At BikeCraft, rain capes and more from Sara Stout

sara in her shop

Sara Stout is busy creating
wonderful things for BikeCraft.
(Photos © Elly Blue)

I recently paid a visit to Sara Stout in the treehouse where she lives, paints, and tends to her bike fleet and aging dog Betty (a longtime fixture at bike moves). This week, the treehouse has been transformed into a BikeCraft factory, where Stout has been busily turning old materials into new, useful things.

When I dropped by, the final coat on a colorful tray of light-switch plate covers, was drying by the woodstove. Stout had moved on to making bicycle-shaped seat covers, with waterproof material above and a drawstring underneath.

seat covers

For a stylish (and dry) seat.
light switch plates

Switch plates for those of us
who get turned-on by bikes.

A few days later, she had moved on to a more ambitious sewing project — paneled rain capes, complete with collar and waist strap, in various sizes. She isn’t sure how much she’ll charge for them but is thinking it will be in the range of $60 or $70.

Sara is excited to share her handmade rain capes.

I ran into her in the coffeeshop this morning and asked where she got the idea — and the pattern — for the professional looking capes.

“When Burley quit making them 12 or 15 years ago they gave Citybikes [the cooperative bike shop of which Stout is one of the founders] the pattern and we bought a giant roll of fabric that had specks in it and we did a run of them. We were taught how by a friend, and we tried to do it but it never worked out as a production thing for us at that time. But clearly now it might work out now. Every time I do a shift there, people ask if we have affordable capes.”

She has been making the capes and seat covers out of material found at the Goodwill Bins and the re-use store SCRAP. Four of the capes are cut out of a tent canopy that she found in a dumpster. New fabric would cost something like $30 a yard, she says, and once her supplies run out so will her affordable rain gear. BikeCraft will be the only opportunity to buy these.

She’ll finish the capes today. Next she plans to start in on artwork — small, framed bike-themed paintings. I was going to ask for more details but she stopped me. “Time to go,” she said, “it’s looking like another beautiful day for sewing and making things.”

Don’t miss our 5th annual BikeCraft event coming this Saturday 12/5 from 10:00 am to 5:00pm! More details — including a BikeCraft vendor directory — at BikePortland.org/BikeCraft.

Photo of author

Elly Blue (Columnist)

Elly Blue has been writing about bicycling and carfree issues for BikePortland.org since 2006. Find her at http://takingthelane.com

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lamanyana
lamanyana
14 years ago

I just added BikeCraft as a Facebook event (since I’m more likely to actually go if I have it on my calendar there) – It’s at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189397810771 if others want to use it.

Oh Word?
Oh Word?
14 years ago

Can we learn more about the treehouse she lives in?!

Laura
Laura
14 years ago

will there be a place at Bikecraft where those of us with used tires, tubes, cogs, chains and whatnot can donate to artists?

beth h
14 years ago

This year’s BikeCraft conflicts directly with the USGP Cyclocross races out at PIR.
SO bummed.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)

we hear you Beth. ideally, it wouldn’t be on the same day… but it is next to impossible in this town to not have bike event conflicts.

As for the USGP… there are two full days of racing and BikeCraft is happening from 10-5 on Saturday only…. so perhaps folks can fit both in!

Bill Stites
14 years ago

I love Sara’s stuff. I am completely stoked on the rain capes.
Adding some elements of reflectorization would make it the cat’s meow for me.

That ‘stoked’ not soaked. 😉

DP
DP
14 years ago

yes, I’d like to know more about the tree house as well.

Antload
Antload
14 years ago

I second Bill Stite’s emotion. Sara is integrity personified. I’m sure her crafts follow suit. If we support Sara’s enterprises 1/2 as much as she supports the bike community, then she’d likely sell out in about, oh, 5 or 6 minutes. Done gushing now. Buy her stuff.

kernel
kernel
14 years ago

what antload said

rev
14 years ago

this DIY powerhouse packs a punch.