A Mudcat hat?

Subject: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 12:08 PM

For those festivals and occasions sunny or cold, when you're seeking another M'cat, or just want to sport the fish and banjo, would a hat be nice?

If this seems like a good idea, and I can secure permission, I'll pay the set up fees as contribution to the M'cat community. My department works with a local commercial embroidery shop which will apply embroidery to anything which will fit into its machine.(At about $7.00 per item) Folks can mail individual items to the shop for embroidery, or I can schlepp hat orders back and forth.

I thought the fish and banjo with The Mudcat Cafe would look nice in living color, of course.

Just a thought, hope it's not presumptuous of me. Whaddaya think?

Dave

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: MudGuard
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 12:41 PM

Wouldn't that be a Mudhat? ;-)

Good idea, as the t-shirts are no good in bad weather...

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 01:16 PM

I'm all for this idea. A cap would permit a display of Mudcatism without also displaying accumulated girth. I'll keep watching this thread!

Sandy

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 01:26 PM

At last! The T-shirts are in colour, which counts me out. But I would love a Mudhat (XL)! Would these be just baseball caps, or crown rimmers possibly as well? Any kind fine.
Yours, Peter T.
But should you be doing this, Dave, when what the world is waiting for is another of your great detective parodies, or any other parodies, for that matter? Don't let haberdashery lead you away from dashellhammettry!!!

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Margo
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 01:32 PM

Great Dave! I wear hats regularly. (Not baseball caps)

Margarita

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Doctor John
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 04:12 PM

Save us from base ball caps! We might never live it down like that man in parliament(what's his name?)William Vague I think. Anything else though.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 04:53 PM

Hey, Peter: that was a spectacular turn of phrase even if you did misspell Dashiell (did I get it right? I could check my literary encyclopedia...na-a-ah!).

Dave: A blue corduroy baseball cap would be great, as would a golf type hat to protect my ears from UV A&B. Maybe from a good, soft denim. I hate stiff, non-absorbent fabrics on head or bod. I'm sure use of the logo would be fine, so long as the Mudcat got its fair share of the revenue, but best clear it with Max. --seed

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:08 PM

Yup, any profit should go to M'cat, my intention is to be the messenger and finance the set-up charges. I sent a personal message to Max about this last week, but my personal message feature has been hacking up hair balls. The nice thing about the shop we use is that they can embroider just about anything, so everyone should be able to be outfitted. As another member of the thinning thatch brigade, I'm all for coverage too.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:22 PM

I'm all for it Dave. Great idea!!!

catspaw (make mine sisal)

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:29 PM

seed, you are right, alas. Always profreed!!!
("I don't mind telling you, sir, that I'm a man who likes spelling with a man who likes to spell"!)
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Banjer
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:33 PM

Sisal? For cripes sake what do ya wanna do, smoke the damn thing?

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:33 PM

Always proofreed, Peter? I'll try to remember that. --seed

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 05:47 PM

No. Always profreed. Always profreed! Yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 07:23 PM

I am in for this. And I don't give a s**t what kind of hat it is. As long as I can get one in size 8. Told ya I was a big Mick

Mick

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 07:31 PM

Dave: Who's your supplier (personal note, if preferred)? I've long wanted to get some of the Folk-Legacy "green man" logos placed on caps. We had T-shirts, years ago, but I'd rather do caps this time.

Sandy

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 07:38 PM

Check this out:

Alice suggests a Mudcat hat, and Max replies. April 28, 1999.

David, $7 is a good price, I think it's a good idea. I work in the business, but actually am too busy now to do the leg work, so if Max wants you to take it on, that's great.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Jun 99 - 07:39 PM

Sandy, my company does caps. Email to me, if you'd like, for a quote. -alice

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 12:20 PM

Alice, I did think this had been around before. Great minds think alike, especially in same coloured hats.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 12:28 PM

Please! A Mudcat hat and a Folk-Legacy hat. If I can't meet a better class of people in those, then there is no hope!

Note for Mick: I'm not up on my hat sizes, is 8 a big one? After I've played music for people who like what I do, my head swells...later, when I count my earnings, it shrinks. Hell of a way to make a living.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Alice
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 12:49 PM

Just a note, it costs about $20 a thousand stiches to digitize a custom design (logo) for embroidery. That's about $100 for the average sized cap logo. That's a set up cost above the $7 wholesale cost for each cap. Digitizing the art correctly is critical to the quality of the embroidery. Maybe the Mudcat needs a fund for contributions to get the logo digitized for embroidery. -alice

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Fadac
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 01:00 PM

Dave, Count me in. I can alwise stick an accordion pin on it.

-Fadac

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 01:20 PM

Hey wait a minute! Most of us can only wear one hat at a time! Could we have one with both Mudcat and Folklegacy on it?????
Make mine hemp.
Allison

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 21 Jun 99 - 02:04 PM

Alice, That's a little less than the amount I was quoted for digitizing, and I'm offering to pay that freight myself as a contribution to the community. So no worries there.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Craig
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 12:13 AM

I like the idea. A cap and a T-shirt. Hmmm. What's next? Baggies? That's baggie pants for those of you not on the west coast.(Like sweat pants.) Be great. Now if I could only get to one of the gatherings.

