52 Pick-me-up: Amber / Passion

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Time to talk about my newest Fashion-related Passion: SHOES!
No, not shopping for shoes, or wearing shoes -- MAKING SHOES!

I took a one-day workshop with Chris Francis at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in July.

Chris explaining our first steps

My sketch and fabrics.

We were issued bases and a footbed for a platform shoe and began by covering them with fabric

After that, it was time to tackle the straps

And that's when I fell down the shoe rabbit-hole -- I decided that I had to have red binding edging my straps.
Maybe it was the tub of contact cement talking.

It took a long time sewing it all together and this is how far I got with my shoes:

I discovered that my platform bases were not the correct size about 30 minutes before the workshop ended, which was disheartening. I didn't even get started on the ankle straps and now can't remember what I had in mind. I also don't wear shoes like this -- why spend all this time and effort on something that I won't wear?.
All the pieces have been sitting in the bag that I brought them home in.

I have not given up, however!
For days after the workshop, I started having vivid dreams about making shoes.
I looked at my bag of "culled from the closet and stuck in the garage shoes" with fresh eyes -- I had a bag full of parts to Frankenstein into new and better footwear!

I signed up for the Shoe Design class at Otis, and yesterday was the first day.

Words of wisdom from Alvin Fels, our instructor

I feel this will go well.

Wearing anything Amber? Have a Passion for something or someone?
Link and tell!