Sneak Peek

Several months ago I started going to Joy of Pilates http://www.joyofpilates.net/  classes twice a week with two of my good friends. Ella who owns the studio, is the instructor and is super enthusiastic, of course, upon discovering that I am a screen-printer she needed some cute clothes with her logo on them. One thing led to another and we decided to team up on a photoshoot together. This was a few months ago and when it comes to creating new designs and clothing lines it takes me a little while! However I am proud to say that last Friday I put the finishing touches on my new Women's Workout line suitable for running, biking, Pilates and Yoga or anything else you can think of. Yesterday we got together at Ella's studio with my favorite photographer Sandi Heinrich http://www.sandiheinrich.com/ and six lovely models and rocked out a great photo-shoot. These pictures are a few I took of the shoot happening, the ones Sandi took will be much better! You can see the beautiful Pilates studio and get a sneak peek at the new clothes coming to the Red Boots booth at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturday May 9th and on the interweb at Http://www.redbootsdesign.etsy.com in a few weeks!

Sandi gets the picture of Ariel in the Koi Capri pants

Deborah models the Daisy LS Hood and Sandi works the camera

Ursula shows us how its done in style in a Wildflower yoga skirt and Daisy tech top!
Cata looking good with a smile in her Koi sleeveless top!
Michelle is focused in a pretty green Daisy top!
All together now...
This is what Sandi does and she is very good at it!
Waiting for the action to start before the shoot at the Joy of Pilates Studio

Making sure we are ready to start!

End of an era

When I first moved to Bellingham it was in the fall of 2003. I moved in with my Uncle, got a job and moved out. Through my job I met Jeff Kraus. He had a screenprint shop and made his own hemp shirts for his business Naked Clothing. At some point, I think in the spring of 2004 I started helping him in his shop with his printing. I had taken a class back east at NASCAD 5 or so years before and I guess that qualified me for the job. The print shop was in the basement of an old office building facing on an alley. The space its self was huge and kept moving back into catacombs filled with so much crap and junk, Jeff was a bit of a collector. The press and ancient oven (which would sometimes stop working without warning) were in the front near the garage style roll up doors, that were the only source of natural light. Heat was optional and came and went as different heaters were installed and then broke. Printing in the winter was really pure misery. However, this was the printshop and it was where I did all my printing and started Red Boots in the spring of 2004. I helped Jeff up until this July whan I finally got set up to work in my own studio. All together Jeff and I spent 4 plus years there together. There are some stories I have! Yesterday I went over to clean the rest of the screens that had piled up before we need to move them all, there were about 50 in all!! The space is mostly cleaned out and nearly everything is gone except for the printing equipment and the fish tank which will be the last to go. I felt rather nostalgic looking around, as much as I hated it at times it was a really cool experience. I guess I feel like I have earned where I am now with all the luxeries like heat and light!! Jeff has a new place in Sedro Wooley and we will still see each other, I will still be cleaning his screens, and we will still eat lots of sushi!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

I promise to be a better blogger. I get that no one will read this Red Boots Design Blog more than once if I only write something once every six months! There are so many things I could think of to say but I think I will focus on my new VOTE T shirt. I am pretty worried about the election and I think it is terrifying that some people don't vote at all. Funny how these people always can be heard bragging about it at the bar and then complaining about their non-democratically elected government at the same time. I don't know what to do, so I made a VOTE shirt. Nice big VOTE on the front and a non-inflammatory quote on the back. I was hoping people would buy it (for cheap) and then wear it and inspire conversation and hopefully voting. I am happy to say it has been popular and has inspired a childrens version to be launched this Saturday at the Bellingham Farmers Market. I can only hope for the best, but when I hand them over it is with a wink and I say, "Please vote responsibly". 

Photo Shoot at the Printshop

Last Friday I was getting caught up on some printing and my friend Sandy Heinrich (www.sandiheinrich.com) came down to the printshop to take some photos of me. Sandi is a professional photographer here in Bellingham and she did an awesome job. I have finally come to terms with the fact that while I can shoot a decent picture of my dog, taking pictures of myself while screen-printing is outside my skill set. We hung out for about 3 hours and she took tons of pictures while I printed. I was so excited today I just ordered some mini moo cards  www.moo.com and some mini moo stickers. here are some of the pic's I liked best:

I roll on 12's

Well in all honestly there hasn't been very much exciting blogging going on here. That's really because there hasn't been very much exciting Printshop building happening either. I am mentally planning my little galley kitchen I am going to build, but holding off because I am supposed to be doing productive work type things, like new kids designs and such. So far so good, here is my new tricycle design, I like it and I drawed it myself. So there. At least the sun is finally shining and that's enough for me.

Madder than a wet cat

Wow, it is just amazing how much it has rained today. Erik dropped me off with my bike today but I foolishly forgot my rain pants. I thought for sure it would stop a little. By 1PM I had to catch a ride home to suit up and then ride another bike back to the studio. I disconnected/ turned the furnace off here at the studio last week since it was almost summer. HA. Today I couldn't figure how to turn it back on and didn't want to blow the place up so it has been a little chilly all day. I am getting ready to make the trek home. i hope the weather will be nice in Aspen and that my truck and laptop will be waiting for me when I get home.

Remain Calm

I think freaking out may be the best plan of action. All day on Friday I waited for UPs and my American Apparel shipment. when he finally showed up he had 3 pieces for me instead of 79. So they say they will overnight it to me, which at this point means Monday. So here I am 9 AM on Monday, ride my bike down here to this freezing shop, no summer for Bellingham apparently, and I wait. And wait, and wait..........I am still waiting because they sent it on Fed Ex, and they are not my friend and they show up at random times. I have been here for over 4 hours today so far. American Apparel might make nice stuff but they suck as far as shipping it goes. So frustrating, luckily I have this grafitti to remind me what to do.  Today is making me angry. Loosing my keys this morning really didn't help.