It has been kind of a ruff week...

Hope yours was good.

Cheers.

R/Co. Project: Work'n Pattern

When you get hooked on building things yourself, it all starts with ideas. For ideas to become reality it equals building more patterns....

A little here and a little there.
Cheers.

Native Inspo.

A while back I had picked up an interesting photo book from the local Library and scanned a few amazing images, unfortunately I do not remember the title of the book or who it was that shot them but I wanted to share. When you get a moment click on each image to get a bigger size and better detail. You need to take a closer look and get inspired! What am I talking about? Well first off when growing up playing with the neighborhood kids we would play "cowboys & Indians" I would always be the Native. When I got into high school I still had a great interest in Native history and culture and would spend time building native crafts or going to Pow-wows in the summertime. But what is so awesome about these images? I just love the way that the Native Americans took the White mans apparel and made it their own. I do not glorify their situation, being that these photos were taken during the early days of the reservations, but I find such inspiration in their use of what they have received, ether by trade or by supply, and infused it into their established style. 

Take a close look at the bead work on the man's blanket!!

Great Plaids!

What out there gets you excited about style, art, or life? What about when you were a kid? Has it changed? Why?......

"Keep on keep'n on"
Cheers.

TV Time!

I am not really a fan of television programing. I do not totally avoid it but usually when  I get sucked in and it is finally turned off I feel like such a waste.... There is so much to do and build and create that TV just sucks away some valuable time with nothing to show afterwords. So for me to get really excited about some TV is not a regular occurrence..... Untail today! A while back I caught wind of some major television programing that had taken place across the "ditch" on BBC1.
SHERLOCK! Oh no not just another remake of the original stories set to film but an updated 21st century version of the detective and his crime solving adventures! The first episode premiered tonight in the United States on PBS Masterpiece Mystery and it was fantastic! I am a fan! I could go on about the writing, the acting, etc. etc. but why? Just watch the show if you get a chance or do what we all do now anyway and google it and find out all you want to know. Looking forward to next week for some more....

Well back to reality. Hope your weekend was swell and the coming week is even better!

Cheers.

Somethin To Think About...

Closed Doors, Meet Packing, NYC 2010

I have been skimming through a book I picked up from the ol' Library and came accross this story.....
(Harold... as a patient of a nursing home, would spend his days painting and smiling... ) Harold, "You know, when I was a young art student just out of high school, I wanted to open an art gallery. My father wanted me to be a dentist instead. Well, I spent six years getting through NYU Dental School, hating every minute of it and wishing I owned my own art gallery instead. I wanted a career in art, not pulling teeth. but life plays nasty tricks. First came the Depression, so I drilled teeth to make a living. Then came the war and the Navy needed dentist. When I got back I had a wife and two kids to support, so I pushed aside my dreams of an art gallery and resumed my dental practice. When I hit 50 I figured it was time. My kids were on their own and I had money in the bank. My wife called it mid-life crisis and my kids thought I was insane to give up a lucrative dental practice to open an art gallery. So for the next 20 years I continued to push aside the idea of my own gallery and drilled more damned teeth. Well now I'm 73 years old and too ill to start an art gallery so I paint instead. You wonder what happens to all the years and all your dreams...."
                  Arnold S. Goldstein, "Starting on a Shoestring"

I am sure you get the picture.....

Keep on keep'n on.
Cheers.

R/Co. Archive: German Military Jacket.

I got my hands on this jacket and shot it, oh wow, must have been over 6 months ago... So I am a little slow on things sometimes.... Anyway I do not know much about it since it is German Swiss. A few things I know is that it was picked up in Germany at a surplus shop it is a heavy wool outer with twill pocketing and lining. Oh and that it is a really, really, awesome piece. Below I have provided a nice collection of images that I shot of all of the details. Enjoy.

If anyone knows anything about this jacket please let us know in the comments. Thanks.
*Update*
Thanks to all of you who send in comments about the jacket and gave me more insight into it and it's origins.   

"Keep 'Em Flying"
Cheers.

Somethin' To Think About...

Lately while going through the ringer of the day to day there is one phrase that keeps coming to mind...
"It is Simple, just not Easy...."
The real challenge is figuring out how to simply make it happen.... whatever it may be.

Hope your week has been a good one and your weekend even better!

Cheers.

GIve a Push & Head South.

(image found here)

Summer never really happened in the Great Pacific Northwest this year and along with that we never made a break as a family for a little time away. So we are heading south for a few days to spend some time along the Oregon shore with the whole extended family; Brother, Sister and her family, Mum & Dad, the whole lot. Super stoked since it has been a long while since we have all been together at the same time. Planing to do a little Cold Water slide'n sesh as well. Should be good.

More later...

Cheers.

R/Co. Project: Piston Tee.

 Huh, summer sure did come and go...
Been super super busy with all sorts of projects and recent travels including a quick jot down south to the 'ol home town of LA. ( more on that later) So needles to say I am way behind on sharing all the goods that have been built over the last few months. Such as this here tee...

At the beginning of summer built this graphic tee. All hand cut from stencils and hand sprayed to apply the ol' grafx.... Fun times.

A little detail of the back graphic.

If anyone out there is interested in one hit me up and I will pass it along.

So what have you been up to?

Cheers!

