- Please let me introduce myself. My name is Richard or Rick Baldwin. I live in Syracuse, New York. I've been married to Kathie for almost 25 years. Beckie is are oldest. She is in her last year of college. She is ver talented in pottery. I mention to her, if we had a kil(oven for baking pottery). She could make pottery for the 18th century. Tim is are middle child. He is in his first year of college. He is majoring in youth ministries with a minor in drama. Peter is are youngest. As of right now, he can not make up his mind what college he wants. He is very talented in art. Kathie works in payroll at the Syracuse Rescue Mission. Myself, I held many high skilled jobs at the placed I worked for 25 years. I also was gun system repairman on the F-16 and A-10 in the Air national Guard for 8 years. The last job I held at the place of work put me out. I've been disabled since Jan. 95 and fighting for compensation. I was very active in Royal Rangers and FCF . In 1993, I started devolping the skill of tailor. A friend of mine that does reenacting guide me to many books. I started off with a mechanical and art back ground. So I went to garage sales to get my material to practice. I asked my wife how the sewing machine worked. 1994-95 was my worse years dealing with this illness. I have multiple chemical sensitive. I di not know how to deal with it. 1996, I learned how to deal with it. I realized being a leader in Royal Rangers is no longer possible. And that i was not going back to work. I applied to a rehab program. I had to sell my idea to them for a grant. I did some net working and praying. God enabled me to put this tailoring business together. I ended up buying the best equipment on the market(see my web site for details). When I started to learn how to use a serger. I related to some machine I repaired at work to figure it out. The guys in the NYS FCF Chapter got my first frocks, shirts, haversacks, and waistcoats. I keep on improving to the level I am at today. I am like my youngest son. He had much art work in an art show. He said that he could do better. I say the samething. My customers tell me that I do excellent work, but I keep excelling. Late 96, I wrote two suttlers for information about this business. Smiling Fox Forge was the only one that wrote back. They asked for a sample of my work. They told me where to improve. I worked on those areas. I applied back and by the end of the year a door open up for me to work for them. I have been working for them for over a year. I am in charge of the men's clothing. She sends me the material with the order. I also work for myself. I have received many orders from my web site. Yes, I can do both. As you can see, this is a lengthy letter. Besides I type slow. I had three big orders to fill last year from my web site. I made a regitmental coat for a F&I. reenactor. Boy was that a faith builder. My wife was very impressed. I used the profit to build a work room. I was using Beckie's room for my work. Time was running out because she was coming home. i had to explain to Kathie that i need a space for this business. You can not shut down production when the family comes home. I try to tell her this. I have worked on assembly lines and was machine repairman that help build them. The next job was a frock for history teacher who is a member of the historical society of Williamsburg. Kathie asked me if I was scared. I mention to her that I treat each customer the same. The last one customer was a book publisher. he wanted me to make him a complete Contental uniform. He wanted to protray one of his characters in one of his books. He was going to do this when he went to bookstore. In closing, I hold a high standard of quality. This was in grained in me throughout my life. I have seen poor quality of work go out the door at a well known factory. The NY Air national Guard where I was for 8 years held the highest standard in the maintance unit. These are my examples of what I want and do not want. The fabic I use to make each item of clothing is my brush. The customer is my portrait. But God is the author and finisher of my faith. your most humble servant rick/eagle feather (FCF/Wilderness Oct. 97) servant of the Most High God Isaiah 41:31 tailoring 18th century clothing for reenactors and FCF members under the guidance of Christ Jesus our Lord.... web site http://www.datasync.com/~jwmort/baldwin/welcome.html ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks!" RTKB&G4JC! Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rangernet.org
