And what a year it will be...

It's a new year for AbbyShot and it's shaping up to be our biggest year yet! We have a lot of events both near and far that we're planning to attend which we'll be talking about in greater detail throughout the year. We'll also be releasing more new designs this year, as well as continuing to develop and expand our genuine leather versions of some of our current product line.

Real Leather?  Why yes, in case you missed our December Christmas Newsletter or haven't been to our web site in a while, (we know how busy the holidays can be), last month we released the first set of leather versions of some of our popular designs. So far, the Cleric Custom, Stampede Duster, and Sunstalker I are now available in a variety of genuine cowhide leathers. Check out some of the other things we covered in our December newsletter via the inset box on the right. We'd like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous year in 2005 and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the fans to produce the top quality garments that we're famous for!

Shiny, very shiny!

These leathers make the final cut for the Serenity Browncoat!

A further update on the Serenity Browncoat for all the Firefly fans!   The first draft of the garment pattern is completed and will be tested in a sample garment in the next few weeks. We've also finalized our leather choices for both the suede to use for the coat itself and the brown leather used in the cuffs. Our sample coat will be sewn in a plain fabric for testing purposes and the design will be further refined for both screen accuracy and proper garment fit before a final sample coat will be sewn in the suede. More news on this developing project as it occurs!

Airing in Canada on CTV this month, Kevin Smith will appear as himself in Degrassi: The Next Generation in a three episode arc. That bit of news was announced in November of last year, along with the fact that 'Jay' (Jason Mewes) will also appear in the series. For our fellow Canadians, you can find the programming schedule on News Askew.

Silent Bob pointing to his buddy Jay, who is wearing an AbbyShot Silent Bob coat!

There's also an interesting piece on CTV's website. The program (and specifically the episodes featuring Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes) will air in the US on Noggin later this year. Degrassi: The Next Generation is set in the famed Degrassi Community School made famous by the original series in the 1980's. This new series, now its 3rd season, has won national and international awards.

What had this to do with AbbyShot? Well, AbbyShot provided a Silent Bob Coat to CTV's program eTalk daily. During some of the network's promotion Kevin's Degrassi episodes, Jay and Silent Bob did this photo-shoot. Silent Bob (Kevin) is modelling his own coat, the original that was featured in his films. Jay (Jason Mewes) however, is modelling AbbyShot's officially licensed replica Silent Bob coat! Be sure to also check out the January 30th edition of TV Guide (Canada only). There will be more info about the Degrassi episodes, get your copy quick!

In case you're wondering, this is one heck of an 'AbbyShot first.' It's the first time that an AbbyShot coat has been photographed next to the original garment that we've recreated. Add Jay and Silent Bob to that mix and this definitely one of coolest things we've ever put into our humble newsletter. (Come to think of it, we've got some new customer reviews on our Silent Bob Coats.) There's still a few more cold months left this winter, order your Silent Bob Coat today!!

New customer reviews are added to the AbbyShot site!

It's a Tuesday morning and all is quiet at AbbyShot. The buzz of sewing machines, phones, faxes and computers have given way to laughter, jokes and smiles. This brief pause happens every two weeks, when AbbyShot has its staff meeting. The end of the meeting is the part the staff enjoy most, because that's when Adam appears with a stack of emails and forum posts from customers who have received their AbbyShot coats.

As the letters are read aloud, the Sewing Machine Operators recall each customer's coat. They're always curious to know what the outside world thinks of their hard work and attention to detail. After reading those letters, all of us at AbbyShot are reminded why we come to work each day. It's all about you guys, our customers!

It would be a neat trick if we could fit all of you into our meeting/lunch room, just to hear some of positive reviews we've been getting. But just as we had that thought, we remembered that we also have website. (Oh yeah... that internet thingy...) :-) So without further delay, here are some of the letters our customers send us...

Josh proudly wearing his Lobby Reloaded Wool! Subject: Got The Coat (Lobby Reloaded Wool) You did it, guys! The coat fits perfectly and looks amazing. And it came only six days after it was shipped, which especially impressive since it was sent two days before Christmas eve. Great job. -Josh, New York Subject: Coat Received! (Lobby Reloaded Wool) Greetings! I just got my coat in the mail today (thanks for the lightning fast shipping!) At first when I put it on, I thought it was tight, but then I realized after wearing it, that I have never had anything that fit me according to my measurements. I realized that it want tight, but it actually fits ME and not some mannequin that was the ideal shape of the 'size large' tag that is slapped into mass manufactured junk. I looked in the mirror and was instantly awestruck at the quality of what I was wearing. The material that was used, the symmetry of the stitching, the obvious dedication and care that went into this coat is nothing short of heroic. Its freezing cold outside and I feel SO comfortable wearing this coat to stay warm, not just wearing it to a costume show! I am honestly honored to wear something that someone obviously took so much pride in making. Something that someones heart and soul went into rather than something that was made simply for bulk sale, off the shelf. The sales process was a joy. There is nothing like asking a question and actually having someone ANSWER IT! A few times I contacted Abbyshot for help and I actually got people who went the extra mile. This must be what it was like to do business with people 200 years ago. I am so happy to know that there are people that still realize the value of the end product and the satisfaaction of the customer in this world. The entire abbyshot team has earned my respect and admiration. It is my honor to recommend any person I see on the street to your business. Thanks so much for everything Lou, Seattle Washington, US

More views of the Cleric Custom in Leather

We're closing this newsletter with a bang; we've got some brand new OICS!! Atomic Ferret has provided even more Leather Cleric Custom oics. It's not hard to see that she's very proud to wear this unique AbbyShot creation. She said as much on our forum,

Click on the pic to view the expanded Cleric Custom Leather Photo Gallery!

Atomic Ferret is not the only one to have experienced AbbyShot's one a kind leather coats. Another friend from Dragon*Con, Pusherman, wrote about his new Leather Sunstalker II Trench:

The red patent leather Enigma Custom we specially made for "thegoodguy2004".

AbbyShot has also dabbled into the realms of ultra-custom. In December the production staff completed a shiny, patent red leather Enigma. And yeah we got some oics! Our customer, thegoodguy2004, wrote:

So there you have it folks!! 2005 has just begun and AbbyShot is ready to go with Amazing Leather Coats.

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