Üka

Recycled Coffee Sack Purses

Üka — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:02:04 +0000

Just launched! The first of many more to come this Spring and Summer from Üka, Recycled burlap sack purses and bags! Burlap is treated with an acrylic varnish to prevent fraying and add water repellency. These purses are sure to get you noticed. A unique blend of texture and graphics with eco-friendly flair.

Available for Purchase Here

Choose your own color fabric necklaces

Üka — Thu, 27 May 2010 02:33:19 +0000

Our latest line of recycled fabric necklaces are now available online. They are constructed of cut-out canvas shapes that are hand painted. What’s exciting about these is not only the fun shapes but the fact that they can be custom painted to any color under the sun. They create a very bold statement, can be warn to add an edgy pop of color to any outfit whether it’s a cocktail dress or jeans. We just launched 3 new designs in this series: Fruit Loop, Drop Loop, and Butterfly. We have a few more creative designs that will be launched next month and which will also be available for custom color orders .

Latest in the Original Üka Bag Series

Üka — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:19:13 +0000

The hand painted messenger bags are what I like to call “The Original Üka Bag” because it was the very first bag design I created when I started this company. It’s also the bag I get the most compliments on. You can read more about these here. These bags are special which is why I like to do a little write up about each one. Like fine pieces of art, a lot of time goes into their construction. I begin painting the bag flap, (lately I have been inspired by a tree motif). The canopy of the tree is created with circles of printed fabric that are appliquéd above the tree branches. I like mixing and matching patterns using a similar color story to tie it all together. I use beautiful embroidery thread, often metallic to sew borders around the circles. I then let the colors and design of the bag flap inspire what comes next in the design and fabric choices for the body and interior of the bag. I recently completed 2 of these bags, one sold the day after I posted it in my store but I’d still like to highlight it, since I hadn’t had time to do a write up. The first is shown below made from canvas, faux suede and a variety of cotton prints treated with Nikwax.

The latest one has quite a bit more stitching detail. In addition to painting the tree design I stitched a border around it in metallic silver thread to give it a little more sparkle. The color story is more subdued, using only three colors: black, white and a shimmering deep turquoise. I also included some really high-end fabrics like organic hemp canvas (love this stuff but it’s pricey) and a lovely designer print by Alexander Henry (one of my favorites). In fact this bag is completely lined in this designer print making it beautiful inside and out. The circular motif in the tree canopy is mimicked in the silver stitching on the circles that give texture to the silver base of the bag, (yes I actually stitched those circles on the fabric). I felt it added a really custom element. This latest creation is shown below and is currently for sale on Etsy for $150

Scrapping it

Üka — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:57:33 +0000

During the bag creation process there’s inevitably a lot of fabric scraps that are generated. Scraps can often be used in appliqué design, but often we are left with pieces too small to use in sewing projects which pile up into a large mass of waste. How can we stay green by not contributing more uneccesary bulk to our landfills? What to do, what to do with all these fabric scraps…hmmm

why not make fabric jewelry? This is exactly what we have begun doing… Everything from fabric bangles, and chokers to handmade fabric beads. We love the idea of taking something that would be trash and turning it into something beautiful and unique. We also love the idea of taking an unlikely material to create jewelry. Look forward to seeing more of our recycled fabric jewelry, we hope you find it as fun and unique to wear as we do of creating it.

Big Buttons

Üka — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:03:32 +0000

We like big buttons and we cannot lie…

Big bold and beautiful buttons. We have a secret source for these lovely gems up in Los Angeles and they have become the inspiration for our latest series of bags. These oversized buttons come in two flavors: Raw wood (that we can stain or paint ourselves), and coconut shell. They are unique, make a bold statement while keeping your precious valuables from falling out of your bag. Sewn using heavy-duty button-carpet thread which we reinforce with eco-safe adhesive on to a stiff interfacing backing. These buttons aren’t going anywhere, we love them and hope you do too.

