Autumn at the workshop

Well, autumn has arrived, and plenty of things happened again.

I rearranged all the courses in November. I added more what is demanded and I had to postpone some others. No secret: more from Men Shoe Making Courses, and double High Heel Making Course and less slipper.

The workshop is full with students! My first apprentice from September decided to stay one more month, Dani and Andrew just arrived to October. So what could I do? I ordered more tables and chairs and teach 3 students in the same time. On the other hand, Craig Corvin, my friend from Seattle also came, so he can help a bit.

Here is the picture the workshop looks like now:

And my experiment to use my leather stamp. I will see.

And finally autumn. Always beautiful in Hungary.

This walnut tree is in the yard of the workshop.

Workshop, September, 2009

Today we had a great and very busy day. I finished all the chairs for my October students. Us, shoemakers use special chairs. 40-45 cm tall, wide..etc, so it keeps your thigh perfectly paralel to the floor, so you can really make shoes “on your knees”.

Then we (Seiji and me) went back to the workshop and work, work. He is very close to finish his first welted shoes. I also moved forward with the seamless wholecut project. Not as difficult, as I’d thought. I will post some pictures soon.

And some photos, taken for a magazine last year. They only used one.

Seamless Wholecut – How it’s Made?

Sorry, I cannot explain every detail of making of this model, but I can show some interesting pictures about it. So the secrect revealed: there is no any part of the animal which forms a shoes – this was obvious, but there is a hard work and a few tricks which keep the leather in one piece and still save the right form.

I can tell: tearing the leather is just much-much easier than last it like this. More come soon.

A Brown Wholecut Again

but not the last. Let the picture talk.

My today’s favorite sentence

By Ana Luisa Santana:

“You don’t have to be brave to wear these shoes. But you have to be brave to MAKE them under Marcell’s sight…”

Lovely girl isn’t she?

Ana was in my workshop this year March-April, and now she is a beginner shoemaker in Rio, Brasilia.

Upcoming Course Schedule

Here is the list of the upcoming courses in November. I tried to complete a mix for those student who have never had any experience in shoe making and also for those who have already learned from me. I would really like to point your attention to the slipper making course. I cannot imagine better and more personal gift than a warm, comfortable handmade slipper! (and you can anytime make some other after the course from simple materials).

An other highlight of the course is the Design Course. This is a bit different than the fancy design school’s offer – not as they are not good – they are perfect. I had many students from those courses. This is different: practical and shows all the practical aspects of shoe design.

1.       Baby Shoemaking Course – November 2nd  – $595.00
2.       Kids Shoemaking Course – November 3rd, 4th and 5th – $1295.00
3.       Men’s Level 1 Shoemaking course – November 3rd, 4th & 5th – $1495.00
4.       Shoe Design Course – November 6th & 8th – $1495.00
5.       Cozy Slipper Making Course (Great Xmas or Hanukkah Gift) – November 9th – $595.00
6.       High Heel Shoemaking Level 1 – November 10th, 11th & 12th – $895.00
7.       High Heel Ankle Boot Making Course Level 2 – November 10th, 11th, & 12th – $1195.00

Complete course tool packages are recommended, and are available for purchase prior to the course.

Registration are opened from now!

Update about the November Courses

Important! The November Courses will be held at the first two weeks of November. If you wish to come, make sure you register in time, so you will have your place.

Registering will start at 10 am, 20th of September.

And a small appetizer to the Kid Shoe Course:

comfortable shoe with a toe-protector. Made for special demands. Sorry I cannot miss the smiley.

Yes, we will use ready made soles to the kid’s last. Why? Easy to explain: can you imagine an 8 years old guy to take a shoe with a leather or a dress style sole + heel? You see..

Stillshots from a workshop

Many things happened here..

