Woes of the begging seamstress, errr, gear guy.

**MrClean417** · 01-18-2011, 12:18

Thanks to info from Gargoyle I'm using Knotty's guide for a simple gathered in Hammock. I was thinking of a DIY HH style BUT as the material is really cheap and my sewing skills are likewise, I probably should get some practice first. I purchased 4 yards of Red Ripstop and some poly thread from Hancock's and set about the task. Not my first time buying ripstop from Hancock's as I was using it to cover foam wings in RC Combat. Prefer it to JoAnn's which frankly has a lot more stuff BUT I've waited half an hour at the cutting station with just 2 people in front of me before, then checkout has a queue regardless of whether you're the only one there or not. I just can't abide waiting by myself at a point 20 feet from the checkout stand waiting for someone to decide that it is my turn. Other then that they've got loads of stuff there.

After a bunch of playing around with my Daughter's Genome machine I finally started a seam on one the sides. About half way through I noticed I was having trouble keeping it straight. Well, that's why I'm doing a practice hammock anyways. Didn't expect to set down and start making wedding gowns right off. Trudged on and got that side done then realized I couldn't unclench my shoulders. The table and machine really aren't the ideal height for me anyways and probably a little tall for my wife. Standing up was a pain though. Luckily it was shower and bed time so I stowed everything.

Soooo I've got a nice sore upper back today and a 'Don't look to close' seam. Hope to finish the rest of that tonight after I get home. Laying things out I noticed my sides and one end was pretty square. Then end I cut though, wow what an arc. I'll need to improve on a measuring table as the floor just isn't getting the job done, OR I'll need to move stuff around in the living room and vacuum it a couple times and lay out the next one there. I've got a really good Dyson vacuum BUT I have 4 dogs and 2 cats and 1 Red Head that sheds as much just as much but her hair is about 15 inches long. I don't shed thanks to keeping a shirt on at all times. Maybe I can find a long folding table and snag one of those for serving food on come Thanksgiving. That might work.

**creativeKayt** · 01-18-2011, 13:30

Thread injecting is a grueling pastime. Heh heh. Thank goodness for vitamin I and heat-packs.

Before I made my cutting table, I went to Home Depot and picked up three 2 feet by 4 feet by 1 inch thick particle board panels (I think they are for shelving) and stretched two layers of muslin over each one. Being easy to move, I'd lay them out on the dining room table to play with fabric. I'll get a shot of them later tonight and post 'em, so you can see what I mean, but they are great because the fabric doesn't move quite as much as on the floor or a normal table-top.

Take care of those sore muscles!

**jackleberry** · 01-18-2011, 13:50

Marking and cutting fabric definitely requires an adjustment in thinking for anyone accustomed to dealing with solids like metal and wood. In a way, it's impossible to draw straight lines on thin, flexible fabric. The best one can do is to mark everything from a single reference point to avoid too many cumulative errors. Pinning helps a lot--you don't have to go nuts, just one pin every 12 inches is enough to keep you from drifting too far. Luckily, for the same reasons that fabric is difficult to cut accurately, it is also forgiving of rough accuracy. By the time you sew something together, esp. three dimensional items, all of the errors will either cancel out or be absorbed by the seam allowance or fabcric stretch.

Good luck on your project!

**Ramblinrev** · 01-18-2011, 14:03

Originally Posted by jackleberry

Luckily, for the same reasons that fabric is difficult to cut accurately, it is also forgiving of rough accuracy. By the time you sew something together, esp. three dimensional items, all of the errors will either cancel out or be absorbed by the seam allowance or fabcric stretch.

Good luck on your project!

Unfortunately there is another option. The errors can compound and create a multitude of problems. I've had all three happen to me. The larger the pattern pieces the more forgiving the fabric is. Fortunately small pieces are easier to cut accurately than lager pieces. For a gathered end hammock I don't usually cut anything except one end of the strip. The rest gets absorbed by the gathering method at the end.

**MAD777** · 01-18-2011, 19:43

Sounds like you are having fun!

That's pretty much the way we all started.

**Shug** · 01-18-2011, 20:48

Remember to breathe when you sew. It can be tense!!!!!!
Shug ....who knows

**MrClean417** · 01-18-2011, 22:22

Well, just put a couple quick ropes on it and hung on it a bit. Holds my weight anyways. Things went pretty well tell the last channel where for some reason everything wanted to make a hard left turn. Got it straitened out and you can't tell once the gather is up, but it was weird there for a second. I'll get a little more sag with the ridgeline and a little more space between the walls. If needed I'll move my anchors and gain another 6 feet distance.

Fuzzy picture time.

Ya, I've got my name on the list for a new Verizon Iphone. This old Blackberry is headed to the clearing at the end of the path.

Tomorrow I'll see about making some Whoopie slings for the ends and for a Ridgeline. But it's beddybye time now.

**creativeKayt** · 01-19-2011, 00:18

Well, that looks mighty fine. Love the color, too!
Yep. Injecting thread sometimes feels really weird and then things just magically correct themselves and works out. Its an odd, unexplainable phenomenon. Heh heh.

I didn't get a picture tonight, darn it all, but the small muslin doo-dads I mentioned above are shown in this video http://www.youtube.com/user/creative.../8/LlTXD3oP26g at 3:00 minutes in.

**MrClean417** · 01-19-2011, 00:40

Saw em. The Muslin sure do hold the fabric well. Thanks. I'll have to see about the folding table base and then topping them with those for fabric work. Maybe my wife would actually do some more if it was easier then cross-legging it on the floor. But I'm pretty sure I could get the table. We're supposed to host Tgiving this year and she wants to replace the carpet in our living/dining areas with hardwood.

Course thats before she was thinking about buying a 2nd house for my Daughter, Gbaby and FSIL to rent from us while my daughter does nursing school. It's going to be a long year either way.

**Jazilla** · 01-19-2011, 09:16

I don't like to pin, I use these.

They are cheap and come on and off really easy and those suckers hold on tight. I started my DIY blackbird last night. It is really hard to make straight lines. I really junked up the first side I did. But all is not lost. I think I will go with creativeKayt's bias tape idea. Love the videos by the way.