$upport Independent Business and Reject the Fakers

A few years ago, I wrote:

Everything you love, everything meaningful with depth and history, all passionate authentic experiences will be appropriated, mishandled, watered down, cheapened, repackaged, marketed and sold to the people you hate.

Punk rock was profoundly important to me. The power, the rage and the message. It was authenticity incarnate. A clarity and directness with a political message that was overpowering. As big corporations watched, they started to smell money. They circled and studied. And they aped the aesthetics, but we knew it was fake. Now, I hear The Clash or The Stranglers or The Undertones and I am still amazed. The corporate fakers faded away and the real deal survives.


I believe that punk rock experience is core to the values of a generation. DIY is not a marketing term or a cliche, we know we can do it. We can create it ourselves and form businesses that reflect our personal passions. The Maker Movement, the rise of crafting, the slow food movement - they share a commonality of power through engagement. We, as individuals, are personally awesome and we want to collaborate.
Jenny Hart is no stranger to D+R readers as she is our longest running perma-guest blogger. She has inspired us with her work and the passion of her business Sublime Stitching. For me, selfishly, the greatest benefit of starting D+R has been the gracious contributions of my co-hosts. To see what inspires them, what moves them to create. All too infrequently, I fail to recognize how important my co-hosts contributions are to me personally. Thank you.

As corporations take notice, just as punk rock was diluted to the point of simple aesthetics, the fakers are trying to establish credibility. Besides so brazenly copying Jenny Hart's designs, Urban Threads has disingenuously positioned themselves as an indie company built by a single individual. A little whois and Google mapping show that Urban Threads is not a charming home run business, but rather an offshoot of a long established machine embroidery business called Embroidery Library.

Is Embroidery Library a giant faceless corporation? No, I don't think so. Seems to be a smallish, long established company that has been cranking out machine embroidery patterns for years. Like the rest of us with independent businesses, I am certain they have stretched their budgets, wondered how to grow and hoped they could compete on a national scale. If it were a major corporation, it would be easier to understand as they operate behind an opacity of scale and lawyers, but how in the whole wide bing-bong world would a smallish company think it would be a good idea to copy Jenny's patterns? Embroidery instructions have existed for hundreds of years, so why would Urban Threads chose to re-word Sublime's instructions? To butcher Jenny's quotes and represent them as their own? That is not a very punk rock thing to do.

Urban Threads has so brazenly ripped off Sublime Stitching that I can't help but wonder if Jenny Hart is the only artist that has been ripped off. Please, take a moment to look at the Urban Threads catalog of designs and see if you recognize any other chicanery. Let us know, we will pass it along.

Supporting independent businesses means $upporting independent businesses. I bought Sublime Stitching patterns today. I ordered Chinese Acrobats, Handmade Nation (because I like Faythe's movie so much), Garden Variety (because I like bugs) and Zombies and Monsters (because I started one of these at Maker Faire Austin and gave it away before it was done.)

Today, send our friends at Sublime Stitching a note of support. And, while you are at it, drop a note to Urban Threads and tell them where to stick it.

Hey big companies! Don't rip us off! We want to work with you! Contact us! We value your experience! Let's make this huge! We all win when we collaborate! Rip us off and a thousand blogs will descend on you!

Bo Diddley on a Scooter with Matching Guitar and Suit

This is the only good one from a gallery of guitar/motorcycle photos.

Sublime Stitching Rocket Girl

One of the most rewarding aspects of running Sublime Stitching is the ongoing collaboration I share with the people all over the world who stitch up my designs, adding their own, personal touches to them. I never cease to experience genuine, dorky thrills from seeing the resulting projects. It truly feels like a collaborative effort, made all the more special by the direct relationship it gives me with stitchers everywhere.

The most popular theme over the years has remained the Spaced Out sheet with my sexy rocket girl. I've often been told it's considered a mascot for the company. When I drew this design, the idea was "pinup in space". Who wouldn't want to be taken over by this visitor? I love to see her many incarnations. Like Average Jane Crafter's meticulous handwork on patterned fabric (shown above) or Rectangel's "o"-so-clever use of the saturn:

Vulgopop gave her pink hair
Early Bird Special stitched her on a field of stars
SewSugarySweet added her to a Tea Towel Tour
Deltafine shared her in-progress
But...

