I had to make a repair to Ruby’s boots the other day. I think the amount of handling & disturbance has been more than they should have experienced. I noticed that the threads literally disintegrated.
You can see how the threads just…disappeared. I literally gasped in shock when I noticed it. And dismay that I didn’t think to protect them better, but I have a solution there. More on that in a moment.
I quickly found some thread that matches the deep red color of the original stitching, and stitched. In most cases I was able to use the original holes.
While I am glad to have stitched the boots back together I’m not going to risk any more damage. I’ve wrapped her feet in soft cotton for the remainder of the project!
Notes from the Melody Maker 
Well…they are well more than 100 years old- the original Ruby owner (also named Ruby!) was born sometime around the close of the civil war- so the boots are probably from 1880 ish?? if they last it’s a bonus – if not- well maybe she’s had enough of them 😉 She already looks so much happier than she did…I’m grateful for the work done with true love and care and appreciation for the fact that she’s a true heirloom.