On the Bench Today - Making Shearling Slippers

in crafts •  7 years ago  (edited)

I have had these cut and ready to stitch for quite a while...so I figured this would be a good time to finish them up and get them listed :)

Shearling Deertan nampeh 1b.jpg

The Shoshoni word for shoes, is Nampeh. When the settlers came here, they learned the Algonquian word for shoes, which is Moccasin, because these were the first people they met. The word stuck, and so most people use it now.

To make them I first cut the pattern. These have shearling and a chocolate deertan, and I laminate the sole with Barge...
nampeh 1e.jpg

nampeh 1a.jpg

Next I make the stitching holes. I use a fork and mallet so I don't stress my hands...but this can be done with an awl as well.
nampeh 1b.jpg

Trim off any excess shearling...
nampeh 1c.jpg

I stitch them with two needles using a saddle stitch, or sometimes a lock stitch (which can be done by hand easily).
nampeh 1d.jpg

Then trim down the shearling around the seams. I leave just enough to leave some wool, which helps protect the threads from sand and dirt.

Shearling Deertan nampeh 1a.jpg

Shearling Deertan nampeh 1d.jpg

I rarely make these for sale anymore, and cannot take custom orders...but this pair was waiting for me to finish...

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I cannot wait to finish learning <3 I just love, love, love the smell of leather filling my home when I break out my leather box.

Great post, and I want a pair, do you accept STEEM. I live a 25 minute drive to our Algonquin First Nations Reserve, and they sell all kinds of moccasin slippers. My kids are Algonquin First Nations people, on my husbands side.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Thank you :) Yes, I do accept STEEM, though these are expensive because of the cost of materials and time to make them. I retail them for 200.00. I know SBD is up in price on the dollar though the exchange rate is super high, so I could do these for 50 SBD including shipping. They will fit a 8 - 9 inch foot.

Algonquian style would be closer to these

or like these with a slightly smaller vamp..

The upper would be different, I just mean the shoe itself... :)

Those look nice and warm! Great instruction as usual! tweet...

They are, super warm :) Thanks for sharing Weetree <3

Your welcome!

Those look wonderfully comfy. I love how you showed the process. Whoever buys them will have toasty feet for sure!

Yes they sure will :) It's funny, because the process looks so short in photos. but it takes hours in real time...

Wow, these look fantastic and comfy!
Some lucky person is going to get some really cool slippers.
Too bad I have big feet, haha!
Good work!

Thanks :) Yeah, we used to take custom orders all the time, but now it is too much on my hands to do the fur lined often. I still like to make a pair here and there though :)

I bet! It looks like a big job, especially to do it right. Very cool skill!

I love them! Thank you so much for sharing your process. You always inspire me

Thank you :) and ditto!

Beautiful Nampeh! those look very much
needed after seeing the frozen river :-)
Very cool pattern!

Thanks Shasta :) These I listed for sale, but you bet I have some too. This pattern is an old Shoshoni one piece, one of my favorites.

Keep those tootsies warm indeed :-) I've got a ancient
pair of Nampeh (how does this word sound?) I got them
somewhere in Utah around the 80s, no fur just leather,
love them ❤ I wonder how old your pattern is, reminds
me of the sun between two mountains or horns like the
Egyptian sun disk ☀ ♉

It sounds like (nam-burh) kindof, but that is the closest I can do phonetics :) Ps sound like B. I am not sure how old it is, just that it is very old...which means the oldest people I know don't know...
Very cool, are yours made with this pattern too? I very rarely see any...

Mine are made in 3 pieces, bottom, tounge and
the wrap around the heel towards the front has
the leather string though the last piece.
Will keep in mind to look more closely of the
foot wear I see in the many different pictures
and stuff I'm always looking at, I really like
history and what was long long before us, how
things were done etc, it's so amazing! :-)

These are great! We want to make our own shoes eventually. First, we have to get a source of leather and wool, but we (hopefully) will one day! I really like the fork idea to cut the awl-time down.

How long does a pair take you to make from start to finish?

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Yes, the fork works great...it really cuts down on the finger stress. Some places still need an awl, or with latigo, but overall I find this is perfect :) Shoe making is really a good skill to know...

These take about 8 - 10 hours total, including making the pattern. Materials cost about 100.00 minimum...

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