A Bandana for Our Vets

Last week I finished at last a new bandana design that you should know about. Not because it's one of my marvelous creations (though I gotta say I'm pretty proud of it), but because it's for a really great cause: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing - a great organization dedicated to bringing physical and emotional rehabilitation to disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.
Is that great or what?
I can't remember how we met each other, this organization and I, but I suspect it was at a flyfishing show, though possibly just through the website for my online store The Painted Trout, which is how lots of people find me. Anyway, I got talking with Ken Morrow, then regional coordinator for the south, and I designed for him a bandana that he really liked. I got some printed up and, well, long story short, they sold like hotcakes wherever they showed up. But that took a while, due to my busy schedule and a bit of a disappointment (on my part) with the execution of the printing on the cloth itself. In the meantime I had the pleasure of meeting Ed Nicholson, President, who had a hankering for a different design. Would I be able to source a design with flyfishing knots on it, and put their logo on it? Answer: no. Another long story short, I ended up designing one from scratch. It took me about 10 days just to do the drawings. Then the layout - - I don't want to bore you, so let's just say it took a while. Here's a picture of my (at first) primitive layout system.



It was easier to just move elements around on a living space than doing it on a computer screen. Once I decided on the basics, it was a matter of aligning, sizing, and adjusting adjusting all day long. Then came the color question. Wonderful Sandy Pappaianni helped both Ed and I decide on colors for a relatively small number of bandanas to start out with. Here's what we've decided....what do you think?


Well, in either case, there you are. Sandy and Ed should have them by the end of the month. They plan on taking them to some important events on the PHWFF schedule.
If you're a vet or know one, or just want to learn about, volunteer, or help support this terrific and different mission, go to one of these events and find out more.
I can't do much more than sit around and design stuff, but when I do a flyfishing show, I make a point to find the guys from Project Healing Waters - who are always wonderfully warm and welcoming. A couple of weeks ago, for instance, at the Midwest Flyfishing Expo, I met these two characters...Eric Nelson, Midwest Regional Volunteer, and Peter Huthwaite, Program Lead for Michigan.

Have you ever seen a friendlier pair?
Eric Nelson, Volunteer, on the left, and Peter Huthwaite, Michigan Program Leader, on the right.
Back in January, I met another gentleman PHWFF volunteer at flyfishing shows, where I promptly lost his name and contact information...I believe he was from New England. At any rate, if you're the guy and you read this post, please contact me: lauren@paintedtrout.com. I'd love to thank you for your input and introductions.
Okay, well, I'll sign off now. Happy spring, everyone. Tight lines.
Lauren