JP joins hanging club in DIY hammock

[GrizzlyAdams]

I've promised my 6-to-be-soon-7 year old son to build him a hammock. We're planning on a family camping trip in a couple of weeks, so I hopped to it.

Fabric cut 4' wide by 7' long (latter dimension suggested to me by Hooch). I put channels in the ends, to avoid whipping. 1.1 oz non-coated ripstop.

First time out was with one hammock body, to check the length and see if the diagonal lay was going to work. Answer : yes. Time then for the second body (to make a pad easy) and the bug net.

I wasn't sure how much bug net was going to be needed. I was using a scrap piece, so I sewed it (along with the zipper) on the edges, with the plan to cut the unnecessary material out from the center after I'd gotten my son into it and could observe what was needed.

For the second body I cut a piece 4' wide and 5' long and sewed it along the long edges of the hammock, leaving the head and foot open for the pad. Just like I've done on my bridge.

Brain fart.

The first time I hung it with double bodies, the outer body was hanging WAY DOWN away from the upper body. Of course. There is nothing pulling up the foot or head of that second piece. Duh.

I took it down and sat and stared at it for a long time trying out different solutions I might try to remedy the situation (without ripping--the sewing was too far advanced by now). I was thinking about how I could attach the upper and lower body with stitching, and get a pad in at the angle needed for a diagonal lay. Wasn't happening.

I was just about ready to start over when it occurred to me to turn the hammock inside out, so the baggy body was inside. Maybe, just maybe, it would do some good in there with a pad between it and the load-carrying body. The only downside was that the zipper had been sewed in already to have the zipper backing on the inside. Now it was on the outside. Just cosmetic.

So here's JP, who has been excitedly awaiting his hammock.
jp-1.jpgjp-3.jpg

You can see the pad inside
jp-2.jpg

For the channel end I made a piece of webbing with loops sewn at both ends, then attached suspension cord through these with a bowline.
jp-4.jpg

I won't knowingly make the same mistake again with the double body, but it looks like I may have gotten away with it this time...

The Grizz household now has a very excited junior hanger who can't wait to sleep in this on a camp-out.


Grizz

[headchange4u]

He looks as happy as can be. Despite the minors flaws you mentioned, it still a great looking hammock.

[NCPatrick]

Looks great Grizz.

I like the channels in the end. Pretty nice. Another hanger joins the happy ranks.

[alex30808]

COOL!!! I've GOT to get a sewing machine!

[fin]

Grizz, I'm jealous of your mad sewing skills. The things I could create if I had your skills - they are all in my head, but I'm having trouble just sewing a straight line! Great work, as always!

[GrizzlyAdams]

Grizz, I'm jealous of your mad sewing skills. The things I could create if I had your skills - they are all in my head, but I'm having trouble just sewing a straight line! Great work, as always!

Thanks. But I'm certain that you can do it. Your profile says you work with computers, which means you're observant, logical, and good with detail (and accustomed to frustration!) I got a 10 minute sewing lesson from my wife, have gotten instruction from the web, and most of all, time with the machine. Keeping at it I've learned by observation what I can make work, how the machine responds with different materials, and so on.

I was pretty intimidated at first myself. But the promise of being able to make fun gear myself was high motivation.

Keep practicing those straight lines! Slowly at first. Use pins (placed perpendicular to the hem---you can sew right over the top of them). Cut a bunch of strips just to hem them, because I bet over half the stitches I do just hem edges.

good luck, it will come.

Grizz