New DIY'er

[bones08z]

So after being brand new to hammocks I decided to jump right in. I went to the fabric store thinking about starting with some DIY straps to change my suspension for my ENO and walked out of the store with 8 yards of ripstop nylon. So After much help from the wife (Since I have NEVER sewn in my life) and about 4 to 5 hrs of sewing I have a brand new double layered hammock. I used the design from DIY with a little modification.(only one side opening). It came out to a total of 1lb 7 oz but I had no worry about that so its all good.

So after it is all said and done I have learned some things. I need to work on my sewing. The edges will work but are not that great of quality. Second, if the top layer is wider then the bottom layer it makes things harder to sew it evenly. And now I have a new addiction.

[bones08z]

Sorry thought the photos uploaded and couldn't figure out how to edit them in so now I have posted on my own post.

[USMCStang]

Welcome to the cult! Don't worry all that much about arrow straight seams when you're just starting out. If its functional, custom, and fun, you have got yourself a new piece of gear.

The more gear you make, the better you'll get. I started with little things like wristies and stuff sacks before jumping into my first DIY UQ. I had the luxury of a" professional consultant" in Stormcrow, who saw it first hand as it was being completed (ok, well, I cheated, and he sewed the end shut for me), and if my work was "pretty decent" to him, I figure that it's a masterpiece for someone like me.

I'm making my daughter her first hammock, and I can already see more improvement in my seams, technique, and overall skill. It's all about practice, and believe me, you'll get plenty of practice once you find out how addicting making your own gear is. I actually find myself making stuff sacks out of scraps just to try different shapes, cuts, and techniques.

None of the expert craftsmen of hammock forums got as good as they did without ripping out a few seams to start. I'm sure every one of them still has a seam ripper or two sitting right beside their thread injector.

Keep up the good work...those stitch lines look a heck of a lot better than mine when I first started!

[gmcttr]

Good Job.

From the photos, it looks like you used a very high stitch count per inch. The long side hems don't need that. I use 8-10 stitches per inch and the sewing goes much faster.

[bigbamaguy]

Welcome to the club and looks great for a first time thread injector!!!!!

[Lost_Biker]

Welcome! Your work looks a lot better than my first project. Your a natural!

[Jazilla]

Dude got to love that zigzag stitch. Your lines don't look real crooked (this is the secret of the zigzag stitch). Even when I cut my two layers exactly the same and measure everything perfect I get a little difference in length at the end. The secret of this it material tension. I find that if constant tension isn't held one layer may walk more than the other. When close to the end of my stitch line I line up the ends. If one is indeed longer I apply tension to the other layer. this usually ends with both being the same. Good thing with ripstop nylon is the stretch. All layers will stretch to each other after a couple lays.

Welcome to the DIY Club.

[Lost_Biker]

Jazilla - thanks for the pointers. I've been having this problem with uneven lengths after sewing.

[flying_bobo]

Nice Job!

Each DIY is a piece of art and a custom one of a kind!

This is my hammock, there are many like it but this one is mine!

[MAD777]

I think you did a great job and kudos for jumping right into it - no stuff sacks for you!

Don't sweat the look of the stitches as long as they hold things together. After all that work, you don't want people to think you bought it at the mall do you?

Here's a trick for making sure both pieces of fabric end at the same time. Make a small mark on each piece about 1' apart. Measure this carefully so that the marks line up on each piece. As you sew the pieces together, check to see if both marks are going under the sewing machine foot at the same time. If one is getting ahead of the other, simply keep a bit more tension on that piece vs the other.