Here's a quick pic of the stuff sack. I made it a little bigger than necessary thinking I needed extra room for the suspension. All good.
Here's a quick pic of the stuff sack. I made it a little bigger than necessary thinking I needed extra room for the suspension. All good.
Today, I decided to jump in and hem up that 1.4oz ripstop nylon I bought a while ago. I purchased enough to make a double layer hammock but decided to make 2 single layer hammocks instead and tackle an underquilt and top quilt next.
It took me about 4 hours and almost 200yd spool of thread but I'm done. Let me tell you this: this first attempt was gruelling! I could streamline my process a bit but I'm pretty happy with the outcome.
I hemmed the long edges first. Keeping the fabric feeding in a straight line took a lot of practice. It got much easier (and I could feed much faster) when I kept tension on the side of the fabric heading towards the needle... First stich was a fold about 1/4 inch. I then folded the whole thing over on its self and ran 2 more stitches.
On the ends, I did a similar process but realized I could save a couple runs by tripple folding the edge and running my first stitch at the bottom - followed by 2 more lines about 1/4 inch apart.
My stitches varied wildly in a couple places but for the most part are spaced decently.
I pulled 24 inches of amsteel through each end and tied it off, pulled one end into my new stuf sack and added the descender rings, stuffed the hammock into the sack and did the same for the other end.
My suspension for now is the 2 10 foot long tree straps I sewed up previously. Here's a quick youtube video:
My daughter is now the proud owner of the Equip hammock and stock suspension. I'm proud to say I have a DIY hammock, myself...!
Last edited by DBLOCK; 10-15-2012 at 14:42. Reason: add video
I met up with Ack, a fellow island bum, on Saturday to take in a gun show and he brought a few material scraps I could play around with as I learn the fine art of making gear.
One piece is a lightweight ripstop nylon, one is a little heavier weight nylon/cotton blend, and one is a heavy weight urethane coated nylon cordura.
I already have plenty of ideas for ripstop nylon...
I was thinking I'd reubuild my backpack using the cordura so maybe I'll save it for later as it looks like a bit bigger job than I'm ready to tackle right now.
However, I have no ideas for the nylon cotton blend material. What would be a good use for this stuff as far as small projects go?
Those $1 bins at Wallyworld are ht and miss. I found some Camo and ripstop fabric two years ago but none since then. As I have just about gone thru the fabric making stuff bags ect its time to look elsewhere.
I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !
I traded the Kenmore in for a couple older machines that look like they'll be more capable of handling heavier projects.
Both cleaned up well and the Nova is in work as we speak. Making pillow cases tonight using a 50/50 blend that is a little heavier duty than the ripstop I'd been using. It came together nicely and I note it's a bit more clumsy than the ripstop but holds its shape better and doesn't slide around. I'm going to try a couple hammocks out of this stuff and see how they work out for a couple of us heavier hangers.
So, as the projects go, the machines are great diversions to work on and learn about. The things I can make on them will get more complex and I can already see the change in the quality of my stitch since I first started. Admittedly, I've simplified my edges. This time, I also played with a zig zag stitch since the case I'm replacing had this stitch...
I seem to remember some mention of a Necchi forum somewhere I could join. Does anyone have a link they could point me towards?
To date, I've made (6) hammocks from the following materials: 1.4oz foliage grey ripstop, 40D camo ripstop (my favorite so far), a camo 50/50 cotton/polyester blend, and one from a recycled pup tent originally meant to become a tarp.
Speaking of tarps, I have (2) now: one 40D camo ripstop and one red nylon.
I've also fabricated a set of tree straps, some amsteel products, some stuff sacks, and a couple pillow cases (testing a new stitch and material), as well as a few versions of the alcohol stoves found on youtube.
The projects are coming along nicely and I think it's time for a product showcase and reviews!
[QUOTE=FLRider;869768]Which pattern is that 40d camo in, and where did you get it? ...[QUOTE]
I think the name of the camo is called ACU, it's a digital camo and it originated from a friend who bought it in bulk from Magna Fabrics, I think...
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