Our retailer, Hatwrks held a special event during Nashville’s famous Americana Music Festival. Guests throughout the world came to perform and listen to great music.
Along with hosting a bunch of great musicians, Hatwrks also served up some hot chicken and bourbon. Nashville’s own custom boot maker, Wes Shugart held a trunk show.
Looking at the pictures on Facebook, it looks like this was a successful event. Take a look and see who performed.
All of our hopsack suspenders are available in a beautiful green color. Hopsack is a rugged weave that is also lightweight. These are great for heavy work. We have four types of hopsack: X-Back, Y-Back, X-Back with Clips and Trucker. They are all 2 inches wide and made by Welch Suspenders, out of Oregon.
HopSack Suspenders, Green, X Back. Made in USA by Welch
There is good news for sea turtles. A comprehensive study of sea turtle nests around the world found a significant increase in turtle numbers. Over the past 16 years, counts were taken at sites that included Australia, Africa, Asia and North and South America. Scientists studied 299 nesting areas and found significant increases at 95 sites and decreases at 35 sites. It is a success story for conservation efforts.
The reasons for the increase includes the protection of eggs, females and a reduced bycatch. There is still much to worry about, however. There are still decreases in some areas, and some of the traditional nesting sites are disappearing.
We have several new items this fall from Driza-Bone, Australia’s preeminent maker of outerwear. Driza-Bone began in the 1890s when British sailor Emilius Le Roy designed an indestructible wet-weather jacket made from recycled ship sails that were treated with oil.
Today the range covers outerwear and apparel for all conditions, inside and out, constructed for durability, comfort and protection. They are durable and work in the harshest of elements.
Bowen Weekender Bag:
The rugged and stylish Bowen Weekender Bag is perfect for a weekend getaway. You can pack everything you need and throw it in the back of your jeep and head out of town. It is made of dry-waxed cotton. Dry wax is a cotton fabric which is only very lightly waxed. The backing has a water-resistant coating. It is not as water resistant as the Desert Wax and traditional oilskin.
Driza-Bone Bowen Weekender Bag
Newtown Knit Sweater:
The Driza-Bone Newtown Knit Sweater is identical to the Driza-Bone Nelson Sweater, except it has a 3 inch collar and a 1/4 length zip closure. It is very comfortable and functional for active wear. The 100% merino wool yarn is highly twisted for added strength and reduced pilling. The sweater is knitted in a moss stitch, adding texture and flexibility to the garment. There are elbow patches for reinforcement.
Newton Knit Sweater by Driza-bone. Merino wool, made in Australia.
Barkly Field Coat:
The Barkly Field Coat is made of Driza-Bone’s Desert Wax. While still a waxed cotton, it has a drier feel but has all the qualities of the traditional oilcloth: it’s waterproof, wind resistant and extremely warm in cool and cold weather.
Above our office doors hang two masks carved by Cedric Billy that tell a very interesting Squamish Lil’wat story. A Wild Man and Wild Woman live in the forest. The Wild Man is a small, human-looking creature. Cedric has exquisitely captured the features of the Wild Man in his carving. The nose resembles a hooked beak. His eyes are sunken and he has a terrifying look.
Often, spirits of drowned people can be seen near him. And never take a meal from him, or it might turn you into a Wild Man.
Wild Man of the Woods by Cedric Billy
The Wild Woman is a giant, and twice the size of humans. She is dark and hairy with magical power. Her eyes are sunken, and she pushes out her lips to call out, “Uh, huu, uu, uu.”
She carries a basket on her back that contains all of the children she caught. She isn’t very bright and children can usually outsmart her. For some tribes, she is also a bringer of wealth. Below is another excellent carving by Cedric.
At David Morgan, we are fortunate to be surrounded by incredible beauty. A creek meanders through the office park and the City of Bothell does a wonderful job of maintaining it.
Right now, blackberries are ripening and available to anyone walking along the path next to the creek. Wild Roses are finally shedding their last flowers and the rose hips are turning red. Wild Rose hips, by the way, make excellent tea. It’s best to pick them after the first frost, but that won’t happen in the Northwest for at least five months.
Wild Rose in Bloom
Willow Tree
Herons like to walk along the creek, but are very shy around people. One, we believe, was nesting on a small island. Ducks are also numerous. A family of ducks once crossed the path and didn’t seem to be bothered by the people who stopped to watch.
July 1st celebrates the repeal of Proscription. In 1746, after the Battle of Culloden, the Parliament of Great Britain enacted Proscription to assimilate the Scottish Highlands. The Dress Act was part of this Act and made wearing the Highland Dress illegal. No Scot was allowed to wear their clan’s tartan or kilt. Over thirty years later, on July 1st 1782, the Proscription Act was repealed and Scots could once again display their tartans.