...I have to say, my favorite flickr find is THIS ONE (Warning: Cuteness may burn your eyes). I'm glad to see my rocket girl has been on many stellar stitching adventures!

Link

Cigar Box Guitar Self Amplication Experiment

Steve Lodefink says:

I thought that it would be cool to build in amp inside the guitar, you know, so that I would not have to plug it in to an external amp, just turn it on and play. The speaker would be hidden inside.

An obvious thing that didn't occur to me was that if you put the amp, speaker, and pickup together in a box, all you get is feedback (which is of course what happened) .

But I thought that you might like to see the picture anyway.

Here are photos of Steve's cigar box guitar.

Video of hovercraft from 1960s

Hover Scooter

Quiet, practical, clean, and stylish. In this case, one out of four ain't bad.

Untitled (Rhinoceros in Pool of Armless People)

Lucian Octavius Pompili (American, born 1942)

Untitled (Rhinoceros in Pool of Armless People)
porcelain and mixed media

Bonham's Made in California Auction

Move Your Feet

Yeah, yeah- maybe you "already saw this one" years ago. Give me a break. This video is pure, unadulterated, bottled bliss and deserves repeated viewings. And, it was requested by my most gracious host of D+R to appear here, so be a good boy/girl and watch your Junior Senior.

Incredibly Detailed 'Bridge Layer' Model at IPMS Stockholm

Road to Hell: An Old-School Road Layer from the Future at IPMS Stockholm

Clothes Dryer Chicken Coop

And Carla says my chicken coop is too ramshackle? (via Street Use)

Then and Now #9: Antifreeze

The stuff in the Prestone bottle might be better than the stuff in this 1940s can of Thermo, but can't they at least try to design an attractive label for it?

30 Days, One Object

Over yonder at Sublime Stitching, I have custom-made pink embroidery scissors. One of our stitchers started a flickr group called "30 Days, One Object" and chose my pink scissors as the object to depict in various settings. This has made my day. Okay, let's get real- it's made my week. By far, my favorite is the scissors at a punk show wearing earplugs.

Link (thanks Night-thing!)

Scratch-Built Automaton of Fairground Attraction

From Bonhams:

A scratch-built fairground "Steam Yacht" model, electrically operated automaton, late 20th Century. With small horizontal four-wheeled dummy steam engine with top pressure gauge and tall chimney, model of showman's organ beside and main yacht carriage supporting single ride pod with access stairs to side, balustrade edging and title pediment above, all profusely painted in the showman's taste in predominant tones of red, yellow and green, on stilled baseboard.

My favorite part of the description... "all profusely painted in the showman's taste in predominant tones of red, yellow and green..." I believe I will tune my preferred color palette to align myself with the showman's taste.

Steam Yacht Model at Bonhams

Thrift Store Waffle Iron

Scott Rath says:

This blog as well as the "Make" blog have inspired my "never pay retail" ideals to new levels. Find attached my art deco like waffle iron with an original cloth covered power cord. Was it worth the $1 I paid for it at a thrift store? Love your blog, check it ever day!!

Workbench Gets a Green Coat of Paint

The Mt. Holly Mayor says:

Big Daddy Roth would have called this Rat Puke Green. My new workbench surface is probably going to drive me nuts, but it's left over industrial paint from The World's Largest Cribbage Board. It's as durable as a nun's willpower.

