Hand Drawn Herringbone.

Herringbone is a pattern that is distinctively V-shaped.

It is distinguished from a plain chevron by a reversal in directions.

Die at the Helm is now offering tshirts with a herringbone design has been hand illustrated.

  The herringbone pattern has a historical context. It dates back to Ancient Roman architecture and is commonly found in masonry, parquetry and textiles. The pattern resembles the bone structure of herring fish.

Herringbone cloth, made from horsehair, has been found in Ireland dating from possibly as early as the arrival of Celtic people on the island.

Carried. Packed. Paper Bagged. Sacked.

  The Haydon Tote:

A simple little lunch tote with a front buckle. 

Die at the Helm is now stitching reusable lunch sacks constructed from scrap leather and waxed cotton. They are lined with a water-proof Nylon. 

It has been stitched with a warm brown thread and the side seams are re-enforced inside with a black Nylon trim.

The front has a silver 1/2" buckle. There is one brass rivet in the front leather piece and one as well securing the back leather strap to the bag.

The bag measures approximately 6" wide by 8" high and 3" deep when closed. The top "roll down" section of material is 5" long

These bags are available on Etsy or by special request.

Roll down. Roll out. Lunch time is looking good.

An Expanding Set.

Die at the Helm is expanding its set of possibilities. 

  
 New for this winter of 2012/2013 are handmade leather and waxed cotton billfolds.

These wallets have a long inside pocket for your cash and two parallel diagonal pockets for your cards.

These simple slim buffalo hide billfolds are available at the Workhouse in Bend, Or.

 

They are also available on Etsy. And of course they pair well with the Die at the Helm handbags.

Intensities in Hues

A smidgen darker and a bit muted. It’s still red.

Oxblood.

Oxblood, with its hints of brown and cranberry, complements the more traditional tone of the leather. This waxed cotton bag was made in Portland, Or. The base and handles of this handbag are made from a buffalo leather. Buffalo leather is tanned using traditional methods and does not require the use of highly toxic chemicals.

 

This bag is 3" wide, 13" across, and 14" tall (not including the roll down top).

The top rolls down 9.5" in order to complement the waterproof nature of the fabric used. Waxed cotton is cotton impregnated with a paraffin based wax and then woven into cloth fabric.

The handles measure 28" long and are secured with small rivets. 

This bag was stitched on an old cast-iron Singer sewing machine with a thick contrasting tan thread.

All of the waxed cotton bags are available by special request.

Die at the Helm in Echo Park

Die at the Helm's collaboration with Zack Barbery was spotted in Los Angeles. 

Husband and wife design partners Steve Nasker and Charlotte Stone were featured in kneelandmercado.com for their Macramé Palapa Lounge Chairs. 

These amazing plywood chairs with macramé rope are made in Echo Park, LA.

Die at the Helm's classic Cruiser shirt fits right in at the studio of Pacific Wonderland, Inc.

A Darker Shade. Unfurled.

A Darker Shade of Waxed Cotton.

Each of the leather and waxed cotton handbags has emerged with a distinct personality.

This particular bag has been stitched with a strikingly darker shade of olive and contrasting tan thread.

The leather from this section of the buffalo hide has a lot of ridges and texture. It compliments well the darker forest-inspired shades of this batch of waxed cotton.

The height of this bag is 15" with a full 9" fabric to roll down and securely protect the contents inside.

Custom orders for Die at the Helm handbags are available.

"Van Off!" the Eighties VS the Seventies

Love.

Will Tear Us Apart.

...we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads...

The 2012 Die at the Helm's collaboration with Portland based musician and illustrator Zack Barbery.

In the left corner: 2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine

Vanagon (a contraction of "van" & "station wagon").

The one grill at the front of the van is not for cooling the air intake but instead functions as an interior ventilation system. A pair of single round headlights are on opposite sides of the grill. This one-grill look distinguishes all of the air cooled Vanagons from 1980 till 1983, when the air cooled Vanagons were discontinued.

In the right corner: Type 2 "Splitie" bus.

The most noticeable difference in the body styles is a shift from a round vehicle to a very square, sharp edged look of the Vanagon body. These changes mimicked the cultural changes happening in the society.

The social experiments and burgeoning environmental movement of the seventies gave way to the rise of corporate hostile takeovers and leverage buyouts of the eighties.