http://www.RobertDevereux.com/ en-us Copyright 2007, Robert Devereux webmaster-rss@robertdevereux.com Mon, 6 Feb 2012 05:00 GMT Mon, 6 Feb 2012 05:00 GMT Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110831http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110831I'm trying an experiment of running a blog on Tumblr: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110613http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110613I posted about my dyeing experiments, but I also expired with some other things. I made a belt for myself. I made an iPhone case, I made a bracelet for my wife. They gave me the chance to experiment with different threads and different stitching techniques. They also helped me focus on what I really want to do with my work. Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110612http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110612Initially, I bought pre-dyed leather. My next step was buying vegetable tanned leather and dying it with water based dyes that I bought. Since every step I make in shoemaking is towards more natural solutions, I thought I should try making dye myself. Thu, 9 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110609http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110609It's been two and a half years since I made my first pair of shoes. Seeing that number makes me realize how slowly I started with shoemaking on my own. Despite a slow start, I feel like I'm finally moving at a better pace. Mon, 30 May 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110530http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110530This morning, I completed my fifth pair of shoes (seventh if you count slippers). They have my best stitching so far and my best burnishing. I still have room to improve, but this is the first pair completed on my own without any major mistakes. Tue, 17 May 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110517http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110517Last summer, I got a wonderful summer cap from J J Hat Center in New York. For this summer, I wanted a second summer cap, so I wouldn't have to wear the same one every day. My search didn't start well. I visited Pittsburgh's best hat shop and found nothing that I liked. I visited three shops in Philadelphia, and still found nothing that I liked for summer. Fri, 6 May 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110506http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110506Airline restrictions make a traditional dopp kit inconvenient. I find it easier to split toiletries into a plastic bag for liquids, and another container for non-liquid items. Typically this includes a comb, nail clippers, tweezers, floss, a pair of mustache scissors. I wanted a convenient carrying case for these mostly metal goods. Initially, I planned to make a roll with stitched pockets for each item. However, I saw a very cool shoe polishing mat that gave me a new idea. I could use a leather strap to hold everything in place, and that would allow it to roll up into a much smaller bundle. Thu, 5 May 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110505http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110505 Mon, 2 May 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110502http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110502The reason I got interested in making shoes was that I could not buy a shoe that fit me properly. I started looking into custom shoes, and I found one shoemaker who made shoes that fit my footwear philosophy: shoes with completely flexible soles and without an elevated heel. This allows the foot to flex naturally while walking. Given the option of having him make a pair of shoes for me, or having him teach me how to make shoes myself, I chose the latter. Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110328http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20110328Since finishing my boots, I've been experimenting with shoemaking. The experiments involve trying different materials, different designs, and different construction techniques. Many of these experiments have failed, leading to several scrapped shoes. But in the failure I found new ideas that will make future shoes easier. Sun, 7 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20101107http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20101107 Through Facebook, I reconnected with my cousin, Chris Devereux, whom I had not seen in over 20 years. He suggested hiking the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail together, and I thought it sounded like a fun trip. Tue, 5 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20101005http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20101005Short Shrifted is a blog about clothing for short men. Today, I have a guest post about Brown's, a clothing shop for short men in Toronto. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100929http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100929Darn Tough makes their socks in Vermont. They live up to their name, I've had a pair for 18 months, and I wear it several times each week. So far, the pair has shown no signs of wear. That's more than I can say about my Smartwool socks or Injinji socks, both of which develop holes rather quickly. I like their socks because they combine quality and they support US jobs. Sat, 25 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100925http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100925My boots are finally finished. They came together in spite of the many problems that I encountered while making them. My stitching was uneven in places, but I learned the techniques to avoid this in the future. I unsuccessfully experimented with toe puffs. I did not think as deeply about the design as I should have, and this lead to numerous delays as I had to rethink many elements in the middle of construction. Some design decisions were made with toe puffs in mind, and without them, the decisions turned out to be unnecessary. I tried two methods of cutting the midsole and outsole down to size, one worked well while the other left me doing a lot of extra sanding. Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100913http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100913On Sunday, my wife helped me make progress on my boots. Rather than lasting the boots on wooden or plastic molds of my feet, I lasted them directly on my feet. I needed Sarah's help to get the leather nice and tight. I fear they may be a little too tight until they break in: I forgot to add a toe rise to give them a bit more room. They will stretch and adapt as I wear them, but it's a step that I should have remembered. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100910http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100910It's interesting how progress can be made by looking outside your normal sources. When looking for materials and glues, I stuck to leather shops and shoe finding services. Recently, I had the chance to talk to Janice Donatelli at Artemis Environmental, a company that sells environmentally friendly building and remodeling supplies. She thought that a low VOC glue that she sold could possibly work on shoes. I'll be experimenting with it over the weekend. Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100901http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100901I recently worked with toe puff material for the first time. It was an interesting experiment, and it helped me solidify what I want to make for future shoes. Fri, 6 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100806http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100806It's been too long since my last through hike, the Abel Tasman Trail in New Zealand. I was there in 2004. That's nearly six years with only taking day hikes. Tue, 3 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100803http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100803In the past year, I started delving into genealogy, in part to find where my grandmother's family came from. Notes from my uncle John indicated that my great great grandfather was Antonio Rogers. Aside from being told he was from the Azores and lived in the town of Truro, Massachusetts, I knew little about him. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100614http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100614I recently got the chance to watch a BBC nature documentary, Unexpected Wilderness, also known as The Wild Places of Essex. Instead of focusing on huge expanses and "untamed" wilderness, it focuses on small wild areas. There are forests sandwiched between highways, mud flats, and overgrown areas. When people envision wild places, they often overlook areas like this that are right under their noses. Programs like this are helpful to remind us that nature and beauty can be found in urban areas. Tue, 11 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100511http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100511I spent the weekend in Toronto, and one of the attractions that I visited was the Bata Shoe Musuem. There were some good exhibits and some less impressive ones. I don't care what shoes Mike Meyers wore in Austin Powers, so the celebrity shoe gallery was of no interest to me. The exhibit on socks was not adequately fact checked, they labeled Coraline as a Tim Burton Movie. It makes me sad when museums present obviously incorrect information. Fri, 7 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100507http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100507The shoes that I made on my trip to Virginia are quite good. However, without the supervision of a teacher, I have made some mis-steps. Thu, 6 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100506http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100506I headed to Lexington, Virginia to take a class with Glenn Leisure of Healthy Handmade Shoes. I stayed with him and his wife, Peggy, while learning to make shoes. He primarily uses stitch down construction, where the shoe upper is glued and then stitched to a leather mid-sole. It is not aimed at elegant dress shoes, instead it aims for simplicity and comfort. It gives the shoes a rustic charm. Wed, 5 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100505http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100505Every foot is unique. Many people have one foot slightly smaller than the other, or perhaps with a slightly different shape. In many cases, the differences are minor enough that a standard size can work for both feet. However, some people have feet that are too different to work in a standard size. I fall into the this category. My left foot is easy to fit, but my right will not fit into any standard shoe size. When measured in a Brannock Device, my feet are size 7.5 US. However, no 7.5 shoe is wide enough for the toes on my right foot. To get the proper width, I have to size up to 9, and this is too long. Trying 7.5 in wide sizes, like E or EE leaves too much room around the heel. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100403http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100403Some photos of my trip to the Cleveland Zoo are up on my Flickr Page. Fri, 31 Oct 2003 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031031http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031031 1. Albumuth Boulevard 2. The Exchange 3. The Transformation of Martin Lake 4. Uzumaki I 5. Dradin, In Love (Part I) 6. Festival of the Squid 7. Dradin, In Love (Part II) 8. Flooded Streets 9. Uzumaki II 10. The Cage 11. The Man Who Had No Eyes 12. The Exchange (Reading by Jeff VanderMeer)Non Album TracksSecond Groove: Quail Note Records' Traditional Moroccan Music, Volume II was the original source for Festival of the Squid. That record had a second groove. I recorded an excerpt of music from that second groove. I found a quite interesting surprise when I listened to it in mono.Fungicide: This song was composed by taking from pieces of other songs on Fungicide and remixing them. It was left off of the CD due to time constraints.Fungicide is a collection of music to accompany City of Saints & Madmen, by Jeff VanderMeer, However, the music can be enjoyed even if you are not familiar with his work.The CD is a gate-fold package with 20 pages of notes, artwork and an excerpt from Jeff VanderMeer's novel, Shriek: An Afterword.See sample pages ->