Re-creations of Old Machinery Decals

Stendhal syndrome alert! The Old Wood Working Machines website has a gallery of high-resolution machinery decals, lovingly and 'lectronically re-created by enthusiasts. (via Draplin Design)

Neal McCullough's 1960s European Car and Scooter Postcards

A set of five illustrative postcards celebrating European automotive design from the 1950s & 1960s. Each postcard will be signed & dated by the Artist Neal McCullough on purchase

Wendell Castle Laminated Wood Jewelry Box

From Rago Auction and Art:

WENDELL CASTLE Sculpted cherry laminate jewelry box, 1978. Signed and dated. (This particular example is illustrated: Wendell Castle and David Edman, ''The Wendell Castle Book of Wood Lamination,'' p. 13-21. This book is included, along with a copy of the original receipt for the jewelry box.) 8 1/4'' x 12'' x 7''

Wendell Castle Jewelry Box

Wharton Esherick Sculpted Bookcase

From Rago Arts and Auction:

WHARTON ESHERICK Sculpted walnut bookcase with chartreuse painted interior. (Accompanied by letter of authenticity from the Wharton Esherick Museum. Provenance available.) 48'' x 57 1/2'' x 30 1/2''

Wharton Esherick Sculpted Bookcase

Andrew Jeffrey Wright

Philadelphia-based artist, painter, photographer and stand-up comedian Andrew Jeffrey Wright just closed a wonderful exhibit at Domy Books Austin. Last night I watched his dvd of "art jokes" and I can honestly say it's the first time I've laughed that kind of delighted, involuntary laughter in a while. Which was sorely needed. However, no one is laughing about this:

Read (via The Art Collectors) about the blatant, unauthorized, uncredited and unpaid-for use of Andrew's work as a dress for teen catalog Delia's and weep for humanity. Or, actually do something about it on his behalf. What in the wild world of sports is wrong with people?

Andrew Jeffrey Wright's website
The Manipulators (watch the whole thing or I'll be mad at you)

Porsche Museum, Stuttgart

Porsche Museum at Wallpaper

Iron Log Fire

The Iron Log Fire is a wonderful idea that is beautifully executed by D+R pal Jon Sarriugarte.

Iron Log Fire at Form and Reform

Mike Mitchell

Little Pilot Skellington by Mike Mitchell

History of Architecture Bathroom

Garth Johnson of Extreme Architecture (and a Dinosaur and Robots guest blogger) says:

I thought you'd enjoy this YouTube blurb I took from the Discovery Channel's "Extreme Bathrooms" program. They featured my friend Matt Nolen's bathroom that shows the entire history of architecture.

I also wrote about it a little bit more extensively on Extreme Craft.

Wooden Ferrari Engine

Auction ended with a high bid $4,205. Reserve not met. (The auction description below was translated from eBayese.)

Ferrari V12 365GTB/4 wooden daytona motor, full size. Made out of rare woods. Only 12 made by Bill Dietz in Moss Landing, California. These engines were made over a 3 year period, using photos and a actual daytona engine. The motor weighs 50 lbs it took over 400 hours per motor to build. Each is serial numbered hidden in the block.

The block is made of Phillippine mahogany, the pressure plate and pulleys of wenge, the carbuetors are teak with maple, velocity stacks and the oil filters are made from padauk, the starter and twin distributor caps are walnut while the distributor itself, as well as the cam end covers, are made from honduras mahogany.

All the screws, bolts, and studs are birch, and the waster pump and inlet are made from Hawaiian koa, the oil filter base is walnut, the springs and coils are natural wood caning, and other bits are made from oak. The cam covers are the only painted parts.

When the pieces were all assembled, they received up to 10 hand rubbed coats of marine varnish for protection. These motors sold for $25k when finished; some as high as $49k on the secondary market. They were featured in Road and Track and Cavalino.

The motor sits on a oak base with a brass plaque saying "365GTB/4 Daytona motor." It has a Plexiglas case that has some scraches and should be replaced. This engine is in perfect shape and has graced my living room for years. It's a joy to look at and the details are amazing. I'm downsizing to living in a boat and have no room for this masterpiece. We can ship anywere in the world at buyers expense, very reasonable reserve, bid to win.

Elegant Solution

This is the current state of my bathroom. As the wonderful young men doing this work were about to leave, I asked about the half-moon hole that needed covering. I suggested any of the window screens stacked up outside. Quickly assuring me it would be properly addressed before they left for the weekend, they disappeared for just a moment and then were back out the door. Curious, I discovered this was their graceful solution: tucking a corner shelf (plucked from the trashpile) over the similarly-shaped opening and wedge a nearby shovel against it, buttressed by an adjacent pipe. I admired this quick feat of ingenuity and have gone back a couple of times to look at it again, like I'm wondering how it's doing or something.

