moccasins

[Tom]

We have heard about swamp moccasins and how they were worn.
For today's foot wear I'd still suggest this center seam moccasin style, if you'd like it heavily decorated then add a black velvet covering and decorate this covering by using beads and ribbons.
If you look at early Cherokee moccasins they also have this added covering and can inspire many new styles etc.

[Kalisetsi]

I found this picture of modern Cherokee moccasins by Martha Berry. Maybe this might help.
http://photobucket.com/albums/a239/kalisetsi/th_CherokeeMocs.jpg Here's a link to the
page (http://www.berrybeadwork.com/moccasins_suncircle2.html)n She also has a pattern for the moccasins (http://www.berrybeadwork.com/patterns.html)

[lynellarainhawk]

Those are beautiful! I have the center seam pattern Tom. A velvet covering is a good idea, with some beautiful embroidery work on it.....hmmmm. I also have a pattern for a knee high boot though with fringe around the top. I thought I'd ad some conchos and fringe down the side, to match my skin dress. But i really like that Velvet idea. Perhaps leave off the conchos, they're too western. And put a velvet panel up the front with embroidered arrow pattern? Hmmmmm. This could be a good reason to get one of those embroidery machines so it would go faster! I could even ad the same velvet with design to my dress. Hmmmmm.

[Art]

Just curious, but has anyone actually tried making mocassins from scratch? I've found several patterns, but I'm a little reluctant to invest in the leather and tools needed.

Just how difficult a project would it be? And I'm speaking here of a simple set of mocassins, without a lot of decoration - at least for my first effort ^_^

Thanks for any tips.

Art

[Linda]

I have a pattern someplace that I've done a half dozen times now with reliable results. It's very interesting, you use a string to measure various areas of your foot, and from that come up with a pattern to cut the leather with. I'll try to find it and post it. If I forget, bug me here.

[Art]

Originally posted by Linda
I have a pattern someplace that I've done a half dozen times now with reliable results. It's very interesting, you use a string to measure various areas of your foot, and from that come up with a pattern to cut the leather with. I'll try to find it and post it. If I forget, bug me here.

Did you find the pattern? :)

[Aubrey G. Cole]

Corect me if I am wrong, but didn't the Cherokee use the skin from the back legs of a deer, ( the 1st joint below the ham to make moccasins as this provided a natural contur for the heel of ones foot? This is what I was taught by the old ones in my family.
As always
Aubrey G Cole

[Bill Childs]

Aubrey and all,
I don't know about the Cherokee but a quick trail-mok is to lay a skin down on the ground and plant your foot on it, raise the outer-side layers up to the ankle, cut off the excess, punch holes in the top from front-toe-bottom to the front-ankle to run some leather thong thru with enough extra to run under the side flap to hold them onto a foot by wrapping and tying it back around to the front and you have a 'quickie' top-laced mok - takes about 4 or 5 minutes but it does the job on the run.
A lot of decorated mok's had the decorations sewn onto a patch that was then only 'tacked-on' to the flaps and/or toe covering, so it could be transferred to new mok's when the old ones wore-thru. Beading is tedious. You don't wanna do it anymore often than necessary :)

[Linda]

Let's see if this works. It's the mocassin pattern I said I'd look for.

[Linda]

No, it didn't upload. I did it the old fashioned ftp way:

http://www.saponitown.com/images/mocs2.jpg

[Linda]

It will probably print better if you click here and let only it come up:

http://www.saponitown.com/images/mocs2.jpg

[Buffalowm]

Linda,
I have a pair of brown moccacins that were made from this pattern..I really like them.. they are very comfortable.

[Linda]

Where did you find the pattern? I got it from a re-enactor's list I was on.

[dovelady]

I made a pair of knee-hi mocs years ago. I got the pattern at Tandy when they were still in business. I wore them for years and then my son took them over when he was in 7th grade. He wore them until his feet got too big and they were totally worn out.

