Tea Bar is open...

Well my dears, what a strange few months this has been for everyone. Ive been self isolating since 1994 when my first baby arrived so its not been very different for me... up here. But, I do know its had a profound effect on many, which is a very sad business. Bearing in mind that much like Brexit, we have probably, mostly, all started to suffer with Brain Numbness when we here any news on the subject, so that's As Much As I Will Say on the matter.

Let's talk shoes instead and pass a jolly few minutes in Fairysteps Land :)

What have I been up to? Gosh, what haven't I been up to! I think a list is needed because there is so much to catch up on.

• Obvs the Scotland trip was cancelled. Whisky Wagon is up on jacks in the big shed as Mr Fairysteps has moved onto more pressing matters. This consists of his yearly battle with Mother nature, mainly brambles, stinging nettles and ivy this year, plus veg growing on an industrial scale... I know nettles are great for caterpillars etc... but for heaven's sakes. If we left them all the caterpillars would in fact overrun the property, possibly even Devon (the entire South West of England might even sink under the weight of the invasion), and isn't there enough going on without us causing that sort of calamity? Maybe the van will be finished this year for local trips to the seaside, crossing fingers. He is also super busy getting our Airbnb ready for next year, masses and masses of work to do yet ;)
• I changed my name back to its original one, Fairysteps. It was strange but it just felt the right thing to do. It almost feels like time travel in an odd way. I can't think of how else to describe it, but it was most definitely the right thing to do. Anything that turns back time has to be a winner ;)
• I closed custom orders. I know, what am I like! But by golly it was needed. I honestly haven't had this much enthusiasm and joy in my work for years. I literally am working my socks off, yet I feel like Im on constant holiday. Well as far as Im concerned that says it all. Sadly there have been grumbles about custom going :( but the majority seem very happy about all the new stuff I am making. Alas, I can't please everyone, as much as I try. But I do know that if I burn out there won't be any shoes for anyone, custom or otherwise, so I simply must follow my instincts on how I need to work and what options I offer. Note: I still feel guilty though...
• I revisited an old style and have been busy tweaking that pattern to perfection. Ive made several size runs now and I am so pleased with them. If I was doing custom I wouldn't have had time.
• On a personal level, all my grown up children are back home living which has been a wonderful treat to have the whole litter back together. Obviously I don't want them to stay forever, I mean come on, I know I'm a good Mother but there are limits ;) but it's good to see them safe and well and busy. I am so lucky!
• My Slimming World journey continues, happily I can say, because I just can't imagine living any other way now. Eating healthily every single day feels so good. I am now lighter than when I met my Husband when I was just 17 years old. I am not at target yet, but it's so close I can almost touch it :) I honestly don't know why the government doesn't promote the programme? All the NHS diet advice programmes seem to be for calorie counting. Ive don't that. Yes I lost lots of weight. Yes I was utterly miserable. Yes I put it all back on. I was hungry all the time and it made me obsess over how much food I was eating, which is most unhealthy. Slimming world taught me about all the healthy foods I can eat as much as I want to of. It was simply a case of filling up on those and waiting for my tastes to change so that I didn't crave junk foods anymore. I am 1.5lbs away from my 3 stone loss award ;) Thats in just under a year. Woo Hoo.

So thats me caught up. Lots of other bits too, but I daresay you've developed a nervous twitch in your left eye by now so that will be enough for now. Lets have some shoe pictures instead :)

Finally faced my buckle hang up and decided that buckles are in fact rather blooming marvelous, so for heaven's sakes Ren, get on and start using them more. Having embraced this new found love of buckles, and true to form, I haven't made a single shoe without a buckle in weeks 🤣

The little butterfly on the Tea Bar shoe really suits it I think. I've also used a flower accent on the next batch which are all shamrock green. Just you wait till you see those wonders!

The next variation is Petalstrap. Initially with a different coloured, narrow centre strap, but Ive changed that now to the same base shape as the Tea Bar shoe. I have some simply beautiful jade leather which will be a full size run of these, with a limited edition printed leather for the flowers in lilacs and pinks. O my goodness, soft, subtle, beauty.

The original narrow centre strap.

And the latest tweak of this design. Im a terrible pattern fiddler. Notorious in fact, so there will be more tweaks ;) its the perfectionist in me...

Well my dears, the worktable calls and once I have made another pot of tea I shall continue on these shamrock green Tea Bar shoes. After that, its Jade Petalstraps in a full size run. Then I think Luna is calling.

Take care and wherever you are, I hope your sun is shining.

Ren x

0

Spindle...

Always exciting working on something new, even if it's not strictly new ;)
I haven't made this boot in over 10 years. Originally called 'Ophelia' she was popular at the time but I moved onto other styles and she fell by the wayside. Whilst sorting through old image files I rediscovered her again and decided to revamp the pattern.

