The J.L. Stifel Co.

Been doing a little digging around the ol' internet and came upon a good source of information on various fabric mills and companies. One such company is the J.L. Stifel Co. They were makers of denim, drills, and calicoes.

They were founded by Mr. Johann Ludwig Stifel in 1835. A more in-depth overview of his origin and time line of his company can be found here. If you have any interest in vintage workwear and denim then this is a must read inregards to knowing the background of the company that provided much of the fabrics used in production.

Cheers.

Workn' Shirt.

I really like the detail of this shirt. Also as of late I have been really liking the more rounded side seam to flat bottom hems. After I finish building some trouser and jacket patterns I am planing on working on a few new shirt patterns. I think this hem is a winner to go after and build.

Found it here, at workers.

Cheers.

Have A Go On Your Push Bike.

A nice little heads up over at A Time To Get on the early days of BMX. Go big or go home!

Cheers.

Image Archive: Barber Shops IV.

Want: TBC Chukka

I really like the simplicity and rugged look of this Vintage chukka style boot from The Timberland Boot Company, British artisan cousin to all-American Timberland
Available here.

Arts: Cynthia Meyer.

Just stumbled upon the work of Cynthia Meyer. This is what she has to say about her work.


"As far as subject matter, what interests me most right now is the parts of California that are disappearing. Bungalow courts demolished, water tanks torn down, even the cottage down the street won’t be the same when it’s been scrubbed clean and redecorated. And good classic things, like a beloved vintage bike or a favorite pair of sneakers. I worry that all of the things that have been used and loved and lived in are going away. So I paint them."


To learn more about here and to see some of her work check it out here.

Cheers.

Plaid Up Top.

There is a great little image collection on plaid headwear from then and now over at 'A Time to Get'.
Good stuff check it out here.
Cheers.

What is Your Passion?

I am not the type of person who likes to do just one thing. I guess you could kinda call me a "Generalist". I think I have always been like this, even when I was younger. I remember when asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I never gave a one subject answer it was always something like, " A professional football player and an Astronaut and a Paleontologist". Though at times I find myself envious of those that have a focus or a passion on one particular thing. Don't get me wrong I have passion(S) but just one, that is hard for me.

One of those people that I am somewhat envious of, not only of her passion and focus, but also her skill yielding a brush is Taliah Lempert of Brooklyn NY. Her passion and focus is painting Bicycles! yep that is what she does, and she does it very well. She hosts a web site bicyclepaintings.com that is just filled with her work of both new and old, sketches and works in progress all of one simple subject, Bicycles. In here own words she says this about what she does.
" I paint bikes that are part of someone's life,or have been, or are intended to be. The bike they ride around, race, present themselves with. The right bike for the right situation. It's worn when ridden, locked, or crashed. It’s grimey, sometimes cleaned, sometimes not. How they chose it, how they use it and how they care for it. How each bike looks, develops because of a person. & says a lot. I’m not interested in creating a real scene, of a bicycle in a believable space. I'm interested in looking just at the bike. Like in old pictures, where saints are painted on a gilded surface. Or Pop art, with the subject not in a traditional space but on a flat ground.An everyday object with paramount importance. I like thick thick paint, splash and disregard lines aggressively brushed out and repainted.
I like the fight in it, I want to make paintings with movement and gesture derived from the bike. The bicycles that catch my eye and come into the studio open a door to new communities, people, and experience. My paintings are my framework to see the world."

Work in Progress.

Final Painting

There is a lot to see when you visit her site. With something as simple as a bicycle you might think it would start to loose it's excitment after viewing a few of her paintings or drawings but NO each one has personality and is unique so go check out her goods and even buy something from her in her if you want, she even offers a free screen saver download of over 100 of her paintings (P/C only though????)

Cheers.

Image Archive: Barber Shops III.

This past week I have been out of town on job interviews... fingers crossed, and it is Thursday again so here is another post of Barber Shop images.










I have quite a few more so I guess I will keep posting them every Thursday until I get them all on here.
Cheers.

Image Archive: Barber Shops II.

Here are some more Barber Shop Images.











More next week.
Cheers.

Banjo.

I love the Banjo. I do not know what it is about this instrument, but something about the twang of those steel strings just does it for me and ya just can't help but feel moved to ether start tapping your toe or shedding a tear or two.




If you have a 5 string and just don't know what to do with it, or, if you are feeling a little rusty check out Patrick over at Tangier Sound. He is awesome and is more than willing to teach you how to pick and strum that 'ol banjer like it is no bodies business. If the banjo is not your thing then how about some blues guitar? He shares his know how on that as well as all sorts of other goods. And he does it all for free through open source file sharing and youtube. Here is a link to his video tutorials. If you are really serious you can also download all of his books for free. Now go play something!
Cheers.