Years later when my grandson started to walk I made him his first pair of shoes - mocs of course - They were little knee-hi mocs with leather fringe at the top a tiny bit of beadwork on the toe section. They were still a little big for him and one day he kicked them off in the video store when his mom was carrying him. Thank God a lady saw them fall off and gave them back to my daughter. She still has them hanging on her wall.

One thing I like about making the top seperate from the sole is that if the sole wears out you can easily replace them and still save all of your beautiful beadwork or embellishments.

When I made the first pair of mocs I almost ruined all my fingers. They hurt so bad from trying to get the needle through the leather (we're talking about 35 years ago here) After my second pair of mocs I found out about glover's needles.. Geez.. wish someone would have told us about them before I made the mocs.

Now days some people use a sewing machine to poke holes in the leather. They take the thread out and use a heavy duty needle in the machine. It makes sewing them together so easy and also the holes are evenly spaced.

I have only made three pairs of mocs in my life, but all this talk makes me want to make another pair :) Well, maybe just a minature pair LOL

[PappyDick]

I thought Tandy had gone out of business, too -- they closed the stores in Greater Washington a good many years ago. But they have a web business and, apparently, 87 stores at present. Check out

www.tandyleather.com

They have moccasin kits. I used to make one called "Cuffy Mocs" that may have been marketed originally to the Boy Scouts. They still have a kit like that, but call it something else now. You can also buy deer and elk hides from them, among other materials.

It's hard for me to tell what to order from their online business, as the catalog numbers don't bear any obvious relationship to sizes. But I guess one could call.

[dovelady]

Thanks :) I didn't even think to look. I'll go see what they have. They used to be the only place to get leather years and years ago.

[dovelady]

I have an old self published pamphlet that shows some moc patterns. But they are hand drawn, pretty small and, IMHO not well explained. The book is 'Craft Manual of North American Indian Footwear" By George M. White, copyright 1969. Basically it is the size of typing paper folded in half and stapled. Has quite a few pages though and lots of drawings. A friend gave it to me - but personally - I wouldn't have paid for it. Again, just MHO.

I did a google search for the book and it is still being sold ..there were a ton of hits for it. One link I followed said the book was unavailable.. but they did have a video on making mocs. That might be intersting depending on how good it is. http://www.teachingdrum.org/OldWayWares/CraftandSkillBooks/

:)

[spilleddi]

I would suggest that before anyone cuts into their precious hide that they first make a sample from the pattern to make sure it fits. I usually make mine out of an old ruined pair of jeans. Many times I have used a pattern that fit great on a friend’s foot, but not on mine. My hands aren’t strong enough for commercial leather, so I only use braintan, which is another reason I’m very careful. It’s easy for me to get good braintan here, although not necessarily easy to save up for it.

As for patterns, my feet don’t take well to the traditional patterns from the Northwest, I have to really alter those patterns, and some just don’t fit no matter what I do. Eastern style center seam and puckered mocs fit my feet best, I just have to learn to make them now. Apparently I have east coast Indian feet!

[dovelady]

Apparently I have east coast Indian feet!

I haven't tried them yet. I have only worn the Navaho type mocs when I was a kid and Apache when I was older. Never worn the Eastern type. It might be interesting to learn how to make them. But isn't the center seam uncomfortable?

[Linda]

My center seam mocassins are very comfortable. If you look at the pattern I posted above, the measurements are taken from your feet in an unusual way, not by inches. It's interesting the way it works out.

Good idea about puncturing the leather with a sewing machine. I've always used a sharp awl. It allows me to sew through any thickness of leather. Then there's always the leather punch. It may leave too big of a hole depending on the situation.

[dovelady]

Thanks Linda, :) I'll go back and look at the pattern again.

[dovelady]

I was messing around the net tonight and found these directions for center-seam mocs. Thought I'd share it with y'all.

http://www.i4at.org/surv/mocinstr.htm