If you ask a bride whether she purchased her shoes for comfort or for style, she’d probably respond with a wince and a saying like “pride feels no pain!” But if you’re the type who wants to tread softly while looking fabulous to boot, you’ll love the hand-embroidered canvas shoes that are the specialty of today’s featured vendor, Kat from The Story of Kat.
A life in stitches
Though Kat tried everything from soccer and violin to weaving and photography when growing up, it was making things with her own two hands that interested her the most. “It was my grandmother who gave me the knowledge and special appreciation of what I could do with a needle and thread,” she says. As the years passed, embroidery gave Kat a much-needed outlet after long days spent working a corporate desk job.
“Embroidery is a lot like drawing or painting. I’ve always been obsessed with color and little details in my art over form, so it felt natural right away.” So natural, in fact, that Kat admits that she can’t even sit still to watch a movie without a needle in her hands. “I’m so pleased to have escaped the desk job and be building a business around what I love.”
So exactly what is that business? In large part it involves embroidering canvas shoes for special occasions such as weddings. “It happened rather by accident actually,” says Kat. “I’m a big proponent of bringing such a precious art form into the here and now and was taking in all sorts of custom embroidery requests at the time from garden gloves to wall hangings when someone asked if shoes were a possibility. For my own wedding I wanted to include as many handmade personal elements as possible, so it’s always rewarding to be able to provide something unique like that for others.”
Kat made her first pair of shoes in early 2010, and business has grown in leaps and bounds since then.
All stitched up
Kat is mindful of her clients’ needs, and aims to accommodate their preferences as best as possible. “It always starts with what the individual wants in terms of the design and colours,” she says. Other factors to consider are the size and brand of the shoes. “The size of the shoe determines the size of the canvas.” As certain areas like the toe and heel are too thick or hard to reach, Kat has to adapt her designs to suit different shoe sizes and brands, as styles vary depending on whether the shoes are TOMS, Vans or Keds.
Once the details have been worked out, Kat then creates a custom listing in her Etsy shop for the client. The client then sends Kat their floss colour preferences–and their shoes. ”Once the shoes arrive on my end, I send a photo of several shades of floss for them to pick from as I find clear day lit photos make it easier for brides to match to their wedding palette than online color charts.”
After the colours have been approved, Kat begins embroidering, a process that can take 1-2 hours per shoe. “The time required to make such tiny and legible stitches on thick canvas by hand is the kicker,” says Kat. Particularly when the only materials being used are a needle and embroidery floss. “The work can be quite painstaking at times. I’ve got these neon green granny-type compression gloves that help me work and boy do I look rad in them.” A good audiobook is essential to the artistic process, she adds with a laugh.
They’ll have you in stitches
The very nature of Kat’s business means that her clients are typically fun-loving, joyful types. “I love it when out of the box requests from couples, because that makes each pair more individual and special for them, not to mention fun for me to work on!” One particularly memorable order involved a request for the phrase “grilled cheese” to be embroidered on a pair of shoes. “It was a silly saying of some sort between the bride and groom,” she says. “Another bride was getting married at Disney World so she had me replace the heart element of the embroidery with a Mickey Mouse silhouette,” says Kat, who is always enthusiastic about getting the opportunity to do illustrative work. “Both pairs are great examples of a subtle but special way to show a little lighthearted personality on your big day and I love when folks get creative like that!”
Kat generally works with brides, but she’s had a few grooms get in on the act as well. “They want to surprise their fiancees with a pair, which is always fun as they’re so gosh-darn cute about it.”
There’s no denying that Kat’s whole-heartedly invested in her work–and her clients. “I love that something I’ve made stitch by stitch is going to lend a bit of soul to their big day.” And some sole as well? “It’s an old man pun, I know, but so many brides love having something comfortable and supportive to change into for the rehearsal or reception, so why not add some personality to it?”
Contact Kat
After a pair of embroidered shoes for your big day (or just because)? Drop by Kat’s Etsy store The Story of Kat, or visit her blog.
Your turn: what would you have embroidered on your wedding shoes?
