Gear sewing/MYOG?

[doomridesout]

I am as guilty as anyone on the forum of geeking out on small cottage industry bags, gear, and soft goods. Then I realized we have a pretty nice sewing machine- who does DIY sewing projects here? Does anyone have any recommendations on info for getting started? I ordered a few very simple kits (zip pouches and a Dopp kit) from Ripstop by the Roll to get going. What info do I need? The eventual goal would be making some bikepacking gear for myself. I know it won’t be cost effective but that’s the same as a lot of custom stuff.

[gdw]

Backpacking light, Hammock forums, Bikepacking.net, and BushcraftUSA all have DIY gear subforums that can provide a lot of info especially for a beginner. Spend some time checking those out and search YouTube for videos as well.

[GOTHBROOKS]

i can embroider you a logo to sew on your bag if you are so inclined.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4737/25235848518_dbd44a5ce5_c.jpg

[doomridesout]

i can embroider you a logo to sew on your bag if you are so inclined.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4737/25235848518_dbd44a5ce5_c.jpg

Probably will reach out to get the shattered yin yang from the Totalitar/Disclose split slapped in the Steal Your Face skull when I’m ready.

[pdonk]

My biggest tip is to learn your machine. They are all different and have different feed rates and tension requirements. I am sure your partner, if it is their machine, has a grip on this, but different materials sewn with different threads can act weird.

I'd also suggest practicing laying out patterns and cutting things as well. Good clean, accurate edges make things go together easier.

This comes from someone who helped his mother many times, but is not the primary sewer and has not done much sewing recently (last 15 years) except for making a few sets of curtains.

I am currently in the process of designing a tool roll insert for myself and will either sew it at our local DIY shop or send the materials and design spec to my mother to do.

[GOTHBROOKS]

Probably will reach out to get the shattered yin yang from the Totalitar/Disclose split slapped in the Steal Your Face skull when I’m ready.
YO! so down.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B80HCTZlcy_/?igshid=13sn1tjf6njll

[doomridesout]

I’m trapped in 2017 so I really wish you’d do some low profile dad hats instead of these huge truckers. I’d buy an Anti-Cimex one for sure.

[GOTHBROOKS]

truckers have a higher crown so i can make the logos bigger than on unconstructed dad hats. if you mail me a hat ill put whatever you want on it.

[chrismoustache]

good suggestions so far!

hammockforums is what got me started in the MYOG department. I order from Quest Outfitters for most things, (roll goods, xpac, fleece, cordura, supplex,) and it's always good stuff.

I'd say just dig in with some straight stitching to get the feel of things before going too wild.

[JAGI410]

I've made a few framebags, messenger bags, and other misc bike related gear.

I started on a high-end Brother Quilting machine, and it's both overkill and outgunned at the same time. I then bought a couple vintage machines (both a Pfaff 130 and Singer 210) because they are highly sought after for this type of work. Messing with those got me very familiar with how sewing machines work. As noted above, that's an extremely helpful tip. Knowing tensions and how your personal machine reacts to heavier thread or larger needles makes a noticeable difference in overall results. I've since sold both vintage machines and I'm back on the Brother.

I order my materials from rockywoods.com and find their service to be outstanding. Buy some material and just start messing around. Experimentation goes a long way.

[doomridesout]

If I vibe with the little precut kits I got I’ll dive in and get some more materials to do more complex projects. I’m hoping our machine doesn’t overwhelm me- it’s an electronic Bernina 135 Patchwork Edition- a quilters machine. I’m going to get some cheap cotton over the weekend to experiment with.

[JAGI410]

Quilting machines are meant for going through many layers. Just use new, appropriately size needles for every project and it should handle most of everything, even occasional soft leather.

[doomridesout]

That’s what I was thinking- just worried it’s overkill in number of features.

[gdw]

The only two stitches that you will use making gear are the straight stitch and zipzag for bartacking. Most of the features found on modern machines are overkill for diy projects.
As others have pointed out learning the basics like tension setting, setting stitch length, and understanding what weight thread and fabric your machine will handle are key to making durable gear.

[doomridesout]

Built a tote bag to hold other fabric last night-- I'm hooked. Now to avoid spending $300 on X-Pac and Gridstop... Gonna be tough.

[bicycletricycle]

Just see a lot. I have a walking foot industrial machine and have been fooling around a long time. You just got to buy material and start sewing things.