoemaker and the Singer

What a surprise to find out my picture is on page 38 of the March/April issue of Asheville Made. Last month I attended the Natural Dye Interest Group at Local Cloth. I was also trying out my leather needles on their sewing machines to find out if any of their machines would sew leather for my sandalmaking class. Little did I know the photographer was shooting for Asheville Made. I’m on the previous page too but in quarter view. Any publicity is good publicity, right? Too bad the caption on my photo didn’t include my web address.

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Sandalmaking Classes at Local Cloth

sandalmaking, handmade sandals, sandal class
Output of the sandalmaking class at the Folk School

Local Cloth asked me to teach a class at their facility in the River Arts District. The class will run once a week, on all five Fridays in March. Learn to make yourself a pair of leather sandals from scratch, based on the size and shape of your feet. Many shoemaking skills will be taught in this class. Registration is open now. Your sandals will be ready just in time for spring and summer.

https://localcloth.org/event-5107503

 

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Enrolling now for January shoemaking classes

Toe River Studio Tour advertisement
See page 10 of the Autumn 2022 Toe River Studio Tour booklet

Reserve your spot now for my beginner shoemaking classes that start in January. See the Toe River Studio Tour booklet that is out now for the Autumn tour. My ad is on page 10.

Class size is limited to five. Let me know if you have availability for other days of the week. I will open additional sections for the class as the seats fill. Early registration recommended.

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Shot of the Week

sandal class, shot of the week, shot of the year, sandal making
Delia capturing the class output

 

Shear delight to teach sandal-making at the John C Campbell Folk School. My students were a fascinating bunch of talented, hard workers. The campus is gorgeous and enchanting. It was my great good fortunate to teach in the well-appointed wood carving studio, updated over time and built nearly 100 years ago. The school staff was welcoming, generous and genuinely helpful. My housing was oh-so-charming. I have so many stories to tell. I am on the schedule to teach sandal-making next August too.

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Open House

Open House for Deborah’s School of Shoemaking

Come by on Sunday, May 1, 2022, 2-4 pm

Bring your dream shoes to life

121 Montana Avenue, West Asheville

There will be a drawing for fabulous prizes!

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Deborah’s School of Shoemaking

Deborah’s School of Shoemaking is well underway. These students are taking Shoemaking 101, Oxford or Derby. The beginner class teaches all of the skills to make a pair of cemented shoes of their own design. The class is taught with demonstrations at each stage of building followed by hands on practice of each skill. Students will walk away from the course with a pair of shoes made to fit their feet.

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The Madonna of the Lasts

I got some publicity in Mountain Xpress for Deborah’s School of Shoemaking. I recently dreamt up this image of me posing as the Virgin of the Guadalupe and using lasts as the light rays from my halo. I’m so pleased Mountain Xpress used my photo and what an honor for my new school to be featured. Check out my School page because classes are forming all the time. Gather some friends together and we can have a class time whenever works for you.

Around Town: Local workshops teach shoemaking skills

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The Trade

The Trade
Julyan Davis in his new spectators and Creek Study II

Imagine my delight when Julyan Davis agreed to do a trade with me for one of his paintings, Creek Study II. He asked if I had any interest in making a Twenties-inspired shoe. Who me? Julyan picked the leather colors and I chose to do a two-tone oxford.

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Shell Cordovans

What a blessing when a local man finds me to make him a pair of oxfords. This was my first time working in shell cordovan. What an honor to work is this exalted leather. Gabe was patient with me for I went on to make a second pair of fitters in order to further modify the lasts for his feet and get the perfect fit. We are both pleased with the final results and he even said they were worth the wait.

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Wizard Shoes

pagan shoes

It couldn’t be more fitting that the Wizard shoes are complete in October. Excited to ship them to my brother tomorrow. These are the largest shoes I’ve made to date, they’re nearly size 14. I broke the derby line rule for the bat-wing design. He’s going to have to open the laces a lot to get his foot in but for the effect I think it’s worth it.