Anyone into Sewing?

Ryan Dwrote:

Has anybody ever tried to make their own climbing shoes? Very little info or posts about people trying around on the web. I've been thinking about trying. Seems like something that may take quite a while to get right and be way not worth it. Cool idea though, I would love to make a custom fitting shoe for my wide and different sized feet. 

I wonder what the process of making a last (is that the right word?) is like? If I had to guess it's not easy, otherwise La Sportiva probably would still be making the Ganda. I think there are also adhesives that bond the rubber/leather that are proprietary and/or very hard for a consumer to get. Not trying to burst your bubble but it seems like a pretty labour intensive thing

Ryan Dwrote:

Has anybody ever tried to make their own climbing shoes? Very little info or posts about people trying around on the web. I've been thinking about trying. Seems like something that may take quite a while to get right and be way not worth it. Cool idea though, I would love to make a custom fitting shoe for my wide and different sized feet. 

Raymond did it commercially for about 8 years and made me three great pairs of rock shoes. His Instagram is still up where he has photos of the process. It started with me making a plastic cast of my feet using some chemicals (Alginate) from a hobby - sculpting shop. I sent him my plastic feet.  He made a barebones leather "sock" without any rubber or lacing holes and sent it to me for a test fit. I sent it back to him with notes on where it fit or didn't fit, and he sent me finished rock shoes.

Sadly, he wasn't able to stay in business, I think the whole Covid thing played a part. He is a friendly guy and would probably share some of his process if you contacted him through instagram.

But, I needed new shoes so I went back to my tried and true method of getting commercial shoes to fit my Frankenstein size 7EEEEEE feet. I buy the longest shoes I can find, like a 15. I cut the back off and reassemble using the original heel until they are my size. It takes me about a day, and I've done it in the Squamish Chief parking lot with simple hand tools.

It's very scary to cut a $200 pair of shoes.

I've written about the process extensively here and it's also on mountain project somewhere. If that link doesn't work, search google for: "custom wide rock climbing shoes". I'm the first result.

I was a Parachute Rigger in the 82nd Airborne as a young dude. One of the skills you spent a week and a half learning was sewing and repairing parachutes. Learning to sew from a bunch of angry black Sargeants(that were magnificent sewers)screaming at you was quite unnerving but I nailed it and excelled learning that skill.

I left the Army and moved straight to Boulder looking to set the climbing World on fire, just one drawback, I had ZERO skills at 20yrs old to make a living in that town, hell any town. One day I was looking in the back of the newspaper(because that's where the jobs were located) and JRat was looking for a new seamstress. I had zero confidence but got an interview and was hired immediately! Holy crap, I'm living in a basement with an also way young Jimmy Surrete and just landed a job at JRat was literally one of the happiest days of my life, I worked there for years. 

Later on I switched over to Mountain Mend and my skills skyrocketed as I was doing tent, sleeping bag, backpack etc etc repair! Still later I ended up at Boulder Mountain Repair doing much the same. Never ever ever would have thought that's how I'd fund my Boulder dreams for almost 2 decades. Then I spent 6.5 years to become a Master Electrician, but I've never not had at least 2 industrial sewing machines in my garage. They aren't just fun or handy to have around, when they're needed they're super neccessary. Cool topic this one!

Whipped up this belay seat in about an hour. Climbing The Shield in a couple weeks and don’t really want to get blood clots!
VX21 and spacer mesh.

I work on baskets when I travel.  I started two while on the good ship Discovery in Prince William Sound last week.  I just finished this one.  

Will Sew For Bolts has traded several baskets for donations to ASCA - I am always thrilled when someone wants a basket!  Check out our new banjo strap, guitar straps, gear slings, baskets, hat bands, and belts, belts, belts on FB and IG.  WSFB has generated $2800 in donations directly to ASCA.  Help us turn old rope into new bolts.

https://www.instagram.com/willsewforbolts/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094399617005

Sale at Seattle Fabrics.  Only 10% off, but they have good stuff and good service.  

A few melly beanies and some melly sweaties i made the last couple days. Unfortunately this fleece (polartec 7472) is now discontinued and hard to find. 

Wear them together with a melly sweater to complete the tracksuit

Can anyone comment on the Singer Heavy Duty 4400 series machines? It claims to do heavy fabrics and is a reasonable price.

Climb Onwrote:

Can anyone comment on the Singer Heavy Duty 4400 series machines? It claims to do heavy fabrics and is a reasonable price.

What do you want to sew? Backpacks? How much time do you want to invest in this hobby? I'll take your recent comment on the New Paltz parking issues as a reference to your location. Heres a link to a machine I would buy if getting into it. Look for something that heavy and has as much metal as possible.

https://albany.craigslist.org/for/d/albany-vintage-sewing-machine/7674916667.html 

Nolan Nolanwrote:

What do you want to sew? Backpacks? How much time do you want to invest in this hobby? I'll take your recent comment on the New Paltz parking issues as a reference to your location. Heres a link to a machine I would buy if getting into it. Look for something that heavy and has as much metal as possible.

https://albany.craigslist.org/for/d/albany-vintage-sewing-machine/7674916667.html 

Thanks Nolan. Spot on with the location. That’s almost exactly the machine I currently have. I’d like something that can do bags and maybe some outdoor cushion material. I’m not doing my own sling replacement or anything like that.

