For little feet and the light-hearted.

Held in the palm of my hands, shoes for a 12 month old.

This pair of traditionally beaded baby moccasins were created on my birthday to mark a less ordinary day. I put aside meandering thoughts about taking the day 'off' to do something 'different' and not work because it was my birthday. But I felt nothing could be more special on a birthday than to make something because that is my favourite thing to do. The trick was to make something different. And in any case all my friends were at work until after dark. So I thought i'd spend the day in the studio putting aside all I had done before, see things a new, and make something that had been in a holding place as an image in my mind for 4 months since I visited Saskatchewan. 

I put all my attention on this one, new, tiny pair. 

And something unusual happened. I enjoyed making them far too much! this surprised me greatly because I thought I had reached a point of achievement in making the adults styles that have been the subject of my daily work life for years. Maybe it's because these are so cute and absolutely charm me, or because I can complete them reasonably swiftly with no tools other than a needle, scissors and thread. Whatever the answer, I'm happy to make more, and not only that, expand in to new styles and colours. I found myself reaching out to the local seamstress to have little draw-string bags made with a beautiful hand-woven indian ikat fabric that has been waiting to be made in to something for months. Some dot's started to join up... 

I've been put on to a trail to track down local shearling so I can source the materials in the south west. One lead takes me to Uffculme in Devon where a historic and still working Victorian Woolen Mill chugs away. New people and places provide new perspectives.

So this is it for the moment. A 'one off' day temporarily forgetting everything I have made before has led to a flourishing and exciting new project. 

What i've learned about this process is that putting aside what came before, even briefly, opens new and unexpected doors. Now I can use the best of what i've previously learnt, and gracefully (one would hope) adapt to a new rhythm on the path i'm already on. 

Knowing when to stop repeating and start listening, enough to be moved to change is the best tool in the box. 

Previously I would have thought that making baby moccasins not a 'serious' enough endeavour, well i've just looked serious up in the dictionary and I don't particularly want to be 'stony' 'humourless' 'grave' 'somber' 'grim' or 'dour' etc. The opposite is 'light hearted' and 'cheerful' - much better! Now having allowed myself the chance to explore something that had been tugging at my heart strings for months it has become a creative priority with a lot of life. 

And it's these first tentative steps that are the most precious. 

Rose Choules told us what she loves about teaching the moccasin making c...

The truth is in the wear.

This is what your moccasins should be looking like after a year and a half. 

I'd say it's about now that they start to be their best, to begin to show their real character, and to become so suited to your feet that they are an intrinsic part of daily life. This pair have protected my feet on all kinds of floors - from a rough wooden fisherman's cabin floor in Sandy Bay Saskatchewan, to the slate slabs of a cornish cottage in England. They have experienced everything I have in different dwellings over the past 18 months to finally this wool carpet in my own home, as I notice how they are wearing, and how much I love them still, if not more than at the start.

 

I had an intriguing conversation with a lady the other day. She exclaimed with annoyance that her husband goes through a pair of moccasins every year and every Christmas she has to buy another pair for him as he 'goes straight through them'. She was keen to find out about what I did, but looked dismayed when I told her how much a pair cost, so I explained why this was the case. I offered the notion that it probably costs her the same to purchase 4 seemingly cheaper pairs of moccasins as one pair from me that would outlast them all after 4 years. She looked a little confused as if she was trying to compute and calculate what I was saying. It is reasonable to have to articulate the costs and values upheld in my work - we're not all on the same wavelength or have the same interests, and so it's not fair to assume that people know what the hell is going on when they pass the studio seeing me dancing around with needles and thread or a mallet. After we parted ways I realised how important that explanation is, while being sensitive to the fact that it's not always possible to spend so much in one go on one item that can be pushed aside in the face of mounting household bills and insurances, food, rising fuel costs, and other life necessities that can dominate. The compounding quick-fix culture is also a very real issue we all face daily and i'm prey to it at vulnerable moments the same as anybody.

So the question remains:

How is it possible to have high quality goods in your life while spending less? 

