I searched for a long time to find a sewing machine that would be suitable for stitching leather. I had little luck finding an affordable option, but I eventually remembered an antique Singer sewing machine that my mother had. It was made in 1908, and before my mother had it, it belonged to one of her aunts. It wasn't pretty to look at anymore, since it had rusted a bit and the wood had deteriorated, but the mechanical parts still worked. It seemed like an ideal option, since it was a family heirloom that could be put to good use. Also, it could handle heavy fabrics and leather due to sturdy construction and working under manual power.

My step-father, Joe, restored the wood and cleaned a good deal of the rust off. Now it needs a drive belt and some leather sewing machine needles. After that, I can start testing to see how well it will work on leather and some high tech fabrics that I want to experiment with.

In addition to the sewing machine, I also received my father's desk. He inherited it from his grandfather, John Rogers. It is at least 65 years old, and probably a bit older. With the desk, I also got some things that my father stored in it: an antique compass, his pocket watch, and various drafting tools.

Tags: shoes

I recently got the chance to watch a BBC nature documentary, Unexpected Wilderness, also known as The Wild Places of Essex. Instead of focusing on huge expanses and "untamed" wilderness, it focuses on small wild areas. There are forests sandwiched between highways, mud flats, and overgrown areas. When people envision wild places, they often overlook areas like this that are right under their noses. Programs like this are helpful to remind us that nature and beauty can be found in urban areas.

Update: Here is a video clip from the show.

The Wild Places of Essex from AGB Films on Vimeo.

Tags: outside

I spent the weekend in Toronto, and one of the attractions that I visited was the Bata Shoe Musuem. There were some good exhibits and some less impressive ones. I don't care what shoes Mike Meyers wore in Austin Powers, so the celebrity shoe gallery was of no interest to me. The exhibit on socks was not adequately fact checked, they labeled Coraline as a Tim Burton Movie. It makes me sad when museums present obviously incorrect information.

The exhibits on historical footwear were more interesting, but the best gallery was the one for Native American footwear. They tried to explain the cultural context of the moccasins, relating it to the lifestyle of different tribes and the materials they had available to them.

The small section on shoe making was nice, although not as thorough as Laszlo Vass's book, Handmade Shoes for Men.

Unfortunately, the museum is kept dark to help preserve the shoes, and they don't allow flash photography, so I was unable to take photographs of the shoes.

Tags: shoes