When Dogs Fly: A Custom Flag-Maker Smiles

A while back I got a call from a customer in Texas who wanted to purchase one of our dog flags. The following is part of the letter I received just before mailing off a black lab flag to her.

"I have now found your website and your things are gorgeous. I would like to special order the french blue with a black lab. I plan to give this to my husband for our wedding anniversary...he will simply love it - he a year ago rescued a black lab - the 3rd lab in our lifetime. We are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ike and your flag will be a real "happy" for us and our neighborhood. I can expect you will hear from many more Galvestonians."

When it comes to cool gifts, flags do make people smile. Sometimes, a little teary-eyed. I know this sounds corny but it's true. I've seen their faces and have read their testimonials. That is why I do what I do.

White Flag - I Surrender

The white flag of surrender has a new meaning for me now. I had to laugh the other day when I received an order over my website www.seattleflagmakers.com. My customer ordered one of our wine glass flags on a burgundy background but the order did not process through PayPal. An hour later the same customer ordered another wine glass flag; this time the one on a white background. When this sort of thing happens I always send a follow-up email asking to confirm the latest order and also to let my customer know they won't be double charged. Shortly after my email I got a reply thanking me for checking back and yes, she wanted the wine glass flag on the white background because after giving it thought this one was perfect: it was an "I surrender", it's time for a glass of wine and perfect to indicate a house party. I've always preferred the wine glass on a white background and now I am further convinced as to why. After a long day I'm more than willing "to surrender!"

What Makes A Wedding....A Memory?

As a custom flag maker I've made my share of wedding flags, although not as many as I would like to. And I don't say this because of the money. I've made plenty of great flags that have come and gone in the wind and for the most part this is how I have made my living since the early 80's. What I am talking about here is keepsake, a remembrance of a very important and special day, and being able to fly your colors year after year for a good long time to come. And perhaps thinking of who made it. Now that would make my day. I truly have the best customers in the world and this is why I do what I do. We put smiles on each others faces and remember each other for years. Good memories.....that is what makes a wedding.

Flag Maker Woes

It used to be easy, the only woe I had was keeping up with all the orders. It was a crazy time in Newport RI. The US had just lost the America's Cup to the Aussies. Our shop was right on Thames Street and from day one people came in and life got interesting. We hung in for nearly fourteen years. It was a good life.

Fast forward to Seattle WA. I've lived here now for almost 9 years. A couple of years ago I decided to jump back into the flag making business. It kept me well for many years and it was time to give it another go. Only it didn't go. It limped.

Seattle is different than Newport in ways. Back home was small. We had the island mentality, had to drive to Providence or Boston for a dose of big city life. Here we've got city life at our door.

We both do share the love of water, the salty air but as far as flags are concerned Newport and Seattle are miles apart. There is no tradition out here and it took being interviewed on our local NPR station to finally realize this.

Not only do homes not fly the American flag like they do back East, boaters around here don't fly flags. I've never seen such naked marina's and flag-less boats in my life. Must be the weather.

Tradition can be stodgy, written off. But the sight of colors flying from boats does my heart good. The history of vessels flying flags is enormous and so fascinating. That is, to those of us.....who are interested.

Letting Your Flag Fly

The boats at Shilshole Bay Marina provide a clear view of the water through their unadorned masts. So clear in fact, that a passerby can't tell anything about the travels those boats make. In ports in other areas of the country, a marina like that would be an explosion of colorful flags, documenting the journeys of the vessels. Carol Anderson had a bustling flag making business for boaters back in Newport, Rhode Island. But, since starting Seattle Flag Makers last year, most of Carol's business has come from out of state including one very tall order from the US military. Carol tells Megan Sukys what she loves about the art of flags.

Listen to the full interview on: KUOW's Sound Focus