Raccoon Stuck; Hero Props Rear

Nothing more honorable than the grace of humans helping animals.

Ten Minute Raccoon Butt Shelf at Sweathog Living

1961 Thunderbird Junior

From a 1961 Ford Times:  

We want to call your attention to the 1961 Thunderbird Junior, because juniors are as much in love with Thunderbirds as their elders are.  This is an electric car that will run five mph for eight miles with one charging when operated on a paved surface.  It will take two youngsters (under 5'-4") or one adult. To recharge the battery simply plug it in.  Made by the Powercar Company, Mystic, Connecticut.

The 1961 real deal

1964 Thunderbird Junior

Zoom over to Thunderbird Junior Central for more.

1930's V-1 Buzz Bomb Windtunnel Model

From Regency-Superior Auctions:

Exceedingly rare wood wind tunnel model from the late 1930s. Even rarer since it shows light markings on top where an experimental cockpit for a pilot could be located. Manned prototypes were experimented with late in WW II with Hanna Reitsch, Hitler's personal pilot, testing to see why test pilots were unable to land and had died in landing attempts. By simulating landings at high altitude, she found that the high stall speed had caused the test pilots with little high speed experience to attempt their approaches much too slowly. This model is all wood, unpainted, with a metal screen in front of the intake. It is 22.5x15"x4.25". Amazingly, there are only a few tiny scratches & nick. Great condition for a wooden model over 70 years old.

V-1 Buzz Bomb Model at Auction

Sea Serpent Hoax in Nantucket

According to the Nantucket Historical Association...

In the summer of 1937, Tony Sarg and several others promoted a hoax in Nantucket.

Sightings of a sea serpent were advertised... footprints were found... stories published...

Then, the serpent appeared on South Beach (now Washington Extension - not where it was intended to land!): it was one of Sarg's Macy's Day Parade balloons.

Tony Sarg (1880-1942) was an American puppeteer, illustrator, designer and painter. He is famous for creating balloons for the Macy department store parades and many illustrations for magazines. He owned a store in Nantucket, the Tony Sarg’s Curiosity Shop.

All of Nantucket must have visited. There are photos of this "sea-serpent" from many scrapbooks of the era.

link to the NHA's flickr set

The Beer Can Roof

This video shows you all you need to know to make your own shack shingles and siding out of beer cans.

Vintage Stationery Supplies

Corinne Gill of the Martha Stewart Craft blog likes to use vintage stationery supplies. She says: "I really love the muted, aged colors and simplicity of package design. It’s so rare now to find similarly mass-produced products with the same, reserved aesthetic."

Tools Explained by a Do-It-Yourselfer

UPDATE: Keith Tanner says:

First, let me say that I'm a big fan of D&R. I've been reading it
since I went live, and it's good to see a blog that doesn't seem to be
driven by a publishing schedule, but instead is driven by quality
posts.

Your recent "Tools Explained by a Do-It-Yourselfer" post is a mutation
of a column written by Peter Egan and published in Road and Track back
in 1996. Peter's a fantastic writer and a great companion for an
afternoon of sitting on the porch, and the version you posted is not
an improvement on the original. Here it is.

(An old chestnut sent to us by Bob Paleck)

TOOLS EXPLAINED BY A DO-IT-YOURSELFER:

DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings objects across the room, denting the freshly-painted vertical stabilizer which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh*t'

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL:
Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.

SKILL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER:
An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50-cent part.

HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as leather seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

DAMMIT TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'DAMMIT' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Jason Meadows, Macroscope

Jason Meadows at Marc Foxx (via South Willard)

Agelio Batle Graphite Sculptures

Batle Sculptures, Usable as a Writing Instrument

I'm Awfully Fonda Hanoi Jane

The auction house Profiles in History has a bunch of Jane Fonda studio publicity stills on the block.