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Fitting and making the mold

(The mold making section is paraphrased from the Walking Liberty Moccasin Website Thank You)

**Updated 7/20/2009 (sewing supplies page 10) Fitting yourself for a pair of moccasins isn't hard, but you'll need an assistant to do it for you, as you will need to be standing up straight, feet apart, weight equally balanced. That's going to make it impossible for you to do a fitting on yourself. It shouldn't take more than half an hour if you are prepared. Now, you might think that the obvious way to get the very best fit would be to fit each foot individually. That is almost always incorrect and here's why: the real object is to make a pair of mocs that fit comfortably, beautifully, and functionally... which means they need to have enough room to feel great when you're kneeling, just as they feel great when you're standing or walking. We're not after a "painted-on" fit here! The best way to do this right is to fit the larger foot, and adjust the other pattern if necessary. You'll need some supplies to do the fitting: 1) some sheets of thin, TRANSLUCENT PAPER that are larger than your footprint (real tracing paper would be ideal, of course). 2) a SOCK that fits you without pulling your toes together... one that allows your foot to spread out the same way that it would if you were barefoot. It should be a sock that does NOT have elastic in it, or very little. If you're taping for knee-highs, either use a knee-high sock, or find another sock, a tube sock would be best, and cut the bottom off of it so it's just a tube. I'll explain how to use it later. 3) a roll of DUCT TAPE, not the cheap, ultra-thin consumer stuff, which is more trouble than it's worth, but the thicker kind you might find at a builder's supply or a plumbing and electrical outlet. Ask a salesman if it's the "good stuff", much of it comes shrink-wrapped these days and it can be difficult to tell if it's thick or thin. 4) a PERMANENT BLACK MARKER PEN like a "marks-a-lot" or an "el marko" with a tip about a quarter of an inch wide. One without any square corners on the base would be the best. 5) a small pair of SCISSORS WITH BLUNT BLADES, like the kind they make for kids so they will have a harder time poking themselves. They should be sharp enough to cut through the sock and a couple of layers of duct tape though, let's not get so "safe" that the scissors won't work. The perfect tool for this task would be an actual pair of bandage scissors, the kind with one blunt tip and one "anvil" tip, that a doctor or nurse would use to cut off an old bandage. 6) a printed copy of THESE INSTRUCTIONS would be nice. You can highlight this text, "copy" it, and "paste" it into a word processing program if you can't print directly from this page. 7) a TAPE MEASURE, either cloth, or a small metal one. 8) a BALLPOINT PEN with a medium point. A plain old "BIC" is the best.

Ready? The best place to do the fitting would be somewhere both you and your friend will be comfortable. Good lighting is essential. I like to use a coffee table, if there's one that is sturdy enough, so that I can stand or sit rather than crouch or kneel. Of course if you are a pregnant woman, ill, inebriated, high, unsteady on your feet, have a tendency to lock your knees, or are subject to fainting spells, you might want to stay on the ground and make your assistant crawl around you. You might also want to have the phone handy, someone is almost guaranteed to call in the middle of a fitting. Step 1... TRACING your feet. This is where the TRACING PAPER comes in. Stand on your bare feet on a flat surface (careful of the finish on that nice table, you might want to put a few sheets of newspaper under the tracing paper so the pen doesn't leave a dent) with a piece of tracing paper under each foot. Have your assistant check to make sure the paper extends out well past your foot on all sides! Keep your weight evenly distributed. Have your assistant trace all the way around each foot keeping the pen VERTICAL, i.e., straight up and down, at a right angle to the surface of the table. I know, your ankle bones and instep will probably make the tracing look funny, like you have really flat feet or your arches even go "out" instead of in. That's fine. It's all part of the information you need. Your moccasins won't look like that. If your toes are far enough apart for the pen to go in between, have your friend trace it that way. NOW... step off the papers, and have your friend write your name on them inside your footprints. Put the papers together "face-to-face" so they are aligned as well as possible and, holding them up to a light source, look through them to see if you can tell which foot is larger. I like to press them against a window if it's daytime. Take your time with this and you will generally see at least a small difference. If you really can't see any difference, you can tape either foot. It is better to tape the larger foot. WHAT IF your feet "really" are different? More than just a tiny bit, perhaps because one was injured, or you have had surgery, or you are just a mutant? Well then, despite whats been said before, you will have to make both patterns. If it is a simple thing, like a bunion, where the size is essentially the same, but one big toe is bent inward more than the other, it's probably not necessary.. OK, get back on the table.