The answer is: Over time. Over time the quality of a thing shows itself. This can't be rushed, cheapened or replicated. 

Seeing every decision as a long term investment rather than a short-term fix forces outgoings to slow down over time, and precious goods and relationships to shine through which are giving in their nature.

This model cuts out all the crap that comes with having surplus. As prices of things rise and financial income pales in comparison (for many people) ironically it's easier to see the farce of large scale commercial trickery we are led to participate in and pay for, thinking we are getting 'more' for 'less' and what we 'want' is what we 'need'.

In fact - with this model, we are paying for our own disappointment and loss further down the line. 'A lot' and 'a little' have been misconstrued and played off against each other.

In a person-to-person commercial model (this can still include purchasing online or through a shop or agent who also respects the products and processes) we are ultimately supporting ourselves through others regardless of the price tag because important values align and this is the spirit that keeps integrity alive.

It's a spirit that sees people first and commodities second. 

Our goods can work for us and protect us long-term. Wearing a meaningful and long-lasting item you love and cherish, and can have repaired by the person who made it adds value to life in many ways that can't be measured. And yet it's these un-measurable ways that have the most impact and warmth during the cold times.

In the end, the price of an item should be calculated by how much has been spent making it in practical terms - yes, but also how much it gives to you, and how it makes you feel through time. 

You can tangibly feel the benefits in myriad ways from a product that keeps giving to you.

To test it out, take a look at the things you hold dear and ask why?

Barbara Leather NYC

Inspiring lady and beautifully made film. My favourite part is her being swamped by a huge hide of soling leather as she maneuvers it around the workshop; very sweet.

A collection in the making.

 25,000 holes were hand-punched in creating the Autumn/Winter collection. I couldn't quite believe what the calculator was saying - but it must be true! It doesn't cross my mind to count things on a scale like that usually; it was only because a stockist asked that I actually began calculating. Although I know what goes in to each particular shoe - which is scrutinised down to the smallest detail, stepping back and seeing the bigger picture after some months is something of a surprise with hindsight as a lens. 

Pink nails match the burgundy Caribou and Ulu. Am I in charge of forming the collection or is it informing me? 

Pattern packs begin to materialise as each shoe size and the paper patterns belonging to it require a safe  home. For the larger boot patterns I modify 2 brown envelopes to create one gigantic one, and ponder the significance of illustrating each folder and colouring in the letters in a particular way. Do I have time to spend on this extra luxury? I do it anyway and relish the time spent inking the text.

Some of those 25,000 holes punched. The hammer I picked up at the local car-boot sale is feeling the burn, but the key tool here is the sturdiest hole punch on the planet donated to the cause from a shoe maker friend and mentor in London. Thanks Ash!

 A proud row of fringing. It seems a shame to stitch it down. 

Criss cross on the heels of the Fargo gives the finishing touch. A symbol of completion.   

The Fargo being stitched up over the toes and left on the last overnight to take shape.  

  

The shoes start to come together, one pair at a time. They patiently wait for their soles to arrive so they can be united, and be taken out in to the big wide world on a new adventure. 

Dream Catching in Sandy Bay

With a mixture of excitement and curiosity we left Saskatoon on the long drive up to Sandy Bay in Northern Saskatchewan. My colleague and guide to the area was Maria, accompanied by her husband Carlos - our faithful chauffer and photographer.

            I made a conscious effort to remain open minded about meeting individuals from a completely different culture and heritage, and felt honoured to be part of the programme to work on the initial discussions which would form the foundations of the Young Artisans Co-operative. Sandy Bay is quite off the beaten track, which is usually where the best education can be found. Unlike the people I would be meeting, my personal sense of self through community and territory is spread over various countries, religions and cultures – France, Lithuania, Poland, Corsica and now England. I tried to imagine what it must be like to have an ancient rooted bond with the place you live thousands of years deep. These thoughts flowed through my mind as the prairie scenery rolled by, soon changing to pine trees surrounding lakes.

