The latest issue of Rodmakers arrived today. I was more than a little pleased to see the thread art of one of the true old time masters of this art ~ Mr. Wayne Fowlkes of Virginia Beach, VA. Many of the patterns in the Clemens Custom Thread Art Book came from Wayne. I always thought it a pity he did not get the credit due him for his many contributions.

Wayne if you're reading this, congratulations. The picture of your work is spectacular. Glad to see you're keeping a hand in it after all these years. Well done!

I agree that Wayne Fowlkes deserves credit for being a a true thread master, I still admire the cover shots of the Gudebrod catalogs he's been on, an inspiration for me and decorative wraps....alot of people are inspired by what they see in publications and say to themselves "I want to try that". The shot in this months Rodmaker is definately a spectacular photo. The chevrons "off" axis are awesome, and I especially like the newer diamond with muti directional crosses in the underwrap.

I'd venture to guess that Wayne isn't the only wrapper that deserves credits in CRTA....but thats just a "venture to guess" statement.

Somewhere in the seventies, there must have been a crosswrap explosion where both coasts and builders in between, were probablly into seeing what they could do with thread, and patterns got developed based on the earlier chevrons and diamonds done in prior years, by Gene Bullard ( a pioneer, also not given reognition) and possibly other earlier builders?

It all goes back to "Thread Art History".

Let's not forget B.D. Ehler, one of the real pioneers who is still at it!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I always wondered who did those beautiful wraps on the Gudebrod catalog cover each year. I thought it might have been several people. Am I to understand the same person is responsible for them all, year after year? Well done Wayne indeed.

I'm not sure, but I believe that Wayne has done the rods on the Gudebrod catalog covers for many years now. Perhaps as long as two decades. As far as I know, all the rods on those covers are his.

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