To assemble, line the marks, horizontal and vertical, from the top and bottom and run a piece of sinew through each as place holders. Use your awl to pierce the holes before you run the sinew through. Hold the awl like so, and make sure your other hand grips the leather close to where you plan to pierce it. But don't stab yourself! Be careful!
Pierce holes where the horizontal marks start, and at the vertical mark if you made one. Make the marks far enough away from the edge so they do not rip out later. A quarter inch should be plenty. For the vertical mark, run a short piece of sinew through and tie with a knot you will be able to undo later. You will just use this mark to make sure everything stays evenly puckered on either side. For the horizontal side pieces, tie a good solid knot and use a 2-3 foot long piece of sinew. I made a square knot which I plan to melt slightly with a candle to make the knot hold fast.
Using a simple straight, or running stitch, make the first couple stitches on both sides. The first few do not have to be puckered or gathered. See picture below to see what I mean.
For the next part, with each stitch, pull the bottom fabric in a little so that it gathers slightly. The trick is to make them as close to the same amount gathered each time so there are no major puckers. If it helps, you could have a set number of stitches marked with chalk or a marker to make it easier to be consistent. If you do this, make sure there are the same number of holes for the top as the bottom.
Once your stitches meet up in the middle, you can go back through the same hole with the opposite string, like seen below. You may need to add an extra hole to make sure they are going through the opposite way as the first string. Eg. If the left string went under at one point, the right string will go over.
Next, you will have to stitch the back together. A whip stitch is the easiest for this task. Stitch around the top part as seen below.
Now you may want to round the edges of the tab leftover before stitching it down. Just trim to desired shape with scissors.
Using a whip stitch, stitch the tab to the heel portion of the moccasins.
You can stitch around the top of the ankle if you like for added durability like I did, or wear as is! I would definitely recommend the extra stitching around the top, as the leather will be under some strain as you walk in the moccasins. And that's it! Pretty simple, huh? You can cut out a sole and either glue or stitch it down. If you want, you can follow my tutorial for sewing a sole using a channel. Also, a cuff could be added to make boots. If following this tutorial, don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have!
Good luck!Happy shoe-making!
Click here for a few more pictures of the finished product!
I am an Ojibwe from Minnesota and used your pattern to make a pair of moccasins for my honey. I am now living in Michigan. They turned out nice and I would like to send a photo.
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