I spent a very happy day redrafting patterns and tweaking here and there till they were just right. I then spent another day sifting through leather stock to see which ones would be most suitable for this style. Not all leathers work with all styles so that's a tricky one to be honest. I think the lighter weight leathers will be best to keep the boot super supple so the cut can really tuck in around the ankle and over the instep.

I plan to make an initial full size run, half of which are finished and awaiting lacing and finishing touches, the other half on my table now. Not long for the big reveal ;) I will then continue with stock leathers in some rather special combinations. I have colours for darker basic boots, like browns and dark greys, blues and greens as well as super pretty pastels to mix up. There are even a few patterned ones.
Gosh its exciting making these. As ever, updates on Instagram of when the new stock is ready.

Other news from HQ:

• The shop has had a revamp as well as the leather swatch. Some colours are running out and won't be replaced so I thought it best to remove them from the swatch now.
• My snowdrops are well and truly up so as far as I am concerned Spring is coming... and about time too. I am sick of Winters wet, damp, cold misery. I am finding myself dreaming of light nights and walks without raincoats and woolly everything's.

Till the next time.

Ren x

0

Childhood Summer revisited...

Straight back to age 6 when the great drought of 1976 happened...

The grass is tinder dry and we are rather feared of fire. Fires in various parts of the country already :( so we are being extra vigilant.

Late evening trip down to the river to swim. Well... they did, I didnt... Im a terrible wuss about water ;) 

Youngest had little fish nibbling her toes which was tickly. How lovely :)

Winky and Jack are keeping busy, catching sunshine, ticks and fleas. I shaved Winky at the start of the Summer and my goodness, just as well I did! She looked like she'd had a fight with a shaver (which she sort of did...) but she loves being fur coat free. It got so long and knotty with sticky burrs etc and the comb was hurting, so shaving was the only option really. I left her wonderful Elizabethan ruff, because removing it would have been A Step Too Far.

The meadow is ringing with the sound of grasshoppers playing their legs.

Busy purse replenishing with Mr F. Lots of new Merry purses going in the shop ready for Winter and gift giving. This is the first batch. There will be greens in the third batch, followed by purples and reds. Great with a ragglebloom key fob.

This was my favourite. It had hot summer written all over it.

Take care my dears and drink plenty of tea.

Ren x

0

Camping in November...

Me in reflective mood earlier today. Post boot pattern making, pre boot marking. Hair washed earlier, but unbrushed. How slovenly of me, but, the leather never notices the state of my hair, so preening was going to wait till later. My head has been bursting with boots so I've been keen to crack on.

PYRAMUS from earlier in the week. 

Lovely LUNA in waxy coffee leather.

More PYRAMUS which are in the shop :)

Earlier in the week saw me working on the prototype PEASEBLOSSOM calf boot. Round toe shape, wide tongue and a roomy boot body to fit boot socks or wider calf's with tights. I did some major pattern tweaking on these, which in my head worked a treat, but on paper they looked ridiculous. That's the problem with shoe making. You are dealing with a 3D object (the foot) which you make a 2D pattern for. I snipped and sewed anyway, and then cried (literally) because it worked perfectly. Who knew making a boot could be so emotional...

I wanted these to be easy to pop on and not require total unlacing. Happy to report that the wide tops and tongue mean that you can unlace just the top set and slip the boot off.

Someone commented that ski hooks are great for speed lacing, but alas, I once heard a rather dreadful story about ski hooks on tall boots and it completely put me off using them. Someones lace got hooked up from boot to the other, while she was rushing about carrying a little one, and well, you can imagine how hard she fell... gulp. Lacing is good. Time to stop and reflect on the coming day for an extra minute :)

I managed to mark out about 8 pairs of boots today so was really pleased with myself. I only stopped because I must cook tea...

Home, out across the Coombe taken yesterday before it was too dimpsy to see. A deer run heading down to the river. Difficult to see from this image, but incredibly steep and a long way down to the bottom of the valley. I remember when the children would follow deer runs to the bottom and back up again. Happy memories.

Working this weekend because next week has Friday missing and we are going away for the weekend. Those of you who reprimand me for not taking time off (thank you for caring my darlings), will be pleased to hear about this excursion... or horrified. Let me present the facts...

Friday is being spent all day for more inking torture. I use that word quite liberally because its upper back work, and anyone who has had work on their upper back will know Exactly What I am on About. I've got 6 hours booked in...

We then have a three hour drive to a field somewhere (?) to meet up with Mr Faerysteps bike group to spend the weekend camping. In November. Yep. I will arrive covered in cling wrap looking like a squid ink baguette from Subway and aching like mad. 

This will either be utter folly and most likely end in our demise (November chaps, November...), or be a great adventure and one to remember. If I return on Sunday, I'll let you know ;)

Ren x

2