6 scant months ago, I was afraid of a sewing machine. I thought I'd post a few shots of my work thus far as a way of showing off and also as encouragement for those of us who want to DIY but may still be a little intimidated. If I can do it, so can you.


My first hammock, made for my wife:


My first topquilt, 1.1 ripstop, also for my wife:




My second quilt, this one is bigger for me:



My first underquilt, also mine. My wife is a ground dweller, but I'm working on converting her. She likes to snuggle while we camp, but that can cause problems trying to sleep in a hammock.



So go on craigslist, make a minimal investment in a starter machine, and get to it! If you run across any snags, the good people here on HF will be more than happy to help you out. They are quite generous with their wealth of knowledge.

Also, I'll throw in a shameless plug for my new Etsy store, TannerBUILT. I'm trying to build a repertoire, so prices on down gear are rock bottom right now. If you want an inexpensive piece of gear, check us out. www.etsy.com/shop/TannerBUILT