OK, now what? (Thread Injector Question)

**APRock** · 07-02-2014, 13:28

Been wanting to delve a little deeper into the DIY area for a while now. Already have some fabric (cart before the horse!) and just got my hands on a new Singer 4432. Advice from dear old Mom - I got dedicated fabric scissors and a few other things. Got some scraps to mess around with to begin to figure this machine out. What I am asking you more experienced guru's of the hammock, tarp, quilt, stuff sack making crowd - What should I go to the store and get next? What needles, thread, feet, any other accessories that I may need or just want? Right now, the fabric I have enough to make anything large with is some 1.9 oz ripstop and some 1.1 oz silnylon. Looking to make a tarp out of the sil and eventually tackling a bridge hammock with the 1.9 ( Got a number of gathered end ones already...).

**Short White Guy** · 07-02-2014, 13:35

I find rotary cutters to be insanely useful for long, straight cuts. Grosgrain ribbon is also something that can be usefully applied to almost any DIY gear project.

**jolunder** · 07-02-2014, 14:17

I'm certainly not the most experienced DIY-er by any means, but if I learned something about what to buy its this: Don't buy too much at once. Work with what you've got and see how it works for you. You'll find out what you miss and which items just gather dust.
Have fun!

**Bubba** · 07-02-2014, 14:33

I find a good cutting mat to be useful in conjunction with a rotary cutter for making nice straight and long cuts. Go for Gutterman's polyester thread. A stitch puller is useful.

**gmcttr** · 07-02-2014, 14:38

100% polyester thread...Gutterman Sew All and Mettler Metrosene Plus are a couple of good ones that might be available locally or get one of the Guttermann threads from DIY Gear Supply. Don't let them sell you the "outdoor heavy duty" threads.

Size 11, 12 or 14 sharp point needles depending on what thread you get. Universal point needles are the second choice and you don't want ball point needles.

**gmcttr** · 07-02-2014, 14:39

Originally Posted by Bubba

...A stitch puller is useful.

How did I not think of that?

YES, get a good stitch ripper.

**Mouseskowitz** · 07-02-2014, 14:58

+1 to what everyone else has said. I recently also got a tailor's awl for pulling the seams I messed up and speed cutting scissors for for clipping threads while injecting.

**HangingBrewer** · 07-02-2014, 18:13

This may be a silly question, but when referring to a "Thread Injector" are we talking a normal sewing machine? Or is there something special I'm missing?

Thanks.

**Mouseskowitz** · 07-02-2014, 18:23

Originally Posted by HangingBrewer

This may be a silly question, but when referring to a "Thread Injector" are we talking a normal sewing machine? Or is there something special I'm missing?

Thanks.

It's just a normal machine. Some guys just don't want to admit that they sew.