Staying in Slims Cabins with the fisherman on Churchill River, between Sandy Bay and Pelican Narrows. 

We are all aware of the destruction the first nations people experienced in what is now Canada due to human migration (politely put). The effects are complex, traumatic and broad. Political issues are on everyone's lips - rightly so. Art seems to be a way to express a choice in life (on the side of creation or destruction) silently and effectively as a parallel to the tireless scrutiny over band territory and legal rights, wrestling with the government over tribal sovereignty and shifting policies. Regardless, this art work continues - it never goes out of style or value. It's creative currency is appreciated by those who know how to put what they feel in to something and those who pick it up in their hands to care about it.

A special piece of work that took Ernest a year to complete. The 4 coloured feathers represent the 4 races of people in the world, and the animals our spiritual guides. The eagle symbolises strength. 

On meeting members of the community who came to the local centre to share their work and their time for this new project we were able to connect through a shared passion in craft, which spontaneously became a vehicle for sharing far more, with laughter and surprise. Stories about where we are from and what our lives are like now, similarities and differences, loves and losses gathered pace. Generosity filled the room and we ate ice cream over chats about how to home-smoke leather, which bark to use to get a lovely deep tan colour, and what costume will be donned for the next pow-wow.

Michelle McDonald with her daughter who is learning how to bead, passing on the long tradition from mother to daughter.

It took a little while to feel that we shared the same space and mind for these positive and life-giving engagements to flourish. But once that happened I felt a profound sense of belonging – not just in their community at that time, but also in my own – at home. It was as if being with them gave me clarity that I was on the right track with my approach to what I create back in the studio, who I align myself with to make it happen, and how I choose to weave all aspects of life I cherish in to what I produce. What will I make now of my own roots?

I soon recognised that this was about something far bigger than the moccasins I had originally intended to see and understand as objects in themselves, and rather about art or craft (they are the same to me) as an intrinsic part of cultural identity, land and Humanity.

Ernest McCallum and Charles Morin sharing their incredible work. Ernest paints and makes dreamcatchers and drums for the whole community, while Charles makes birch bark baskets for collecting berries.

             

What I’m left with now is a deeper understanding of how the spirit of a way of life in ALL areas materialises in the products that are created. After all, an end product is only as good as the spirit that goes in to it.

Adult and baby moccasins made by Elaine Bear in Pelican Narrows.

And the spirit that goes in to a product is determined by the strength of cultural identity of the maker. This doesn’t detract from an individual voice, but makes for a powerful well rounded creation. At least, that is how I can now identify attraction to a piece of work - whatever it may be.

I learnt about how prayers are woven in to dream-catchers. About beading techniques and painted drums used for dancing. What the Loon sounds like (a bird which is the Canadian symbol), and how it can take a year to create a piece of artwork because a vision is awaited. Both patience and trust in life – past, present and future is abundant.

Beaded Moose hide and Beaver mittens with other children's clothes, and Clifford's Mukluks - all made in Pelican Narrows.

More than ever I want to stay where I am, strengthen bonds personally by offering and trading what I produce seasonally in response to the environment, using local materials and techniques. I’m inspired to dig deep in to the land I’m on to find what treasures lay at the roots that I might stitch in to my shoes.

I’m excited about the next phase of my work, as what I’ve learnt and what is now embedded in my heart through the personal connections made with people living in a way I truly respect comes through my hands and in to my community.

When many people in the world are searching for meaning of personal Identity in their individual lives, I observed that individuals understood themselves through their environment and people. There is no separation. To enter in to that state of mind, with them on their land and in their way was an experience I’ll never forget. I take this with me back to my home and studio in Cornwall.

I’ve learnt that doing anything of itself as a particular activity; in my case making shoes, which is one of many things I’m passionate about, must represent the values I stand for in life in order that this spirit is embedded in the product and therefore meaningfully transferred to others.

It’s my hope that the culture I am co-creating affords a nurturing and gift economy rather than a monetary and destructive one for us on the the land we reside on and rely on for survival.

