Category Archives: Shade

Gussets – a little slab of playa engineering

What holds this crazy rig together? Why, abortion gussets, of course.

Fold a nine-inch wide strip of fabric (at 60″) into a strip four layers thick, seam its long edges, and then cut it into strips about six inches long.

Then seam the cut edges and voila – a little stack of stout reinforcements …

… to be sewn into place to keep the fabric all in one piece while still letting the air flow through.

Roof shade – the sewing begins in earnest

Step one, ailment attempt to throw together an enormous framework of PVC pipe to arc over the van like some demented logo for caffeinated high-fructose corn syrup ‘n’ gutbombs.

Valiantly attempt to model it.

Then, when that fails, toss the PVC aside and acquire some 1″ steel conduit and connectors for a new frame, which you injure yourself building.

Then start sewing. (more photos after the jump. Continue reading Roof shade – the sewing begins in earnest

Shade canopies for the keyboards

It’s hot on the playa.

Relentlessly, discount often stupidly, this hot. So we’re putting some shade over the keyboards.

We trudged around the Garment District the other day, case haggled with shopkeepers and for $3 a yard, walked away with this very light, opaque and strong synthetic fabric that feels something like raw silk and matches the van’s trim in color … Continue reading Shade canopies for the keyboards