Category Archives: Moccasins

Moccasin Workshop Weekend

A moccasin crafting workshop is scheduled this weekend at Soul Proprietor.  It will be full for both myself and the beauties who come to sew their new shoes.  Echo Lake will hold us  with an expanse of sky – sometimes sunny sometimes gray – to color the water blue or brooding, a circle of Standing Ones surround us, and always birds are present to delight  and distract us.

When I first set out to sew custom fitted moccasin, I hadn’t any idea what in-depth information the traced and measured feet could tell.  Of course there are the obvious – shape and size, fallen arches or bunions, the splay or length of the toes.  What was unexpected was that the tracings expressed not only shape but the complexion of their owner.  I have seen the fullness of personality and withdrawn tendencies, as well as both balance and imbalance.

As the patterns that will become the moccasin come together my guides will often offer words or phrases.  These are generally mysterious to me yet meaningful for the owner of the new shoes.

Ceremony to honor the buffalo, my ancestors, my teacher and the client always comes before any further work ensues.  If I am hand-stitching for a client, I ask what prayers or intentions they might want sewn into each stitch?  What will I hold for them as I work?  If a client is sewing for themselves, I encourage them to hold themselves in high regard, to be sure to sew their devotions are into their shoes.  The medicine of the buffalo tells us we have plenty, much abundance to be grateful for.  Buffalo also reminds us anything can be achieved through right action and that we must shoulder our own responsibilities to attain success.  These powers can be held in mind and heart while we sew.  Buffalo medicine is good guardianship for our walk in the world.

Consider joining an upcoming moccasin workshop or commission a pair of moccasin to be sewn for you.

Blessing to you all.                                                        Aho Mitakuye Oyasin

 

 

May 2014 Workshop Schedule

Please email barbara@soulproprietor.org to reserve your seat in any of these workshops, to inquire about fees or with any questions.  Aho Mitakuye Oyasin

5/4       10am to completion   ~  Hanblechya Rattle Crafting

5/6       6pm-9pm    ~  Tuesday Evening Crafting Circle

5/10    1pm-5pm    ~   Moms & Kids Group

5/11    noon-6pm   ~   Wing Medicine Crafting

5/13    6pm-9pm    ~   Tuesday Evening Crafting Circle

5/17    9am-7pm    ~   Moccasin Crafting Part 1

5/18    9am-7pm    ~   Moccasin Crafting Part 2

5/19   6pm-9pm    ~    Monday Medicine

5/20    6pm-9pm    ~   Tuesday Evening Crafting Circle

5/24   9am-7pm    ~   Hanblechya Moccasin Crafting Part 1

5/25   9am-7pm    ~   Hanblechya Moccasin Crafting Part 2

5/26   10am until completion   ~   Drum Making Workshop

5/27   6pm-9pm    ~   Tuesday Evening Crafting Circle

 

Soles for the Soul

Moccasin Crafting Workshop  ~  May 17-18, 2014

The Buffalo is ancient.   It’s lineage, of the bovine family bisonids diverged from the common ancestral line with water buffalo and African buffalo about 5 to 10 million years ago.  The North American Bison genus is clearly in the fossil record by 2 million years ago.  It has served the indigenous peoples of North American ever since the modern American bison—some 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. 

Buffalo is guardian medicine.  Shelter and sustenance, protector.  Buffalo teaches us to trust all our needs will be meet and to be grateful, to have faith in the abundances we already have.  Buffalo teaches us to be at peace and allow for the spiritual to support us.  White Buffalo Calf Woman brought to the People the sacred pipe, teaching the People to pray.  Again teaching a trust in promise that our prayers are being heard and our need will be met.

The medicine of Buffalo is prayer, gratitude and praise for that which has been received.  Buffalo medicine is also knowing that abundance is present when all relations are honored as sacred and when gratitude is expressed to every living part of creation.”  (Excerpt from Medicine Cards by Sams and Carson)

I sleep under a Buffalo robe.  I journey with her medicine.  She is part of most ceremony and ritual in my work.  She holds much for me and for others with a willingness that is nearly unparalleled in my experience.  Whatever is needed is provided for.

It is my preference to use buffalo hide for the moccasin I sew.  The powerful medicine can be felt when the shoes surround your feet.   I currently offer two different styles of moccasin and one style of knee high boots.  Each pair is custom fit and hand stitched.  I am offering a two day workshop for you to sew your own buffalo hide moccasin.

Saturday & Sunday  ~  May 17-18, 2014  ~  9am – 7pm each day      Workshop fee is $250  for shoes and $425 for boots                                    Please inquire regarding the additional foot measurements and pre-fitted patterns needed for a proper fit.

If a two day workshop doesn’t fit in your schedule, let me sew your moccasin for you.  Again, every pair is custom fit and hand stitched to fit your feet like no other shoe.  These moccasin are sumptuous and comfortable, you won’t want to wear anything else.  Being the shoe-aholic that I am, I have several pair.  My favorite are so comfortably well worn, I am almost (but not quite) embarrassed, I wear them nearly every day – PNW rain or shine!

Buffalo teaches us how to remain grounded, how to work with the natural rhythms and all things happen in right time with right action.

I also sew with Elk hide.  Deer hide works well too for the tops of the shoes with a Buffalo hide for a sturdy sole.

 Aho Mitakuye Oyasin

Today’s Bird List

…purple finch, osprey, pied-bill grebe, Canada goose, Cooper’s hawk, Steller’s jay, American crow, red-winged blackbird, robin, evening grosbeak,  chestnut-sided chickadee, black-capped chickadee, song sparrow, gold-crown sparrow, towhee, red-breasted nuthatch, mallard, yellow-rumped warbler, starling, Anna’s hummingbird, Rufus hummingbird, junco, band-tailed pigeon, northern flicker, raven and great blue heron….

It’s always a good day on Echo Lake.

Baby moccasin were sewn in the studio today.  These sweet little shoes are sewn in a Plains Indian styling.  They make wonderful gifts for expectant parents and new babies at just $35.  They can be sewn in any color, I use the softest deer hide or split suede.  The shoes shown here are split suede deer hide with blue glass bead work.  The shoes can be beaded as shown, fringed or left humble.

Children sizing also available.

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin