Go'n On A Weekender: Farm Chicks

The Family and I are heading Northeast to Spokane this weekend to check out the Farm Chicks Antique N' Craft show shindig thing. Never been. Looks fun. Stoked to get out of town for a few days. More info on the show here. Hope we find a few choice things.

Go on, take a drive and see where you end up...

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: 1950's Everyday Fashion

Good Stuff. Enjoy.

Everett on Monday.

Memorial day weekend is a great kick off to summer time activities and since I had the day off my family and I decided to hit up the Everett Washington seattlerod-tiques car show. It is not the best show we have ever been to, especially when compared to the shows my wife and I would hit up when we lived in SoCal. But there were a few rides, well pickups mostly, that struck our fancy. One of them being this 50's GMC pickup.

The big disconnect with this show is that anything is allowed in...

Reflection...

Something to live by...

If you have visited REDCROW before, then you might be familiar with the slogan, saying or phrase of "fix it up, wear it out, make do, or do with out"... came upon this WWII era poster reminding folks of that very thing. I love that the misses is mending the tear on his torn trousers while he is still in 'em.

Weekend is upon us. For all those here in the states I hope you have a mighty fine 3 day... Car shows, craft fairs, bluegrass festivals, beach trips, camping and BBQ's! This weekend is the start of the warmer season and the various events that take advantage of the outside weather. Hope the weather is good for your outside adventures this weekend.

Cheers.

Some of the hand worked trims for the latest project been work'n on...

'Keep 'em Flying'

Cheers.

R/Co. Project:Arange Them Dots

A long while back put a hole punch to some card stock and built a stencil and did heaps of experiments to try and get a bandanna, something that I have wanted to build for a long time. Tried the wax, tried the paint and well nothing was quite right... well instead of trying to do resist style why not try the remove the color instead?

Took the stencil gave it a coat of enamel to help it not fall apart so fast.

Keep 'em Red

Picked her up a few months back for a cool $20... I know! love the Schwinn.

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: Early Surf.

As I have been working on putting stuff together for the little local shindig that we entered a while back.  I have been thinking a lot about what's next. This is my favorite part of being a desinger and builder of things is the begining of something new. It is so awesome how totaly random ideas spark something that spark something else and before you know it a big jumbled puzzle somehow all fits together.... Have been getting really "Stoked" (sic) on surfing history as of late. So while I was doing my regular dig'n around the local library came across a few good books, one of them being Stoked.

Pulled a few things out of it that caught my eye...

R/Co. Project: Jingle Them Keys

Tighter fitting trousers make putting your motor vehicle and house keys in the front pockets a little bit of a challenge or a bit uncomfortable. Have been rocking the keys hooked to one of the belt loops with just a regular 'ol carabiner that I picked up on one of my trips to the OR show. Not the most interesting, if you ask me, so being that I like to muck about with things I went on and built a fancy key chain.
Picked up a nice hook closure and a key ring at the local leather supply shop in Sea town and went on and dug around in the garage and came up with a nice length of leather suede that I purchased about 5 years ago on my first trip to Hong Kong.

Unearthed a few wooden beads that I have had since High School and a couple of brass beads that I traded for at the Mountain Man Rendezvous at Fort Bridger, Wyoming, back in 1996. Also came across in my bag of Mtn man/ Native Crafting goody bag a couple of spent .22 shells that I shot a poor bird with, also back in high school... wow! about time I used up this stuff,since I graduated way back in '97.

R/Co. Inspo: Native Drawing.

This is just amazing!

Back to it....

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: 2 Button Military Henly.

Got heaps on the plate to get completed so just wanted to share part of a big ol' shoot I did of a bunch of military items that I was able to borrow for a while.

The first one to share is...

R/Co. Project: Seeing Dots.