A new apprentice arrived. I still enjoy this teachings – I meet new and very interesting people. I can teach them, looking them learning, making the first steps on the long way of studying this ancient craft, and surprisingly learning from them. What? Many things. I was lucky with my apprentices – they were fantastic people. Some of them gave very useful advices in business, maybe marketing or just drawing my attention to a useful website, and which is the most interesting: I can improve when I teach them. Now I know what will be the next mistake what they make (for sure I let them make some mistakes – that is the way to learn!), and I can prepare them for it. I also learnt  what they can finish in 3 days, one week, 2 weeks and one month.. etc. Soon I will have 3 +1 (that is you Craig – you will be my assistant teacher! ) guys around me in October, so I can hardly wait for that.

(Maybe next year due to the many work I have I will stop teaching apprentices for a while and only teach in courses. I got more and more invitations every month which is really cool, just takes time..)

2. I struggle to finish my orders. No way to outsource! I can promise that. Using machines for stitching would be just easy (believe me – no one would recognise that – many maker do that), but cheating in the same time. There should be some workshop where you can get the real handmade quality – Koronya will be always one of them, I promise this.

Don’t these picture warm up our heart?

A hidden stitch at the shank area turns to be visible. Born of the beauty.

A JR sole prepared for toe metal.

Next Courses

We plan to continue the shoemaking courses in November! These course will be held in NY:

1. Shoe Design (very practical way – like we do in Koronya workshop) + a lot of theory, drawing, pattern making, etc..

2. Men Shoe Course I.

3. High Heel I-II. (beginner, advanced)

4. slipper making courses

This is the plan, updates will come soon, and as we finalize we open the registration immediately.

Home, Sweet Home

Finally we are at home! After New York Budapest seem to be a nice, calm, big village, with beautiful panorama and old buildings. If this would be the only profit (I mean see my city with someone other’s eye), it would worth to travel.

New York is overwhelming. I think my student Matt said that – and he is right. Many (but thankfully mainly nice) people everywhere, HUGE city and unbelievable sizes from everything (especially from the food). Oh yes: don’t forget the aircondition, our enemy. Why I say this? I wouldn’t have be any problem with moderate aircondition – that makes a pleasant climate inside.. but c’mon! Why you cool down 40 C degree to 17??? That makes people sick! (Just like me). You walk on the street, having the impression that you just come out from a real hot pool, full wet (oh yes, the aircondition heat goes to the street, metro station, etc. – just in case you are not hot enough), then walk into a building – jump from Africa to the Nort Canada. Crazy. And unhealthy. The last day we could experience the way of managing the temperature in cars – the driver used heating (it was around 19-20 C degree), then after some driving on the sun (heated the car to 23 c) swithced on the aircondition. What? Never heard about “window”? Never mind. On the other hand America is full with interesting and nice people, which makes going there absolutely worthwile.

First Course – High Heel Shoe Making

I had 13 – mainly girls – student, and a construction, which was absolutely for professionals. I wanted to make sure that everyone makes the shoe ready – I tried everything. I brought extra uppers, with no lining, invented new methods to let them practice with the actual upper, and finally – they made!  EVERYBODY walked away with a nice, beautiful high heel. Unfortunately they didn’t leave too much time to decorate (anyway simple is nice, no?), but the fact that everybody could finish is amazing. Congratulation guys! Nice job!

Belva – you were our sunshine there! Don’t forget to laugh loud and maybe 15% is more than enough for the cab drivers !

Second course – Pattern Making

Pattern-making. This what really made me afraid. Pattern-making is not simple. You must understand construction, upper sewing, how it is made.. etc. Not easy at all… Finally they produced some pattern, and what is more iportant: star to understand the basic line structure and my theories about the pattern designs.

Third Course – Men Shoe Course I. – II.

Well, this was fun. I almost felt that I could just call them sometimes and explain that actual day’s job and they could do – except sole cutting. They were just good. They made me forget about the sponge-wet weather, the crazy city – I just felt tha we could start our own shoe business anytime together – as we were in that room. I hope you continue shoe making guys!

See you on the next courses!

More will come soon..