Step 2... MEASURING your legs. Now, because sometimes our legs vary slightly in diameter, have your friend measure carefully around your legs at two-inch intervals, up to the height of the moccasins you want to make, to see if there's any significant difference. Start at the narrowest part, right above the ankle, and record your measurements to see if there's a difference greater than 1/4" at any given height. The moccasins are very adjustable, and you won't notice any difference less than that. If there is a 1/4" or greater difference, you may need to adjust the corresponding moccasin accordingly. RIGHT: h6"-c9 1/2", h8"-c10 1/2", h10"-c12 3/4", h12"-c15", h14"-c16 1/4" LEFT: h6"-c9 1/4", h8"-c10 3/4", h10"-c12 3/4", h12"-c15", h14"-c16" ...the first number being the height where the measurement was taken, the second being the circumference of your leg at that height. If you come up with any surprising measurements, take the time to measure again and make sure that you are keeping the tape measure parallel to the floor. Make tiny "height marks" on your legs with the pen if you need to, to be sure.

Step 3... Making the TAPE MOLD.

Put the sock on the foot you have decided to tape. This should be the one with the larger tracing, and if the tracings are virtually identical, the one with the larger measurements around the leg.

You need to stand on the table, close enough to the edge so your helper can reach you (but not so close it tips the table over!) If you have low ceilings, just stand on the floor or find a lower table to stand on. You can use a cutting board to stand on if you have carpeted floors. Make sure the sock isn't pulling your toes together! Read these instructions to your assistant as (s)he makes the mold. Have your friend tear off pieces of tape that are long enough to go under your foot and wrap over the top, perhaps eight to twelve inches long, depending on how large your foot is. The first piece should go just forward of the ankle, sticky side up of course, and wrap smoothly up and around the top of the instep. Just let it follow the contours of the foot. The next should go a little more toward the front, overlapping the first piece by about one-half. Keep overlapping pieces as you go forward, until you start to have trouble because the foot is getting narrower. When that starts to happen, do this: after you place the tape under the foot, tear or cut it in half lengthwise, from the end of the piece of tape to the foot (on each side) and smooth each half-strip separately up and over the foot. This will allow you to go around the curves fairly smoothly. You will have to cut or tear the tape into thirds when you are going around the front, especially at the big toe. When going around the front of the foot, take care not to tighten the pattern by pulling on the tape! Instead, roll and smooth it gently around the foot, letting it stick without pulling up on it. It's OK if the tape feels snug, but it shouldn't feel really tight. There will be some wrinkles, but don't worry about it. Smooth the tape with a massaging technique to get it as flat and smooth as you can. You will be going over this again at the end and it will get smoother. You can always cut or tear off a small piece of tape and stick it on as a patch if there is a gap. But, try to do it in such a way as to minimize the wrinkles. Once you have at least two layers of tape on the front part of the foot, start going back from that first piece in the same fashion, this time letting the tape stick on the sides and back of the leg rather than wrap around. You can make these a little longer. For the back, stick a piece (or two or three, whatever it takes) under the foot and then tear or cut into halves or thirds down to the bottom of the foot, then roll the tape gently up the side or back of the leg, letting it go where it wants to go, and then fix the holes. You needn't worry about making this part too tight. Great! The hard part is done. Now you must wrap the leg in the same way, overlapping to give plenty of strength to the mold so you can work with it. Remember, the object is not to cover the foot/leg with the least amount of tape that will do the job. The object is to make sure the mold is heavy duty! It must be tough enough to handle your handling while you make the "real" pattern. Three layers of tape everywhere would be great, so, when you have the leg done, go back and tear off more pieces and put them (face down this time) over the top of the foot and smooth them underneath. The mold should be feeling very substantial and bootlike by the time you are done, and look fairly smooth. Even if you are making shorties, be sure to make a mold that is high enough for three-buttons. This is because you make the shortie patterns from the higher ones. And, in case you decide these are the greatest shoes you've ever had and want more, you can easily make any taller pair as long as you have the over-theankle information. Upper legs are easy and can be added by measuring. So... to review... always make the mold higher than the tops of the pair you are ordering, and always at least eight to ten inches high at a minimum.