So what do you stand for where you are and where are you heading? Even if that means staying exactly where you are.  

Clifford Ray.
President of the Northern Saskatchewan Trappers Association Co-operative.
'Responsible Stewards of the land' 

A letter to you from Saskatoon.

I am now in Saskatoon working with the newly formed 'Young Artisans Co-operative' on an exciting pilot study. 

The Young Artisans Co-op has been established to assist 2 communities in Saskatchewan - Pelican Narrows (Cree Nation) and Sandy Bay (Ojibway first nation). We're hosting workshops with willing participants in these areas. Craft is a kind of soulful balm anywhere in the world and also an opportunity for young people to learn about their incredible heritage from the elders and local artisans. Beyond this basic human need (intergenerational dialogue and creative projects for and in the community) our objective is to find ways that this can sustain life in these areas. It is that extreme because poverty is also in the extreme there.

95% of the population are unemployed, and youth suicide is rising amongst the mess of violence and drug and alcohol addiction. This is their (and therefore our) particular challenge: The youngsters growing up in this environment. I am astonished that these communities i'm visiting are struggling in this way just 5 hours drive of where I sit now. 

To me the power of art and craft is life changing. And what drew me from a challenging upbringing myself to art college exploring fashion and textiles through an anthropological lens. Then to a career in shoe design in London, then to hand-making shoes of my design for stores and customers internationally, and now to moccasin making (and teaching) for my community and deeper in to the significance of the hand-made life in it's whole. It's about the transference of love that can be expressed as a skill from the human who made the item to the human who then wears it - not simply put's it on, but instinctively feels that their being is enhanced in a beautiful and deep way with this piece of clothing, jewellery or pair of moccasins. To me this is the spice of life, and what I dedicate my every day to. I want to be a part of helping others making this their every day too if they are also drawn to it; just how I was. My own experience shows me that children who use their hands to express themselves sometimes do so to compensate for not being able to open their mouths. It's their voice in the world as it was mine, when words don't come. 

My work centre's around the premise that Shoes represent the values that we stand for. 

My drive to hand-make shoes is about Putting soul back in to matter. 

Healthy relationships can be formed from one person shining at another through what they wear and what those pieces represent. That's the power of the heart through the hands. 

- fin

Here comes the sun

Finally it's hotting up - and we're up all night to get lucky. New summer season moccasins in vibrant colours with a few snaps from the studio. This is what I look at when i'm contemplating colours and styles. Ok off to the beach.

Enjoy!

A pretty package

This pair is a mini version of the Fargo slipper for a 3 year old little lady. It was amusing making something on a small scale and I was really pleased with the result. A kids collection for Christmas is in order. Maybe some bright colours and more details...watch this space!

Save it for Winter.

It's May Day, and this time of year i'm finalising the Autumn/Winter samples for production and also playing around with ideas for slippers to make for Christmas. This one makes it in. A fleecy wool lining to make it extra cosy.

Frosty February footwear solutions.

Moving to Cornwall has shown me that stone floors in traditionally built homes require VERY warm footwear. Especially if the main living room is the only room with a fire, popping to the kitchen for a cuppa becomes a mission to stay warm. With this in mind I created a completely wool lined ankle boot.

Wooden beads add the right detail, and a bit of weight to the laces which feels good. I'm enjoying this direction and this coming winter will see more of this style. For now i'll be testing them out and making minor adjustments. 

Little toes will be kept warm in the new born baby moccasins, tiny versions of the Caribou Boot.

With Kenneth Grange

A Saturday field trip with some designer friends led us to the welcoming home of design Legend (with a big L!) Sir Kenneth Grange. We followed him around his studio, workshop and home eyes and ears wide open, soaking up all nature of prototypes, models, collectables and stories. His wife April kept us warm and sweet with tea and grapes, and a good time was had by all. I am a huge fan of Pentagram and their design legacy so to meet Kenneth in the flesh was an absolute joy. Thank you to Kenneth and April, and to Alan Zoeftig for leading the way. 

These photo's are not my own, and are from previous interviews and shows.