Instruction: Gathered End Hammock

**gmcttr** · 08-19-2013, 06:22

Rolled hem...roll it, hold it, sew it, repeat.......

**SCWalker** · 08-19-2013, 06:50

Originally Posted by gmcttr

Rolled hem...roll it, hold it, sew it, repeat.......

Made it look easy.

**Zilla** · 08-29-2013, 06:31

Originally Posted by gmcttr

Rolled hem...roll it, hold it, sew it, repeat.......

i am about to tackle my first diy hammock,reason being that i am a big guy so i have deciided to get some material and make my own.
What i plan to do is use 2 pieces of ripstop 1.9 oz 70 d and sew them together for extra strenth and security,my question is-
What kind of thread exactly do i need to use, i plan on atleast a triple stitch,
I am about 350lbs right now and i am working on losing weight but it is not east.
I need to feel secure in my hammock and i will NOT give up hanging,i have several hammocks that are rated for 400lbs and i just dont feel that safe and it is not as relaxing as it should be

**Zilla** · 08-29-2013, 07:00

Originally Posted by Saedy

i am about to tackle my first diy hammock,reason being that i am a big guy so i have deciided to get some material and make my own.
What i plan to do is use 2 pieces of ripstop 1.9 oz 70 d and sew them together for extra strenth and security,my question is-
What kind of thread exactly do i need to use, i plan on atleast a triple stitch,
I am about 350lbs right now and i am working on losing weight but it is not east.
I need to feel secure in my hammock and i will NOT give up hanging,i have several hammocks that are rated for 400lbs and i just dont feel that safe and it is not as relaxing as it should be

I just found the perfect thread on diy gear supply,thanks for all the help

**Pipsissewa** · 08-29-2013, 09:08

Sorry no one answered you sooner, Saedy. But, you're right. Gutermann thread is just the ticket. Just remember that--perhaps counter-intuitively (it was to me anyway

)--FEWER stitches per inch is stronger than more. More than seven straight stitches per inch (I THINK that's right--someone correct me if I'm wrong) perforates the fabric to a degree greater than the holding strength it gives. (think postage stamps!)

And straight stitches are stronger than zig-zags. Zig-zags are practically in the realm of decorative.

And, finally, match your thread to your fabric. Get polyester thread to sew polyester, nylon to sew nylon. Their stretch, strength and shrinkage (if any) will better match the fabric.

And that's all I know about thread.

Best of luck to you. Can't wait for you to post PICTURES of your DIY!

**gmcttr** · 08-29-2013, 11:29

Originally Posted by Saedy

I just found the perfect thread on diy gear supply,thanks for all the help

I use the Mara 70. I find the Tera 40 to be a heavier weight that doesn't work as well in my home sewing machines. I haven't tried the smaller Tera 35 and 50.

A triple stitch is normally used on the end channels, but will not add any strength on the long sides. A single row of stitching will be fine there.

Did you notice the hammock DIY instructions while your were on the DIY Gear site?

**SCWalker** · 08-29-2013, 16:08

Originally Posted by gmcttr

I use the Mara 70. I find the Tera 40 to be a heavier weight that doesn't work as well in my home sewing machines. I haven't tried the smaller Tera 35 and 50.

A triple stitch is normally used on the end channels, but will not add any strength on the long sides. A single row of stitching will be fine there.

Did you notice the hammock DIY instructions while your were on the DIY Gear site?

Thanks fer dat.

**Eagle84** · 09-12-2013, 11:39

Quick question on fabric widths. Serious noob here. I am currently, eagerly awaiting my first order of materials for my first hammock which I decided try this gathered end hammock method. What I ordered was the taffeta tablecloth from tablecloth factory. I ordered two and am planning on one for myself and one for my son. I have been camping since I was 8 and he is 8 now and we have been destined to be groundpounders until I recently discovered this community.

My intention is to do both hammocks with the Knotty stretch-mod. I ordered the 90" width for myself and the 60"(which seems to be the standard) for my son. But here's my question, I've read through 36 pages and got more informed with every one but the one question I came up with wasn't addressed, mostly because of the width fabric I ordered. My thought is since I have the wider material, folding the sides over and making, essentially, sleeves for sliding sleeping pad material for insulation. Essentially the sides of an ersatz SPE. I'm not yet used to thinking in terms of fabric/stitching stress or how things will affect the lay. I was thinking out loud and thought I'd bring it to the experts.

**Knotty** · 09-12-2013, 14:17

IMHO 90" is just too wide. I have a 156x90" from tableclothsfactory.com that I used to make an "tablecloth Brazilian" and ended up trimming material off one side and re-hemming it. With a hammock that's gathered (by any method) as the material get's wider what starts to happen is it begins to start forming a tube rather than just getting wider.

Keeping the material and folding it over to create pockets may be doable. The ends will be caught up in the gather, so you'll have to make openings somewhere along the length to provide access for pads. Please document your work so we all can learn.

**Eagle84** · 09-12-2013, 16:05

Huh, hadn't thought about trimming the edge re-hemming. Then using that material by reattaching and making sleeves? Makes more sense if the ends get too bunched up for effective binding. Thanks for the idea. I'll definitely take photos as I go along either to help others along or as a dire warning to not proceed! Either way it's a win. You don't learn unless you do. I have been guided along this path immensely by this forum, especially this thread. If I can return back a little info that's important.