Craig

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 01:56 AM

I promise to wear my hat proudly and always recite the Mudcat oath.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 10:50 AM

I like the idea much--Max and I have been discussing it for the past couple of years. One suggestion: If things are to be embroidered, a Mudcat patch would be a useful option--after all, one size does fit all.

Also- exactly what's involved in digitizing a design? Is this special embroidery software? Or just a digital image (I have Photoshop and Illustrator)?

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Tony Burns
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 11:00 AM

I like the idea of hats, t-shirts (by the way, how long do they take to arrive?), patches etc. On one of the Canadian lists we had pin on buttons made. They are a nice option when the hats and t's are inappropriate and can be added anywhere a pin can be stuck.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 01:09 PM

Hi Dick,

As I understand it, digitizing a design happens when art work is shown to a computer which then creates a digital representation on a CD, which then tells the embroidery machine what to do.

Costs at this point are estimates, as everything is based on number of stitches per logo. We use a fairly complicated logo at my fire department, and embroidering that is about $7.00 per item.

The embroidery shop will embroider just about any piece of clothing sent to them, with the exception of leather and really heavy canvas.

I asked about patches, and was told that the minimum order is a gross, which is consistent with other suppliers. Cost per patch will depend on number of stitches, so until there's art to show the shop, I won't have a better idea.

That's what I know now. If this still seems like a good idea it's probably time to start talking about art, et al. My e-mail is listed on the 'cat, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Cheers, D.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:03 PM

Here's another couple of ideas: iron-on decals so we can choose our own t-shirt colors or put them on polo shirts; stick-on decals for identifying instrument cases (or perhaps stencils--a stencil and a spray can turn an instrument case into an ID--perhaps, for an extra charge, the fish/banjo decal or stencil could be bundled with a site-name stencil. I'd love to have the fish jumping out of all my cases with --seed under it.

--seed, on top of it

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Alice
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:04 PM

Hi, all. Digitizing is done with embroidery software. It takes the skill of someone who can draw as well as having experience in how machine embroidery "stitches out". There are many different types of stitches and density of stitches -- it is all determined when the digitizer (the person) "punches a tape" that the machine uses to embroider the design. The quality of the final product depends on the skill and artistry of the digitizer. Here is an article from Stitches Magazine online. We use a digitizer in Denver who is excellent in being able to reproduce realistic images (like my nature watercolors) with high quality yet economy of stitches, which keeps the time and cost down.
Digitizing Demands alice

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:12 PM

Rick.........Since the tech end of this and the thread on computer wizardry has probably left us both searching for the meaning of life, let me ask you, regarding your last post, how many and which finger(s) are used in a Mudcat salute? You're so right, ain't no use recitin' the oath without a salute and since 2,3,and 4 fingers are already taken by other organizations, what do you have in mind?

catspaw

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Night Owl
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:15 PM

I'm still hoping there's a way to get a Mudcat's sweatshirt for late into the night campfire singing.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Tony Burns
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:29 PM

Bseed, If you have access to an inkjet printer you can buy transfer paper, print your own design on it and iron it on to whatever you want. (Don't forget to print a mirror image of the design.)Ironing on a large design can be tricky with a hand iron but should work fine if you can use the presses often seen at t-shirt stores.

If there is a large version of the Mudcat logo perhaps it could be made available for us to download.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Alice
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 02:34 PM

Bseed, if you make an iron-on transfer, use a white shirt for the best results. Trim the paper close to the image so you don't get alot of the adhesive onto the shirt in the area around the art.
alice

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 03:00 PM

catspaw, Rick and I set out to discover the Mudcat oath, and never got anywhere. He said he was going to think of something, but he got ridiculously sidetracked by having to prevent personal homelessness, starvation, etc. On the other hand (hmmm?), whenever I shake his hand it is full of thumb and fingerpicks. Now there is a handshake!
yours, Peter T

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 04:11 PM

A couple of minor points: The problem with ordering hats (or shirts or anything that has a size) is keeping inventory; I'm sure that there's a minimum order, and, if you don't guess just right, you're apt to be out of the popular size while you still have 50 of a less-popular size in stock. Baseball caps, while not elegant, are at least adjustable. Transfers seem to work OK; they wind up costing about a buck and something for ink and transfer paper. If Max will ship me a large copy of the mudcat-and-banjo logo, I'll see if I can make up some samples for folks to try. In my spare time. The Mudcat Oath, as I recall goes: "(*&^(*%^$^#&*()_!!! I just tuned this $%^&%$^$^% thing!"

Is the minimum order for patches the same as the minimnum order for hats? or scarves? or sweatshirts?

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 05:25 PM

Or coffee cups, or fanny packs?