For those of you who want KNEEHIGHS, after you have gotten somewhat close to the top of the first sock, but before the striped more elastic part of the tube sock, stop. Carefully cut-off the top of the first tube sock. The reason for this is that the elastic at the top of the sock is a lot stronger than the rest of the sock and by the time you get taped up to this point you WILL have a sweaty leg and the adhesive WILL let loose. Ease the second cut-off tube sock up over your foot, tape and all, and, letting it overlap the bottom sock by an inch or two, continue taping until you reach your goal. Don't tape ALL the way up to the knee, leave an inch or so of room, or they will be uncomfortable when you bend your legs. You can check for this by bending your knee when the tape is nearly done. The back of the tape shouldn't bend when your knee is bent. Draw the top of the moc on the tape with the marker. CONGRATULATIONS! It looks great! Now, have your friend take the marker and lay it flat on the floor (table, cutting board, whatever) with the tip against your foot. Have them make a heavy line all the way around your foot with the marker lying against the surface so it is the same height everywhere. This line should be as wide as you can make it by rolling the marker around to different positions. It will probably take a few trips around your foot to get this accomplished. If they goof it up, it can be erased with a little rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. Try to make this a nice, even, smooth, line. Now, using your fingers, find the anklebones on both sides and make dots with the marker to show where they are. That's it! Now your friend, or you (if you don't trust your friend with the scissors) can cut the pattern off your leg. This might be easiest if you sit down and take your weight off that foot. Cut it right down the center of the back of your leg, all the way to that thick black line. Now, point your toe, and it should slide off the front without too much struggle. Doesn't it feel great to get that thing off? Don't worry, your moccasins will feel a thousand times better than that tape pattern. If the pattern is heavy enough, it should still look pretty much exactly like your foot. Crumple up some pieces of newspaper and fill up the front part of the pattern with them. Stuff it fairly full, but don't jam it too hard! When the paper starts to come out of the back, use some pieces of duct tape to stick the cut part back together so you can fill up the rest of the mold. Now tape the seam all the way up. When you're done, its time to design your own mocs.

The following process I came up with by dissecting and staring at numerous photos on numerous websites Individual results may vary ;-)

Design
It doesnt matter what style you are actually going to end up with, the base pattern will be the same. Take your newspaper stuffed mold and, looking at the back (heel), draw a half circle, starting at the line your friend drew around the bottom of the mold at a point on the outside of your foot where you can feel your heel start. It should be just behind and below the anklebone. Draw the line in a nice arc up to where your heel and your Achilles tendon meet. Now you will continue to draw this line down to the inside of your foot (the line) where your heel starts. Again, it should be just behind and below the anklebone.

Your next lines will be for the shin and toe of the moccasin. Again, starting at the Bottom line, on the outside of the leg mold. Draw a line starting just in front of the anklebone or just under an inch in front of the line you have drawn for your heel. Continue in a nice arch around your ankle bone and you will have to kind of use your best judgment, but you will want to follow the forward most edge of your calf muscle on the outside of your leg. Now do the same thing on the inside of your leg, arcing the line around your anklebone and following the line of your muscle. Drawing these lines my take you a couple of attempts, but youll know it when you have it drawn correctly.

Believe it or not you now have a pattern for your moccasins in your hands. Just a couple of more steps to make things easier while sewing your leather. You will want some registration marks to align your parts and you might want to mark button locations before you cut apart your mold. Just a few lines crossing the bottom line on each of the pattern parts and a few more from front to back and back to heel. You are also going to want to transfer these lines to the inside of the pattern parts once you cut it apart. The first button will be marked directly in front of your ankle bone on the outside of your leg just about where your foot starts to flatten out. You will have to decide on your spacing when you continue up your leg. It will depend a bit on how long your leg is and how tall your moccasins are going to be. 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 is about average. Use the below chart as a guide:

3 " 5" 6 " 8" 9 " 11" 12 " 14" 14 to 16 7/8 17 to 21"

1 button 2 button 3 button 4 button 5 button 6 button 7 button 8 button 9 button 10 button

Time to cut it up Once you have all of your lines where you want them, you simply cut along the lines Carefully. Your bottom line is the outline of your sole. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

Laying it Out I used Moccasin Weight Buffalo leather from Moscow Hide and Fur for my set of Stalking Feet. I bought about 17 square feet for about $65. It wasnt A #1 Top quality it was UT, Ord. This is how they grade their leather:
The Surface grades are: Grade A - Good smooth side Grade BB - Suede side good, blemishes on smooth side. Grade UT (utility) - some blemishes on smooth side, blemishes or unsanded areas on suede side. The Quality grades are: Select Quality (Sel) - No holes or small blemishes in hide except at extreme edges. Excellent Quality (Exc) - No holes or blemishes in hide except slightly in from edges Ordinary Quality (Ord) - One to three holes or small blemishes in major part of hide, but large size pattern can still be cut from hide.