Man Friday morning just sucked big time. My alarm goes off way to soon, like it always does, and as I go to get out of bed the room just starts spinning... After a few attempts to get out of bed I throw in the towel and close my eyes and wait for it to stop. At one point I my bladder was so full that I had to get up and try to get to the bathroom. I made it ok but ended up falling into the tub and missed the toilet compleatly. So the whole day was a waste. I have so much that I need to get done, both at the 9-5 as well as what I want to get done out in the garage. Spending a day in bed because the world won't stop spinning when I get up is just not needed....

Anyway, for the last while the daily routine has been get up get ready for the day, go to the 9-5,  come home do the family thing, and then out to the garage till the wee hours of the morning, then repeat.
Well for the last 3 days of this routine I have been out making dots...
Yep, a whole mess load of dots.
Part of this little project I am building involves a shirt that is a navy blue ground with an allover dot pattern. Since I could not find exactly what I wanted for fabric I decided I would just have to make it....
Silly me. I don't think I will be making more than 1 and this is why....

Empty That Jug.

A lot of folks have recently been asking about what it is that I use for the brims of my headwear.
Well kids it is nothing more than a few cut out pieces from empty yogurt jugs. 

Vote REDCROW for President.

'MrRay' has decided to put REDCROW out there and entered a local contest put on by Seattle Magazine.
Basically the contest is for Seattle Designers to gather up some images and a description of their original work and cast it before a panel of distinguished judges who are part of the local fashion and design community. Make it through the first stage and you get to present the goods, in person, to that very panel of judges. When 'MrRay' wins over the judges by showing those cats that REDCROW has a little gusto and a tight collection of goods, and is chosen as a winner, then there will be a spot on the runway during Seattle Fashion Week in September. Along with that there will be a nice little spread in Sea Mags September issue. Not to shabby of a gig, right?
The fine folks over at Seattle Magazine have also given you good people a chance to let your voice be heard by doing a little online voting for your favorite guy or gal. 
Here is were you all come in. It will take all of 15 SECONDS. Click on the VOTE HERE link below and vote for Tyson Andersen on the left hand column. That's it.

Thank you all in advance and thanks to all those that have already voted. Oh and don't forget to tell everyone you know to go vote as well...
Will keep you posted on the outcome as it is announced.

Till then go make a mess and build something fun.

Cheers.

Dull Blade.

A little here and a little there.

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: Random Images.

I have been meaning to share all of the images from my NYC trip but I took heaps of pics so it is taking longer, I will get to it soon.... I am a little late to the show with the whole page jump option on this here blog, it took a little mess'n around but I finally got around to figuring it out and having it work. I now hope to post way more images in a nice tight layout that will not fill the front page with an overload of images...Way stoked!

Anyway, while dig'n around through some of my archived folders on the desktop, I figured why not post a few up and mess around with this page jump thing and see how it works. So after the jump are a few images that I have gathered a little while ago from various books borrowed from the local library. So go ahead and click below and let's check out this fancy jump option...

Hold This, Please.

April means several things such as spring should have sprung with April showers bringing in them May flowers my youngest came into our life in April and me and my significant other, well, we got ourselves hitched 9 years ago on April 6th. Because of obligations with the 9-5 and other project deadlines and whatnot we put off doing any real celebrating of our 9 years together. So on Thursday my folks flew into town to hang with the young ones and we jumped in our motor vehicle and headed North for the weekend. Up to the land of Vancouver BC Canada. I like it here.

When I was in NYC shop'n around I found a really cool card holder that was made from leftover chunks of selvedge denim. They wanted an arm and a leg for it so I sketched it out to remember it by and added another pocket to make it better and built my own. Had to mess around and build a pattern first then chop up some fabric and stitch it all together.
I finally got around to using the new Brother sew'n machine my significant other got me for Christmas. Kid runs smooth.

Well off to see the town in the daylight of a new morning.

Cheers.

Take 2 and call me later...

New York was really great. Reconnected with old friends. Met some cool people. Saw some amazing pieces that were way out of my price range. Ate some really good food. Made a few well placed purchases. All and all a good time... I am back at home but wrecked with the flu, or something like it. I took heaps of pics and plan to one day pull them off the ol' Nikon and when I do I will share the adventure. Till then lots of fluids and some rest.

Cheers.

R/Co. Project AW10:Sinch it Down.

The last few days have been a challenge to get anything done with the current project. Sickness, Anniversary, and just plain dealing with life. Needless to say, I will not be hitting the deadline as I had hoped.... What did we learn? That you can't build a tight, well edited collection in less than a month. Ah but next year I will be way more prepared .
Now do we stop? Nope! Just keep on going and 'get her done' so can move on to the next project. The ideas and direction have already been dance'n around in the back of the mind.

Next week I will be out on the road shopping around NYC and that is really going to cause the idea meter to blow a gasket, for sure. I am a believer that there is inspiration to be found all around, you just need to take the time and look, but sometimes a little change of scenery really makes heaps of a difference. Super stoked to be going since I have not been there in a few years.

With all that there has been some progress, in fact the belt was completed. Remember the bent nails that was posted up a while back? Well, they were built to be the D-rings for the leather belt.
Pounded them nails cold (no heat) but next time will definitely get out the torch and heat them pupies up before smacking 'em with the hammer. Before wrapping the steel with the leather, had to rub in a little elbow grease and give the strap a some carictor with sandpaper, shoe polish, and some boot oil.
once that was look'n right, gathered up an end and tucked her in nice and tight around the nails. Popped off a few holes, and sinched her down with some artificial sinew (really cool waxed thread that I have been using since my High School days doing Mtn. Man and Native American crafts and leather work)
Nice 'n Tight...Don't forget the branding. Kinda fun, if I can say so myself. Though nothing like this. I am pleased with the results. Now to get my head around going into production mode.....

Along with the belt work I have also been kustomizing some brass buttons with a coat of white enamel. Super white and clean right now... but there is something about a sock, some rocks and a little stress release.(?) more on that later.

The kustom buttons deserve a nice home, so got out the shears and cut out the shirt. Now to just stitch it all together.

Well time to go pack and plan what shoes go with what outfit for what day....
Go wreck something!

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: Lee Whizit

Just a few images of things that have caught my eye recently

1950's Advertisements.
LEE Whizit: Front view with details.
A few flight insignia used during WWI. This has nothing to do with the Whizit but everything to do with what is bobbing around in the back of my mind right now.
The fun part is not knowing what all this might lead to?...

'Keep 'em Flying'
Cheers.

R/Co. Project AW10:Dye It Blue.

For a very long time the idea of dying my own fabrics and making patterns with dye has been dancing around up in the ol' noggin. Well I have finally tried my hand at making a basic fabric another color.

I decided that it might be a little easier to control my dye mess if I did so in a few 20 gal plastic bins.

I have always wanted to experiment with natural dye and dye stuffs but I do not have any indigo on hand so I hit up the local fabric shop and obtained a jug of rit dye.I followed the instructions for the first bit, warm water, some salt, the jug of dye and a few pounds of cloth, agitate for 30-60 min and all that. As the deadline I have set is looming way to close I really should not be experimenting with anything but stay focused on getting this here project completed. What fun is that? Well I just let it go after about 15 min of swishing around. So a few days ago I built a nice stencil for a stab at a bandanna pattern. I have been wanting to see if I used melted wax if it will act as a resist on the fabric when dying. It might be a really interesting bandanna for sure, if it works.

Well it did not work quite the way I hoped but I would never have known if I did not try.
(still want to do a bandanna that does not use screen printing, so have to go back to the drawing board on that) Since that did not work I have been planning to do an all over dot pattern on a woven fabric that will one day will become a button down shirt. Well my wax idea placed over a stencil was a miss so I just started dropping the wax at random all over the fabric and chucked her into the dye bath to see what would happen....

All and all it is not perfect, not that perfect is what I am going for, ya know a little streaky and splotchy. I am stoked to have finally given the wax and dye idea a go even if it did not work out. A few more pieces of raw material for the final goods are ready with lest than two weeks left to build it all. Not too sure how much will get built in the end but I am really enjoying the ride.....

Now go wreck some of your own ideas...

Cheers.