I can appreciate the single finger salute (Catspaw's obvious intention) and the highly expressive oath contributed by the fearless guy with the DTs. I vote for both.

Sandy (now tuning electronically)

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 05:26 PM

The Mudcat Hat should, obviously, be one that looks like an open fishmouth (catfish) on top and sits on your head sort of like a cross between the Pope's hat and the Burger King Crown they hand out to kids! And then Mudcat could apply to be recognized as a religion and we'd never pay any taxes. Also, as the ongoing movement to let religions get government subsidies come to a positive conclusion, (as soon as the Supreme Court OKs it) we can get all kinds of government cash with no tax to pay at all!!

How 'bout it Max??

Art

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 05:32 PM

I want one of those hats with the head of the catfish sticking out one side, and the tail on the other. A pin with the catfish-banjo logo could go front center. It would be distinctive, and immediately recognizable. the Mudcat T-Shirts are very nice, but far too subtle and tasteful....
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 06:20 PM

Hmmmm, the mud seems to be stirred. Dick is right about inventory, of course. And while it will be fun to have a standard issue Mudcat object, be it hat, shirt, or (no catspaw, I won't say condom, although the thought of a sisal condom does make senses recoil) other object, what I like about the shop I've been talking to is that they will embroider just about anything, thereby preserving the necessary Mudcat individuality. Somebody please send that last sentence out to be laundered and shortened. seed, let's cut really roadie looking stencils for our cases...we'll get mistaken for rock stars.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Banjer
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:27 PM

Mudcat condoms...with our beloved logo printed on the side!! What a neat concept!! Except, how many of us would need to unroll them far enough to see the whole picture?

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:28 PM

Ya see, it starts out as a minnow.....

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 22 Jun 99 - 07:45 PM

I like the 3-D hat idea: I picture a bowler, the top white, the sides curly maple, with tuneable brackets holding the rim down, a short neck sticking out in front, and a mudcat breaking through the top... --seed

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Jun 99 - 01:27 AM

Hey Group.......Now some of y'all may not know or have forgotten that the condom idea came up before. Paw, Cletus and the Reg boys all had jobs there until Reg accidently opened the wrong valve causing a minor explosion and coating Reg with latex. They peeled it off him and the Reg boys went out and bought plaster of Paris and used the latex mold to make a statue of themselves which they donated to the town. Understandably the town was not impressed and placed it at the edge of the woods on the ridge where the buzzards nest. It now stand as mute testimony to the amount of shit produced in 3 months by one buzzard colony.

The factory is almost repaired now and the boys will all be back at work in a week or so. However, we are moving Reg and Reg to the R&D department as testers and Reg is going to the Quality Control department since his endurance is without peer as we found following the Barcalounger incident.

Also, we have several other models in the works which are not mentioned in the post above. The Fielding model has East Indian rosewood ribs with MOP inlay and an abalone rosette at the tip. This is causing much pain among our R&D testers so it's introduction may be even more delayed. I now also have the Banjer model with a 5th string added down the side and "General F****P along the top. The only stars I can locate are riveted types and I fear this too will cause some pain so I'm still searching.

We are hoping every 'Catter has their own model so any suggestions are appreciated.

catspaw

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Banjer
Date: 23 Jun 99 - 06:26 AM

Better make the Banjer Model with real small print or most of us won't get past the Gen or 1 fret into that fifth string.

Let's all try to visualize Seed's bowler...Can you see a small group of folks wearing such a brain bucket in a public place? Why, we'd be the envy of folks from miles around!!! Even the folks at the Neil Young Center for the Terminally Screwed, both East AND West coast facilities, would gape in awe. (or is that disbelief?)

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:04 PM

This is still a terrific idea. I talked to Dave last night and he still wants to have them made. Can we get going on this idea? --seed

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Banjer
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:26 PM

As can be seen by my last post, I can effectively kill a thread. I hesitate to post again for fear of killing this good idea yet one more time. I will however put in my support for the hat idea!!

May this thread now
R.I.P.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 08:56 PM

Never let it be said that I didn't come to your aid Banj.....Here's a post in support of hats! Well, in favor of them I should say.........."support" sounds like I'm backing the idea of a Mudcat truss.

Spaw

P.S.....Banj needs a hat with 4 stars on the bill and IDA embroidered on the back.

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 09:56 AM

WE WANT A HAT!!WE WANT A HAT!!!!!WE WANT A HAT!!!!! (Guard dogs arrive from all directions. Searchlights go on. )

Subject: RE: A Mudcat hat?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 09:59 AM

This thread again? I want my hats! AND I'll pay big bucks for them too. Now no golf hats (sorry) cause I'm not old enough for one of them yet. Half my wardrobe has advertising on it, but I'm sick of giving free plugs to C F Martin, John Deere, Dobro etc. I want to let my Mudcat freak flag fly, and head off to Ye Olde Fish and Banjo for my 4th beer of the summer.
Rick (hatless in Seattle..or Toronto)