Craft Quality (Cft) - Holes such that arm or leg pattern impossible. Good for small projects. I dont mind a few blemishes I will be able to get two pairs out of this piece of leather, with left-overs

You will need to do all of your layout on the flesh (suede) side of the leather. Try to use Tailors Chalk if possible to trace your patterns onto the leather DO NOT PIN the pattern onto the leather, the pin holes will show. Just hold it in place as best you can with one hand while tracing the outline with the other hand. Keep in mind that you will need to add a bit to the outline here and there for seams and flaps and the like. Dont forget to flip the pattern parts over for your opposite foot. I added to the bottom (sole) edge of the heel piece:

And a all the way around the sole:

I also added to the toe of the front piece:

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You will need to add to the inside edge, the Heel and the bottom of both tabs, and add about 3 to the outside edge This will be trimmed later after you complete the Moccasin.

You will need some more supplies now

**A pair of very sharp sheers An Exacto knife Some type of glue that works on leather I used something called Tear Mender. Its a very thin, non-Toxic rubber cement that sticks like grim death. A way to sew your leather together I used an old sewing machine for part of it although the motor was not strong enough to make it thru two pieces of Buffalo leather. I ended up hand cranking the wheel and it worked pretty well. I also hand sewed some of it. My next pair I will be doing it right and hand sewing the complete set. If you are going to use a sewing machine, make sure you have a few nice sharp leather needles. You are also going to need some pretty strong thread I used upholstery thread on mine If you already new how to hand stitch leather you know what you need.

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I started with the heel to the back. This gets a little tricky You will need to kind of spread/stretch the tabs as you glue the heel to the back. Start in the center and slowly, patiently work your way out until you end up with this:

Now sew the heel to the back with a double row of stitching:

I have natural edged trim on mine and decided to sew it on now so I didnt have to fight with so much more leather after it was completed:

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Now its time to sew the front to the back along the inside seam. Align your registration marks and your overlap marks. Glue your parts together and start sewing again with the double row of stitches.

Now comes the tricky part if youre using a machine to sew it together

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Youll be working on this part inside out.

Line up your registration marks in your arch and work your way around the seam. Be careful to keep the glue off of the face of your leather. It should rub off but its kind of a pain. Once you have your sole seam glued all the way around and its dry. Carefully turn your moccasin right side out and check to make sure you have no puckers and everything is lined up. When youre satisfied, turn it inside out again and start sewing your sole on. Sew right on the pattern line or maybe even a little inside the line (leather Stretches). Sew around it again about an 1/8 to from your first stitch line. Trim the leather here as close to your second stitch line as you can (1/8 or less) without cutting the stitches. You dont want to have a bunch of leather inside rubbing up against your foot. Turn your moccasin right side out again So cool

Trim your top edges nice and even

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Now you need to decide what youre going to use for buttons I went with side cut whitetail deer antler and rosettes No matter what you use its time to attach them.

I used artificial sinew to sew on my buttons Youll also have to make your lacing tabs and sew those onto the back half of the seam. I cut mine out with a pattern, glued and sewed them all together and then glued them into position and hand stitched them on. Try to position them mid-way between two buttons. Your bottom most tab will be midway between the sole seam and the first button. You need to glue/sew the end of your lace to the button side of the seam close to the sole seam.

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I also added a bit of piping or what-ever you call it to the top edge. Just a small strip of thin Deer Leather. I sewed it inside out just below the top edge pulled it tight and glued it to the inside of the top edge.

When you try them on for the first time you will be able to tell where you need to trim the 3 you added to the pattern. The only place I felt I needed to trim mine was at the very bottom where it wrapped up over the top of my foot. Try not to trim too much all at once. I added a pair of Dr Scholls Gel inserts inside of mine. I trimmed them right to the outline of my foot not to the little pre-marked size lines. I have not figured out how to attach a sole to these but I remember wearing a pair of flimsy Minnetonka Moccasins all thru my Junior and Senior years of high school, walking on pavement and only wore a small hole in them. There is a guy that sells something called Sole-in-a-jar (Google it) for around $30. Its a mixture of tire shavings and rubber cement that you Paint on and you can repair it with more when it wears. I hope I was clear enough on how I made these GOOD LUCK and Have Fun Leather smells SOOOoooo Goooood If you have questions feel free to send me an email: todd.pankratz@gmail.com Send me picture of what you come up with Id like to see what people make using my instructions. Inspired by: Catskill Mountain Moccasins, Walking Liberty Moccasins, Sodhoppers & Mystic Soles Check out their websites for ideas.