Maybe I’m just getting soft but having a 1-step button hole, the ability to remove part of the sewing deck to easily hem pants and fix sleeves, and more stitch options would be nice. 

Nolan Nolanwrote:

What do you want to sew? Backpacks? How much time do you want to invest in this hobby? I'll take your recent comment on the New Paltz parking issues as a reference to your location. Heres a link to a machine I would buy if getting into it. Look for something that heavy and has as much metal as possible.

https://albany.craigslist.org/for/d/albany-vintage-sewing-machine/7674916667.html 

I have a 237 which is super similar, only adds a zig-zag option.  It's awesome, and I'd absolutely recommend it to people looking for an old semi-HD machine with some added options.

A bag posted upthread getting hauled on mt index

An insulated lunchbox that was truly awful to make:  

And a new bag for a friend

I’m in Yosemite and have been working on various new bags. Feel free to stop by my van ( it has fins on the back) if you want to talk shop! 

Matt I love your bag style. Retro but modern. That insulated lunch box…. Did you sandwich foam between the xpac and liner? Or insert the foam after into it like a pocket?

Max Rwrote:

Matt I love your bag style. Retro but modern. That insulated lunch box…. Did you sandwich foam between the xpac and liner? Or insert the foam after into it like a pocket?

Thanks!

to make the lunch box I made sheets of 

xpac | foam | liner 

(And one with a zipper)

then joined them all together afterwards.

I did French seams (? I think) to keep everything clean ish, but dealing with the corners was tricky for me.

Mike J wrote:

Wow, french seams and box corners? Damn, I would tear my hair out..

Yea that's more or less how it went! Though I might have done a section with regular bias tape.

Anybody sewn pockets onto their climbing pants? I bought like 4 pairs of Prana Brion pants back when I was mainly bouldering/sport climbing (stretch zion material in a blue jean format) and now that 90% of my outdoor climbing is multipitch they're sitting dormant while I wear the same pair of zions every time because I can stick my phone and a bar in the thigh pocket.

I bought some 4-way stretch fabric with the intent to add pockets to a few pairs, but I'm trying to find a pocket pattern that'll work best without having to add a zipper. Thinking maybe something like this (with the flap sides also sewn down for a tighter 'seal' but IDK youtube.com/watch?v=ObrloZE…

MattHwrote:

Anybody sewn pockets onto their climbing pants? I bought like 4 pairs of Prana Brion pants back when I was mainly bouldering/sport climbing (stretch zion material in a blue jean format) and now that 90% of my outdoor climbing is multipitch they're sitting dormant while I wear the same pair of zions every time because I can stick my phone and a bar in the thigh pocket.

I bought some 4-way stretch fabric with the intent to add pockets to a few pairs, but I'm trying to find a pocket pattern that'll work best without having to add a zipper. Thinking maybe something like this (with the flap sides also sewn down for a tighter 'seal' but IDK youtube.com/watch?v=ObrloZE…

Take a look at the pocket on the right back of the Zion.  I climb with my wallet in it all the time; I imagine it would be a sufficient closure for a phone.

Playing around with some little multipitch packs. Both in volume and fit. A couple prototypes done for a 14” torso. Somewhere around 18L, tapers nicely at the bottom for access to chalk and harness gear loops, and still widens enough to fit a helmet inside at the top. Double haul loops, stowable shoulder straps and waist belt, single motion drawstring action, external zippered pocket, daisy chains up the front for either elastic or a helmet carry (and mounting for removable compression straps), and a removable rope strap across the top (not built yet!). Weighs about 450g

Mike J wrote:

Looks great Matt! How did you make the shoulder straps? Would love to have an amateur pack makers get together to learn from each other but unfortunately I live in Europe.

My latest creation was a weather proof case for a fire axe mounted on a vehicle at work.

I sew the casing inside-out, then stuff the foam as I flip the casing, and then stitch the webbing through the casing and foam. Takes a bit longer than sewing the stack of material right side out and then binding around the edge, but I think it's a better finished product.

Matt Zwrote:

Playing around with some little multipitch packs. Both in volume and fit. A couple prototypes done for a 14” torso. Somewhere around 18L, tapers nicely at the bottom for access to chalk and harness gear loops, and still widens enough to fit a helmet inside at the top. Double haul loops, stowable shoulder straps and waist belt, single motion drawstring action, external zippered pocket, daisy chains up the front for either elastic or a helmet carry (and mounting for removable compression straps), and a removable rope strap across the top (not built yet!). Weighs about 450g

I sew the casing inside-out, then stuff the foam as I flip the casing, and then stitch the webbing through the casing and foam. Takes a bit longer than sewing the stack of material right side out and then binding around the edge, but I think it's a better finished product.

Where do you source the hardware for that cinch and what is it called? The nice stuff that you don't need to use two hands to operate.