If you have Scottish ancestry, this is your day to proudly wear your clan’s tartan.
Pacific Northwest art has a long and vibrant history. Stretching back over ten thousand years, coastal tribes created artwork based on materials that they found locally and could trade with other tribes, such as copper and shells. When Europeans moved into the area, the artwork utilized products traded from the Europeans, including iron.
At David Morgan, our traditional jewelry has been made from patterns over a hundred years old. These traditional patterns were designed by Tlingit tribes. In the early 1900’s, Mayer Brothers, a jewelry manufacturer in Seattle, produced silver bracelets to sell to the Indians along the Pacific Northwest coast. These trade bracelets became favored items to be given away at potlatches. Production has continued to this day under a succession of manufacturing companies here in the Northwest.
Lovebirds Trade Bracelet, sterling silver. Designed by Bill Wilson, made in USA.
Pacific Northwest art continues to be vibrant and innovative today. Odin Lonning, a Tlingit from Juneau, is an award-winning artist who has designed several of our jewelry pieces, including the ever-popular Raven and the Box of Daylight.
Corrine Hunt has made a tremendous impact in the art world. She is also a Tlingit/Komoyue and a member of the Raven Gwa’wina clan. She designed the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics. We are proud to sell items from her Spirit of the Wild collection.
Corrine Hunt Deerskin Wristlet. Spirit of the Wild Collection.
We are pleased to offer a range of trade bracelets and matching rings designed by Bill Wilson, a Tlingit raised in Hoonah, Alaska. The bracelets are struck from the original dies made in the early 1900’s for trade with the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. Typical of the early patterns, the bracelets are relatively narrow, with the design on the terminals. The bracelets and rings are available in sterling silver.
Christian White carved the argillite chess pieces of which we sell the Boma reproductions. He is a Haida from the island of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.
Please enjoy this article about Christian White from the New York Times.
Warmer weather has arrived and many are wondering what kind of sun protection they need. Tilley Endurables, the Canadian company long recognized as the maker of high quality outdoor hats, was started in 1980 when Alex Tilley needed a good hat for sailing and couldn’t find one, and decided to make one himself. He spared no effort, sought advice from a milliner, sailmaker and hat maker, and, as he says “got it right”. Only afterwards, when he saw that he had an outstanding hat, did he decide to sell it through stores. The sale of the original hat, and expansion into a range of hats and travel ware, has benefited from Alex Tilley’s imagination and insistence on outstanding quality.
Tilley Airflo
Tilley produces hats in a variety of materials including Harris Tweed and Nylantium. One of their more innovative hat fabrics is hemp. Industrial hemp is an outstanding fiber, useful in textiles, high strength cordage and papermaking. As a farm crop it is relatively pest-free, does not deplete the soil, and requires little fertilizer. Tilley’s hemp fabric has a linen-like appearance and feel. It is resistant to mold and mildew, and to salt water. It has a UPF rating of 50+, the maximum UV protection rating given. The fabric makes up into a truly high performance hat. This is possible because they make the hats very well, of outstanding material, enabling them to offer their lifetime guarantee of replacement if the hat wears out.
Please see the individual hats for care instructions, as care varies with the material used. The hemp, Nylantium and classic cotton hats are washable. Machine wash, air dry. Do not bleach. If your hats must of necessity be dried or stored under warm conditions, regular use of a Hat Stretcher will be beneficial.
Tilley Outback
Tilley also insures your hat against loss. If you do lose it, or the family dog destroys it, Tilley will replace it within two years of the purchase date at half Tilley’s current catalogue price, through Tilley’s mail-order department. (Tilley always try to meet their clients at least half way!) With your hat, you’ll be provided with “The Straight-Shooter’s Statement of Loss of a Tilley Hat” insurance policy. Again, the insurance is for two years, all perils, 50% deductible, and is not issued by Lloyds but by Tilley directly. Simply send your insurance certificate or proof of purchase directly to Tilley and Tilley will send you a replacement hat for 50% of their current catalogue price.
With Easter approaching, you may be struggling to find a unique gift. Our Celtic Crosses are rich with history that stretches back over a thousand years.
The Celtic Cross Pendant is inspired by the stone Celtic crosses found in many parts of Wales, dating from the early days of Christianity in Britain.
Muiredach’s Cross Pendant
Muiredach’s Cross of Monasterboice is an outstanding example of later period Celtic crosses, with full ornamentation on both front and back and on the sides. This small cross is a finely detailed reproduction, including edge ornamentation.
Trinity Cross Necklet
Our Trinity Cross Necklet has triskeles incised in each arm, symbolizing the Trinity in an ancient Celtic style.
