Zeeko Salvage

Vests and Jackets

Last minute additions for 'Prepare for the Playa'.

Retooling a few firemens turnout coats, and finishing a few oilcloth and mesh vests.

We'll be on the street at 650 Indiana, SFO - Sunday 12-7pm

Fire coat backpatch with art from Dragonboy.

Firecoat bling

Oilcloth vest with hemp

Mesh vest with firehose

Mesh vest

Oilcloth vest - only new materials in this are the zipper, trim and thread.

Dragonboy backpatch on mesh leftover from commercial printing job.

Filed under // clothing shows

Posted August 12, 2011

Two shows to finish ADHD April

April is a wild month in Chico. A budding, blooming, creative explosion of lengthening light and lusty life. We were lucky/taxed to have two deadlines fall at the end of it - RayRay's 'Bike=art' show and Chikoko's 'Bizarre Bazaar'. We overextended and are glad that they are over! But we got to make a lot of new art - a spectrum from Bumblebee habitat boxes, psychedelic micro messenger bags, and rice harvester steel sunflowers to 'Opium Den' leather collage purses and fire hose totes. Here are some photos from the two shows.

Hillbilly yard art, firehose snakeskin samba belts, tough-mama firehose totes, and rake+ski pole garden diggers - our uncategorizable booth at Chikoko's Bizarre Bazaar.

Pulled together some new and old bags with a bike theme and decided to use my old chopper 'Pinkie' as a rack at the last minute. Welded a stand, loaded up the goods into the hemp panniers and rode it to the show. The bags on the handlebars are a new design that I am calling the MicroMessenger - they are big enough for a mini Kryptonite lock, cell phone and wallet; they have a loop to go on your belt, or we can add a traditional messenger strap and stabilizer.

Our hemp panniers and large and mini messenger bags - I added a new stabilizer strap to the messenger bags.

Stopped at the newspaper recycling shed at 6th and Flume to get some paper to stuff the bags with and found a paper bag full of old maps! Score! RayRay decided to put us in the window - I like what they did with the maps - they are prolific and amazing.

My folks were in town and pops took these photos - you can see him in the reflection, below.

Thanks RayRay and Chikoko. The RayRay show is still up in downtown Chico - make sure to go out back and look at Katrina's handmade longbike - she did a beautiful job on it.

Filed under // bike bags bike purses fabric printing fire hose bags messenger bags panniers rants shows

Posted May 3, 2011

Seamonster and Mona's Yard Sale

We took our wares to the streets today, ended up with some good barter action. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

I like events that we can ride to. We ended up bartering Skyler some utility belts for a Greg Degouvia-built bike trailer, so the pack up and ride home was easier.

I am making cargo jeans now where I piece in new fronts using cotton twill from old coveralls. I made a smaller size, and Mona modeled them for me.

We needed a larger bike seat for our kiddo trailer and found one yesterday at an estate sale. Erika made a new cover for it and made it fit in the trailer.

Seamonster took the stage name Madame Titty Bop for the event. Her top - called 'The Magic Twins' - and lacquered citrus slice necklace were made by Goat.

Dutro

'I think that it is a little small for me'.

'Let's see, you got an owl, a ceramic horse, a reel to reel tape, some anatomy flash cards, and a rock - that will be $2'.

Michelle Wurlitzer, our most loyal customer. She has chosen a yellow theme for her bike tour, just found a dress to match the panniers that we made for her, and bought herself some yellow utility belts.

Filed under // clothing shows

Posted August 8, 2010

Prepare for the Playa Event Photos

Sunday was a long and wacky day.

(download)

Filed under // clothing shows

Posted July 28, 2010

Prepared for the Playa II

(download)

Filed under // clothing fire hose bags shows utility belts

Posted July 24, 2010

Prepared for the Playa

Wrapping up prep for this weekend's pre-Burning Man artisan's faire in SFO. Sara Rose, Ernesto, and Amber were by the shop last night to give us a critique and today Sara Rose brought over some mannequins!

Yeoww, they are from Victoria's Secret - it is wild to see our wares on a fantasy body type - thanks Rosy!

(download)

Filed under // clothing fire hose bags shows utility belts

Posted July 22, 2010

Three day weekend in the shop - Playa Gear Stitchfest

Been on fire in the shop last three days. We got into the 'Prepare for the Playa' pre-Burning Man craft fair in SF on July 25th, and I have been in high gear making inventory. We are going to share a booth with my old friend from growing up in Westwood, Janay Growden, aka the Window Lady. She makes amazing clothes out of Oakland, and I am thrilled to get a chance to do a show with her!

Here are toolbelts, an 8' double-wrap belt made from fire hose and scraps for another project, and a cargo-pocket miniskirt made from an vintage hemp German Army duffel bag.

Toolbelts made from old Carhartts and an Army shirt that I bought in Topeka Kansas, the long belt, and the mini.

Kilt pockets to be.

Toolbelt in process.

The other half of the pair.

Managed to get some work done on Michelle Wurlitzer's custom bike panniers too - she needs them in a week.

Kargo Kilt. Jeans and army shirt, with Carhartt, Camo, and ReStore jumpsuit fabric in the pockets.

Kargo Kilt pockets. We found a Bernina Industrial sewing machine at a yard sale a month ago that does zig-zag, industrial style. I like it lots.

Filed under // clothing shows the shop utility belts

Posted July 5, 2010

Mid-April Bagmaking Spurt

April is my favorite month in Chico - so much life, flowers exploding out of the ground, and general buzz in the air. When I was in school, April was a hormonal blur of festivals, music, dancing, partying. Got a chance to sell bags at the Earth Day fest on campus yesterday, and it was still fun...

I met Adam when he was working at the ReStore. We are doing a work trade - he's sewing for me, and I am doing some welding on his work truck.

Adam hadn't run an industrial sewing machine before, and this one is a real rocket - sews 3,500 stitches a minute. He kept his fingers out of it, and picked it up quickly.

We whipped out a bunch of market bags. They are a simple design - 6 straight lines of stitching + sewing on the strap (strips of fire hose) - and easy. One person working at a comfortable speed can make 6 an hour.