Leucadia and around Encinitas

Üka — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:01:58 +0000

Leucadia is a little beach community of Encinitas California ranked among the top beach communities for surfing. Californiabeaches.com declares Leucadia as “the best old-fashioned beach town in California”. The name means sheltered paradise which is a good description given the large Eucalyptus trees that line the 101 as well as the luscious abundance of avocado, citrus and other trees sprawling from the neighborhood gardens. I love how everything just grows here. Something about the climate, the soil, the right combination of everything that makes everything come alive, perhaps that’s one reason there are so many plant nurseries in the region. Leucadia is quieter than our neighbors to the north and south, but it’s just a skip away from downtown Encinitas and it’s colorful shops and restaurants and yet another skip to my other favorite Encinitas neighborhood, Cardiff. A lot of my ideas come when I’m taking walks through the scenery, or running along the shores. I really feel the environment cultivates my creative energy. Below are some shots taken from some of my favorite spots in and near Leucadia.

One of my favorite places to escape to is Quail Botanical Gardens. I love to just walk around, relax, sketch, write and take photos.

Another favorite spot not in Leucadia but about a 5 mile bike ride south to Cardiff is the San Elijo Ecological Reserve. I love to run here or just hike around and check out the various species of birds that wade in the lagoon.

And of course we have beautiful beaches here:

Stain and weather guarding with an eye on the environment

Üka — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:38:02 +0000

Let’s face it we love our funky printed cotton fabrics. We love hitting the remnant sales at quilt stores for fat quarters. Fat quarters, are quarter yard cuts of fabric cut in squares instead of lenghtwise. Quilters use these, but it turns out they are the perfect size for wallets, as well as pockets, and appliqué on our bags. The problem with this quilter’s weight cotton is that it isn’t as water repellent or stain resistant as some coarser weaves like our hemp or canvas fabrics. After a little research we began experimenting with a product called Nikwax and have begun treating all our cotton fabrics with this prior to sewing. Nikwax is an environmentally safe alternative to many other chemically based stain guards out there and we really like how it allows the fabric to retain it’s softness while making it more water repellent and stain resistant.

Nikwax treatments coat fabric and leather fibres with a network of elastic TX.10i water-repellent molecules. They bond to anything that is not water-repellent, but leave the spaces between fibers open and breathable. Nikwax treatments can flex and move with the fabric and leather fibers. That is why Nikwax treatments can withstand several washings and remain whereas the competitors must be re-applied after each wash. -(source: Nikwax)

We are constantly researching eco-friendly methods for making our bags more durable and weatherproof. Recently we have been looking into the original methods of preparing oilcloth and are eager to try this technique for some of our heavier canvas cottons. Today’s oilcloth is actually a vinyl backed or PVC-coated fabric (not an eco friendly option), and thus nothing like the original oilcloth. Traditional oil cloth was a heavy duck or cotton canvas treated with linseed oil. Linseed is a natural product derived from flax, it is not petroleum based, it is biodegradable and non-toxic. We will be sure to write another post with photos about how this technique works out for us and let you know when you can expect to see traditional oilcloth in our product line.

hand painted bag

Üka — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:13:43 +0000

Perhaps the #1 bag Üka is known for is this hand painted tree bag. Each one of these bags is one of a kind (no two are alike) painted free-hand by artist Erika Thorpe. Though we may produce similar designs, we assure you the artwork and fabric selections are unique on each of these bags. This messenger style bag features interior and exterior pockets in groovy contrasting fabrics, and has appliquéd design work on the body and on the painted panel embellished with metallic embroidery. When you carry one of these, you carry a piece of artwork across your shoulders. All our cotton fabrics are treated with Nikwax to add water and stain repellancy. (Read more about this product)

Due to the amount of labor, intricate detail work, and custom painting these bags cannot be produced in large quantities, making them a premium item. We may only create 1 or 2 a month, so they are definitely special. We are however always happy to do special orders. Contact us at info@ukastyle.com if interested.

These bags retail between $125 to $250 depending on size, style and amount of custom details.

Take a sneak peak at what we are working on now. Below are detail shots of front flaps of 2 Messenger style bags (click on images to view larger):

Tree Tee

Üka — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:12:24 +0000

A 1 color print featuring a unique tree design with typographic elements and insects embedded in the graphic foliage.

Gaia

Üka — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:09:39 +0000

a 1 color print depicting the earth mother. This was our very first T-shirt design. We submitted this design to Redbubble in July where it became featured.