Sewing practice

**NCPatrick** · 05-17-2008, 16:48

Wow. So serious.

I made one of Ed's cone spindles as well. Not too hard. I have to hold onto mine when I wind a bobbin from it, but otherwise works just fine.

**Shadowmoss** · 05-17-2008, 16:51

Well, we were both waiting to see if her camera was going to take the picture (used the timer function) this time or not. And, I was also winding the bobbin. Yes, I was a bit serious until I got my sewing legs back under me again.

I made one half of a set of net skins. I need to make the other half. I'll post the rest of the pics when I finish the project.

**NCPatrick** · 05-17-2008, 16:55

I have found myself making some very funny (as in funny strange) faces when I'm concentrating on the sewing... I'm glad there are no pictures.

**headchange4u** · 05-17-2008, 16:58

Originally Posted by NCPatrick

I have found myself making some very funny (as in funny strange) faces when I'm concentrating on the sewing... I'm glad there are no pictures.

I am guilty if the tongue stuck out the side of my mouth or curled over my upper lip while sewing, according to the wife.

**Hooch** · 05-17-2008, 17:06

Originally Posted by headchange4u

I am guilty if the tongue stuck out the side of my mouth or curled over my upper lip while sewing, according to the wife.

I'm guilty of the tongue over the lip thing. I've caught myself doing it several times. I'm also bad for using alot of bad language when I sew and get frustrated. I never sew when my son's around because I don't want him to hear what I'm saying or repeat it.

**Narwhalin** · 05-17-2008, 17:12

For my first sewing, I used some dollar bin fabric which was a good idea, but then I used this thick apholstery thread that was a bad idea. If I were to do it again, I would buy gutterman's thread and some fabric that is similar to the weight and feel of the ripstop nylon that we use to make the hammocks.

Keep in mind, anything you sew now out of the dollar bin is likely to not be there ever again, so that is why I advise you buy similar fabric but don't use your ripstop until you are making the real deal. Case in point, I used this phenominal blue waterproof material to make a nice small tarp, but I am pretty sure the sewing on it is unsatisfactory. So, I have been looking for that material to make a new one, but I'll never get it again I am sure...

I really think a few hammocks is perfect practice for making tarps and anything that requires long straight seams. It is kind of like driving at night, the trick is to not lose focus. Usually it is after thinking something like, "Well, I'm doing really good!" that's when you make mistakes.

Go get 'em!

After you get about three or four hammocks under your belt, you will likely have delt with most of the problems that are going to come about. Then, I would move on to do other projects that you are interested in.

Some links to easy projects I have done (as a beginner):

Speer style hammock: Just Jeff's Hammock Camping Page
Stuffsack: Thru-Hiker: Gear and Resources for Long Distance Hikers (I have made the stuffsack from this page, but I reference it so often I just included the entire index of projects/advice)

**clodbuster** · 05-17-2008, 18:29

Wally has a spools of "outdoor polyester thread" that my wife (expert sewer) says is super strong. It is with the rest of the thread and is on a larger spool.

**warbonnetguy** · 05-17-2008, 20:18

69 weight nylon or polyester thread is good, thats probably what ed's thread is (69 wt), i don't know. if your stuff is outside in the sun so long that you worry about the nylon thread recieving too much uv damage, then you wouldn't be able to trust the nylon fabric you used for the hammock fabric either and it wouldn't matter much what thread you used.

**Oh-No** · 05-17-2008, 22:28

Originally Posted by 6 feet over

My question is what do you guys feel is the best material to use, what thread, and the best project to LEARN to sew. At this point I have ZERO experience sewing.
6

1- As others have said: get good thread. The cheap stuff will shed lint that will booger up your sisters machine, then you may have to clean it.

2- I bought a cone of good thread and just stand it up behind my machine, no rewinding, no thread stand (I'm lazy) and it works for me (so far).

3- I looked at all the stitch settings on my machine and said "I haven't a clue". So I made a "cheat sheet"

I took a light colored piece of material (I have black thread), set both stitch setting knobs to the left, then sewed a line across the material. At the end of the stitch line I wrote down the knob settings right on the material .

I changed the knob settings, ran another stitch line, and wrote down the settings. Etc. Etc.Etc. Etc.Etc. Etc.

Now whenever I'm going to sew something, I pull out the "cheat sheet",
pick out what stitch I want, look at the settings written down next to the stitch and then set my machine to get that stitch. Nothing to remember, nothing to figure out.

Now if I could only learn sew a straight line.

**rigidpsycho** · 05-18-2008, 09:58

Originally Posted by Hooch

I'm guilty of the tongue over the lip thing. I've caught myself doing it several times. I'm also bad for using alot of bad language when I sew and get frustrated. I never sew when my son's around because I don't want him to hear what I'm saying or repeat it.

I do that as well, that is why I have taken a long break from sewing on my bugnet. I got so frustrated when I started I had to stop or I was going to break the sewing machine.