What’s this all about?

UnmutedThreads actually started with making t-shirts for our other charitable adventure - Gabby’s Stand - where we raise funds to support those fighting Childhood Cancer. I purchased some initial equipment and one of my close friends said - “who thought it was a good idea to let Annie make shirts?” Ha! So true. I’m a bit of a troublemaker and have no fear expressing myself, so his concern was valid.

I’m very passionate about justice, especially social justice. It’s in my DNA. I’ve been fighting for what I believe in since the 5th grade. You can ask any of my childhood classmates or teachers (for whom I didn’t contribute to an early death). Hence the messages on my pieces will have that theme. The point is to help others be loud about their beliefs without having to say a word.

I am also an artist at heart. Creating is such a therapeutic outlet. Exploring new mediums and techniques is very exciting to me. Starting with watercolor in 2020, I’ve now expanded and am in love with screen printing. My first introduction to this was back in high school where we made t-shirts for our volleyball team. I was mesmerized with the process. I’m thrilled to have a tiny little studio at home to escape to and practice and create.

What’s up with the pricing?

When people first started asking for my shirts, I would just send them one and if they wanted, they would Venmo me. I loved that process - and still do! But it wasn’t the easiest way to keep track of who got what and how to get it to them. This site makes it much easier. You simply pick the pieces you want, add them to your cart, choose delivery method, and check out like normal. IF you want to contribute money for your pieces, you simply then just click the Pay Here! button at the top of the page and contribute whatever works for you. You can choose from an amount listed or enter what you’d like. It’s as simple as that!

How do I source my products?

Another passion of mine is thrifting and sourcing used goods. I’m glad there’s a cool word for it now. I make a very purposeful effort to source use when I am looking for literally anything. I’m not joking when I tell you the 13 huge spruce trees in our yard were used - we got them from a farmer’s windbreak in his field. That’s how serious I am about sourcing used. In fact, my first screen print pieces of equipment were bought used as are most of my current ones!

Every item on this site is resale. Some are new with tags but were thrifted from a resale store. I am very picky about my finds so you can be confident in the piece you choose. If for some reason something isn’t right about it - I’ll 100% replace it. This approach is multipurpose - it satisfies my thrifting habit, is much better for the environment, and keeps us out of the big box stores.

What’s the printing process?

Each item is hand screen printed. I make my screens mostly by the traditional process of photo emulsion (see pic up top), but sometimes with vinyl. I mix up unique paint colors to complement the fabric. Each item is 100% unique. No two will ever turn out the same.

I am NOT a professional screen printer to state the obvi. So these aren’t perfect, but that is part of the charm. They’re made with passion and the intent to kick ass in the world, so that > perfection.