Designs to Kill

Sara Forsyth

Tag-team silkscreeners Carey Jernigan and Shakeel Rehemtulla just relocated to Halifax for scholastic reasons. She’s doing a master’s at Dalhousie; he’s attending NSCAD University. But they have brought their burgeoning label with them. Sara Forsyth had a virtual tête-à-tête with Carey as “woodenbullets” hauled their equipment from T.O to the East Coast.

Who are you?

We are "woodenbullets." Can't shoot. Won't kill.

Describe your silk-screening process.

Sometimes frustrating — equipment and timing are key. Basically, we come up with a design that can be rendered in black and white, use a photo emulsion process to transfer the image onto a silk screen, and then mess around with fabric paints and a squeegee. There are good tutorials on the Internet with the details.

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?

Everyday life -  my surroundings and emotions. I'm always making art.

What makes your clothing unique?

We make them. Wal-Mart doesn't. We make new ones weekly and have never brought back an old design.

You work with a lot of recycled clothing. What is your view on
sustainability?

Imminent doom. The world is right depressing at the moment. Recycling helps ... through really we should all wear biodegradable clothes and have massive gardens.

We use recycled clothing to make bags; I like old fabrics. I never plan a bag in advance, just find an old garment and build the design around it.

What's it like to work with your "better half"?

It's great.  We work on different things (one on t-shirts, the other on bags), then throw ideas back and forth on occasion.

Why "woodenbullets"?

My grandfather's first assignment in the U.S. army was to guard a power station with wooden bullets.  Apparently they didn't "shoot" well. No bullet should.

What are your aspirations as designers?

I'm a graffiti artist at heart, so this is another way to get my work up around the city.

Where can I buy it?

www.woodenbullets.etsy.com or by e-mail at woodenbullets@gmail.com.