Richard, the ratio isn’t exact, but you want to make a peanut butter like consistency. The tire dust can be obtained by asking nicely at a place that does retreads for truck tires. Just sift it well to get the bug chunks out. Good luck!!

Perhaps the true challenge is not what you wanted the leather to be but knowing what it actually was. The imperfections of the fabric were there before you picked it up. The expectations that the material would behave as others you have worked with in the past created an opportunity not only to learn a craft never done before, but it also gave you insight to so much more. This would be like me expecting a cut of slinky knit fabric to behave just like a cut of cotton canvas. The basics of the fabric are similar but each one requires a different approach to bring it together (and I would seriously doubt that I would use cotton canvas to sew a dress for a wedding). But, I had to learn how to manage that slippery knit fabric is I wanted the dress to be completed. Many of us are often challenged by imperfections. How we choose to be bothered by them is ultimately up to each of us.

Yesterday I was on a binge of embroidery with my sewing machine. I flew through one project and I started another one right away. The fabric was the same but the design was different and the way it went into the hoop was completely different. When I started the second project, I knew I needed to pay attention so that the excess fabric would not get caught up in the hoop. Needless to say, while I as pulling thread for the rest of the project, the excess fabric did get caught and I was unable to save the project. Disappointed? Yes. But I will continue to play with different fabrics and take the risk again.

Chogyam Trungpa said, “You must personally accept the responsibility of improving your own life.” Once again, you did that, my friend. Simply by stepping out of the comfort zone. By the way- those are beautiful shoes.