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  1. #21
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spock View Post
    Making a rectangular 5 X something will take you, maybe, if you are a total greenhorn, an hour. A hex with catenary curves will take maybe another hour, max.
    You are a whole lot faster than I am. A lot faster than Blackbishop's directions suggest as well. I'm not questioning your estimates for you... only suggesting that like everything else YMMV. Sewing speed is highly dependant on the speed of your machine, the quirks of the fabric and the process you use to work the project.
    Last edited by Ramblinrev; 09-18-2008 at 10:08. Reason: correcting quote attributes
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

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  2. #22
    New Member
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    campmor.com sells a 10x10 coated nylon tarp for 40 bux. I use one with my HAAB style double hammock. The tarp has 21 tie tabs, no grommets and very very light.

    http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___22220

  3. #23
    Peter_pan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hassinism View Post
    campmor.com sells a 10x10 coated nylon tarp for 40 bux. I use one with my HAAB style double hammock. The tarp has 21 tie tabs, no grommets and very very light.

    http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___22220
    I'm sorry, but 2 pounds 6 oz packaged weight (maybe 2 pounds plus alone) is heavy when silnyl tarps of the same size are 16-18 oz..... certainly not" very very light".

    Pan
    Ounces to Grams.

    www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413

  4. #24
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    JaxHiker,
    I don't fold the ribbon, just stitch it flat. The idea with ribbon is to make your job easier. Just lay the ribbon along the edge to be hemmed, stitch it close to the inside edge of the ribbon with the outside edges of ribbon and fabric aligned, then turn the ribbon to the other side and stitch it down. Duck soup. It really is quick to do and gives a durable trouble-free tarp, in my experience.

  5. #25
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    Jaxhiker-

    A some tips that I use to help sew straight: 1) Place a magnet to the right of the presser foot at a distance from the needle that equals the desired seam allowance, 2) alternately, place a piece of masking tape as a guide, 3) slow down, as you mention, 4) make sure that you are sewing on a stable surface. I did some sewing on a very small side table and found that running the (portable) sewing machine caused the table to shake and sway. It made for some crooked seams.

    I think grosgrain is supposed to have some stretch to it, which is why it follows those catenary curves so well.

    Rosaleen

  6. #26
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Spock's way of putting on the ribbon is what I do. That rolls any unevenness into the seam and you get a fairly nice crisp edge. I roll the hem fully enclosed. Just my doing, no reason it has to be done that way. I just like it better. (shrug)

    Be careful of adhesives like masking tape. Particularly the cheap stuff can gum up a needle pretty quick in my experience. The magnet works well on steel surfaces. Some of the machines now don't have hardly a gram of steel in them. Also consider the machine. If you have a computer managed machine you might not want to use a magnet out of concern the magnetic field may corrupt the computer memory. That's not a concern at all for the steel workhorses of the past.

    Grosgrain has some give to it, but heavy curves will defeat it. Bias tape will hug them curves like a spandex swim suit. Bias tape can be purchased single fold or double fold. The single fold has the edges folded (don't ask me why two edges folded is single fold) the double fold is folded down the middle as well. Double fold is helpful if you don't want to roll a hem at all. Single fold can be put on the same way as the grosgrain. Make sure with bias tape you sew carefully. The bias tape has cut edges and will ravel if not sewn neatly. Once sewn on it is pretty well bomb proof.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  7. #27
    Senior Member TiredFeet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FreeTheWeasel View Post
    .....................

    So, rather than ramble any longer, I think what I'll do is try a basic tarp with some cheap dwr fabric. It won't actually be useful as a tarp, but it will give me an idea of what kind of effort I'll have to make. If I don't enjoy the process, I'll purchase a commercial tarp without any regrets....................
    Yes, but also remember that DWR and silnyl are two very different beasts when sewing.

    I have little to no problem with DWR. Silnyl, however, is slippery as sn*t and I find it it to be very unmanageable.

  8. #28
    Senior Member JaxHiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spock View Post
    JaxHiker,
    I don't fold the ribbon, just stitch it flat. The idea with ribbon is to make your job easier. Just lay the ribbon along the edge to be hemmed, stitch it close to the inside edge of the ribbon with the outside edges of ribbon and fabric aligned, then turn the ribbon to the other side and stitch it down. Duck soup. It really is quick to do and gives a durable trouble-free tarp, in my experience.
    Ok, so you don't fold it over so you have stitching on both sides? That would certainly be easier.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rosaleen View Post
    Jaxhiker-

    A some tips that I use to help sew straight: 1) Place a magnet to the right of the presser foot at a distance from the needle that equals the desired seam allowance, 2) alternately, place a piece of masking tape as a guide, 3) slow down, as you mention, 4) make sure that you are sewing on a stable surface. I did some sewing on a very small side table and found that running the (portable) sewing machine caused the table to shake and sway. It made for some crooked seams.

    I think grosgrain is supposed to have some stretch to it, which is why it follows those catenary curves so well.

    Rosaleen
    I'm getting better. I think part of my problem is that I was trying to guide the material through the machine rather than just keeping it somewhat taut and let the machine do its job. I had much better success with some seams I was doing tonight.

    I have marks on my throat plate so I'm using those guides for my seam allowance so that'd be like #2. With 2 & 3 I think I'll get the hang of it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    I roll the hem fully enclosed
    Sorry, I'm feeling very obtuse at the moment. Can you explain?

    Grosgrain has some give to it, but heavy curves will defeat it. Bias tape will hug them curves like a spandex swim suit. Bias tape can be purchased single fold or double fold. The single fold has the edges folded (don't ask me why two edges folded is single fold) the double fold is folded down the middle as well. Double fold is helpful if you don't want to roll a hem at all. Single fold can be put on the same way as the grosgrain. Make sure with bias tape you sew carefully. The bias tape has cut edges and will ravel if not sewn neatly. Once sewn on it is pretty well bomb proof.
    I know what the bias tape is but haven't used it yet. Something else to play with.

    Thanks gang.

  9. #29
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    I apply the ribbon/tape as discussed and fold it over stitching it once again as Spock does. Where he leaves it there, for good reason, to make less of a moisture catch... I roll the hem again to fully encase the ribbon/tape. I like the look better and I like the fact that the ribbon/tape is fully enclosed. Frankly, that is a point of personal preference and neither is better nor worse in my opinion. What ever floats your boat.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

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