Make Your Own Moccasins

Natural soaps prove to be a dream come true - Column by Bonnie Kogos

This week on Manitoulin has been super clean. I'm living in the House of Soap on Ice Lake. The smells are heavenly.

I'm the guest of Paulette and Ron Miller at Ice Lake, where their lovely old farmhouse nestles on an emerald July lawn that stretches out, to my New York City eyes, endlessly.

We sit on the spacious deck, drinking coffee, chatting as old friends do, when Paulette isn't busy creating her luscious natural soaps, 20 varieties.

When I go upstairs to sleep, I pass the soap room, smelling lavender, rose mint and peppermint blend. The fan is continuous to keep the supply room air circulating and cool.

Four years ago, she had a dream and she has learned how to make the most elegant, natural soap. You can find her selling at farmer's markets and earning rave reviews from returning customers.

It was just one of those things. I walked into the Manitoulin Economic Development Association office in Kagawong 15 years ago to interview Paulette about the website she created for Manitoulin. I had used the MEDA website in New York City to research info I needed for columns. Our interview was to be 40 minutes. It was filled with my learning more, and such laughter, it lasted six hours. That's how it sometimes goes on Manitoulin. We went to dinner at Twin Bluffs.

Four years ago, Paulette had a dream that changed her life. She saw her grandmother, Virginia Desnoyers, standing before a black cook stove in Cochrane, with two toddlers playing off in a corner.

In Paulette's dream, she could smell the good, clean, raw soap her grandmother was cooking.

"How did you begin Virginia's Dream?" I asked.

"I bought three books, studied and learned how to make soaps with various oils," she said. "At first, I was nervous about using lye, but overcame my fear. The first ingredients I mixed and cooked were coconut, palm, olive oil and lye. I was so excited to make two pounds in a wooden mould. It was joyful, the smell fresh and clean, reminding me of my grandmother, Virginia.

"Then the soap has to saponify, which means moving through the stages of congealing and hardening. These were my first usable bars of soap. Why, I took one bar right down to my mother's house and told her she had to wait one month to use it, because it had to cure."

Paulette never dreamed of selling soap, but she couldn't stop making it.

"My friends demanded more, paying for it. I made an herbal infusion using calendula petals and olive oil and found using it took away the rash on the bottom of my foot.

How to Care for your Moccasins | Sterling Leather Blog

The first thing that you can do, especially if your moccasins are suede, is to treat them with a waterproofing agent.  This will make it much easier to treat any spills or stains, especially if you purchase a suede cleaning kit.  This kit should, at minimum, consist of a special suede eraser and a stiff bristled brush.  The eraser should only be applied to the suede when it is dry, followed by a stiff brushing.  This method can aid in removing everything from mud and dirt to scuff marks and stains.

Leather moccasins require slightly different care.  They are typically somewhat more durable since they are made from the heavier hides of cows, deer, and moose.  Leather that is routinely cleaned and conditioned with appropriate leather care products will naturally hold up longer, and even repel dirt and water much better than if it’s not cared for.  You can easily purchase saddle soap and leather conditioner at any store, or you can make your own mixture from common household products like glycerin, cream, oil, and ammonia.  Fat from the cream and oil will moisturize the leather while ammonia prevents mildew and glycerin seals the moisture into the pores of the leather.  Regularly working this mixture into your moccasins with a damp cloth or sponge will keep them in perfect condition for years to come.

How to Make Your Own Moccasins

Make Your Own Slippers & Shoes

New ideas for out of doors, the field and forest handy book

The Indian tipi, its history, construction, and use

Boys' Life