A Change in Seasons

Caught my first glimpse of the changing leaves this past weekend. Autumn  has to be one of the best times of year... well it is our favorite over here at REDCROW, that is for sure! A chill in the air. The changing leaves. The way the light is just different, softer almost. Love it! Not to mention being able to start wearing layers again. Though I don't think we really had much of a summer, weather wise, here in the Pacific Northwest. It was hot for like a week or two but that was about it. And I am not complaining....
Hope your week is turning out to be a good one, or that is will turn into a good one if not already.

Cheers.

R/Co. Project: Travel'n Trunk

Way back at the ending of spring we needed a way to do a nice presentation, something that could carry some of the goods in a somewhat easy manner.
I have had this old trunk since I was in junior high school. My mother had put fancy stuff inside it so she decided to line it with some kitschy country striped fabric.

Well that is not exactly the look that we are going for so it needed to be redone. I was in a time crunch so decided to just cover it with some tea dyed cotton sheeting that was laying around.

After that was all complete, with industrial staples and all, it needed a way to wheel it about with some ease. So gathered up some wood from the wood pile...

and built a platform.

can't do much without a way to move it so put on some wheels.

Needed something to be able to attach the base with wheels onto the trunk so I found some old rope up in the rafters of the garage and cut her loose.

Once all complete it packed up nicely and you just wheel her away...

Fun times....
What kind of goodies have you been working on building?

Cheers.

R/Co. Finds: NAVY Garb

A few months back hit up the local surplus joint and came away with some navy shirting...
Interestingly enough this shirt has a really good fit.

For some reason I have been super stoked on this shirt. 

Not sure how to exactly pull it off for daily wear by not looking to "costume" like... I guess you just rock with confidence and that is that.

Not really sure where this shirt ended up, still unpacking boxes and trying to find things..... So back to it.

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspired: WWII Aviation Collection.

While digging through a few images files that I have stored on my computer I re-discovered this image that I must have scanned a while back from some book about collecting WWII uniforms and insignia. (Not sure of the name of the book)
What a fine tight knit and well edited collection! Just thought I would share.

"Keep 'Em Flying"

Cheers.

Get'n Settled.

Wow Friday is almost upon us... again!
Sometimes time just fly's by. Throw in a short work week and it doubles in speed.

Last weekend the family and I, with some help from our friends,  loaded up the trucks with everything we own and moved house. It went very well and we are super stoked to be in the new abode.
Moved the machines & sewing tools into the 'Shed' out back and am really excited to set up shop... But all good things are not always perfect, and this story is no different.
The other night I was out moving things around in the 'Shed' and trying to get it into a workable space so we can jump back into getting the projects that are still up in the air accomplished. That involves unpacking a few boxes and packing up others that are not needed any time soon. Get out the 'ol tape gun and go to town on a box, all the sudden "COULD YOU TRY AND KEEP IT DOWN! IT WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATED!!!" (enter a forcefully shut window) Slam!

You know how when you get so into something the blinders kind of come on and you see nothing else? Well, that was me and the 'Shed'. I saw the shed and nothing else. Um, the house next door, well, it is really next door, like 2ft. away. With the window open and a crotchety old lady on the other side of that window! *Sigh* It would not be that big of a deal but most nights I am building goods well into the night not a good combo with an old koot  trying to sleep! So, got to move the work shop back into the garage. It is not a bad thing, but I was so excited to build out the 'Shed'. Oh Well. At least still got space to muck about in, right?

The next day added more silliness to my already troubled day and I had to just mess around with my newly accuried color markers (see above) That was fun.

Update on the show.
Lost my 2nd look because kids are not allowed into the venue that is a 21 or older club. Not so bad but it is a week away! Not fun news! Oh well welcome to life, it never runs smooth, but what fun would that be, right. So just pick'n myself up and keep it going.  Just working on my one look now.

Cut out the shirt.

Finished up the neckwear.

Well it is almost the weekend! Back to it....
Have a good one.

Cheers.

Somethin' To Think About...

"The biggest thing I learned is that less is more. Stay focused and treat everyone how you want to be treated. And be honest and turn up and keep turning up. It really is a big part of success.... " 

David Keyte. Universal Works.

R/Co. Project: Wood Block Printing

 Time is fast approaching for the runway show so instead of packing snuck in a late night fabric printing test run with the compleated wood block.

The collection of goods that I am planning to send down the runway involves headwear that is built from a nice washed out navy canvas so I want the print to match back to that color. I do not have navy ink so did it the old fashioned way and just mix it up by hand.

 Got out some fabric screen printing ink that I have been meaning to use, eye balled it and went for it. A little blue, a dollop of black, a touch of red, some more blue and a touch more black and.... looks good to me (for some reason color theory dose not click in my head but if I just mess with it for a bit it somehow works out)

The hardest part about block printing fabric is getting a nice transfer onto the fabric. Smaller blocks seam to do better but that is not what we are going for here so...

Laid out some ink onto a large plate glass and rolled the brayer through it and gave the block a nice good coat of ink.

Moving house and home this week. Super excited for the next chapter...
Seattle Magazine hits news stands this week...
Also It has been quite a long while since I have posted up any Internet findings over on the weekenders....
Oh, and if you are not familiar with Forestbound you need to go over and check out her goods! Girl has skill and builds some really nice bags.

'Keep 'em Flying'

Cheers.

Somethin' To Think About...

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
-Ayn Rand