Anyone into Sewing?

Nick Niebuhrwrote:

Does anybody have tips or links to tutorials on improving technique for shoulder straps? I seem to have a hard time sizing and shaping the foam to be a nice tight fit, and also struggle with getting the seams falling the right way down the whole length of the straps and it all looks super janky.

My technique is I go to my local thrift store, buy a day pack in good condition for $3-5 and cut the straps off it. Sew them onto whatever I’m making. Voila!!

Edit: Nick, looks like you are in 4CRNS. Added bonus, your purchase at Durango Humane Society helps out some wannabe crag dogs, win-win

Nick Niebuhrwrote:

Does anybody have tips or links to tutorials on improving technique for shoulder straps? I seem to have a hard time sizing and shaping the foam to be a nice tight fit, and also struggle with getting the seams falling the right way down the whole length of the straps and it all looks super janky.

You can always forgo the foam. 3D spacer mesh, a layer of fabric on top (ie 200 - 500d ish), then grosgrain around the edges can work. Particularly if the webbing is sewn along the length of the strap and the loaded pack weight wont be all that much. If its a very light full pack weight, you may be able to get away with less on the webbing.

1/8" and 1/4" 3D spacer mesh is common, but you can find thicker and with stiffer internal structure if you look around a bit, at least 1/2", maybe even thicker still for more military applications.

Anyone ever make an oven mitt into a chalk bag?
https://krok.biz/skalnoe-snaryazhenie/meshochek-dlya-magnezii-rukavichka

Desert Rock Sportswrote:

Anyone ever make an oven mitt into a chalk bag?
https://krok.biz/skalnoe-snaryazhenie/meshochek-dlya-magnezii-rukavichka

Any clue if it works well? I've got an oven mitt laying around I never use so it might be worth a shot

This thread got me hyped up to try sewing. This is my first climbing-related project, a chalk bucket made from jeans outta goodwill. My one question: how do you all have patience for all the tasks that don’t take place at the sewing machine? Planning, laying out a pattern, etc. I would like to make actually good looking bags, but I find I get burned out if I don’t think I’m making quick progress. It gets compounded by the limited time I have available to be on the machine due to student things.

Isayah Bannisterwrote:

This thread got me hyped up to try sewing. This is my first climbing-related project, a chalk bucket made from jeans outta goodwill. My one question: how do you all have patience for all the tasks that don’t take place at the sewing machine? Planning, laying out a pattern, etc. I would like to make actually good looking bags, but I find I get burned out if I don’t think I’m making quick progress. It gets compounded by the limited time I have available to be on the machine due to student things.

I tend to YOLO it at the machine and then end up with things that are functional but ugly, or things I need to throw away (or heavily seam-rip) half-way through sewing. I also find a ton of value (if not working from a pattern) in taking scrap fabric and doing a dry run of what you want to make (maybe at a smaller scale) to wrap your head around what the process for sewing/assembly will look like.

Isayah Bannisterwrote:

This thread got me hyped up to try sewing. This is my first climbing-related project, a chalk bucket made from jeans outta goodwill. My one question: how do you all have patience for all the tasks that don’t take place at the sewing machine? Planning, laying out a pattern, etc. I would like to make actually good looking bags, but I find I get burned out if I don’t think I’m making quick progress. It gets compounded by the limited time I have available to be on the machine due to student things.

Way to recycle that, looks cool! Re: patience, ymmv but I have found the more I actually have sat down to work on different projects, the more patient I have become. Also the more efficient I have become. Those things probably are related.

There is a big learning curve but the whole process gets more efficient and you learn new techniques that make future projects easier. My first project was also a chalk bag; I still make the same style bag in a fraction of the time, and I can do things more “freestlye” like topstitching or add a pocket or webbing finish that I didn’t plan at the outset—something that when I started sewing a few years ago I’d need to read and reread or rewatch instructions for it like half a dozen times. 

And to think of how much cursing I did just trying to set up my machine and sort out a bobbin on that first project haha…

Can anyone help me out with naming a technique, and how to do it? I'd like to know how to make the "hidden" straps that the G hook is hooked onto in this photo, and the empty one to the right of it. Is it as simple as cut a slit in your fabric, stuff the webbing though, and zigzag stitch over the join? I'd be worried about the material tearing.

Erik Jwrote:

Can anyone help me out with naming a technique, and how to do it? I'd like to know how to make the "hidden" straps that the G hook is hooked onto in this photo, and the empty one to the right of it. Is it as simple as cut a slit in your fabric, stuff the webbing though, and zigzag stitch over the join? I'd be worried about the material tearing.

I think that's about it. I believe he is using a backing on the inside for the bartack to have more fabric to grab onto. I also think he tapes them as well.

I'm hoping this is an "anyone into adhesives" question rather than a sewing question: has anyone had success (or failure!) adding lash points onto a BD Creek 50?   If so, what did you do?

I made a few awesome pieces of gear that have held up through seasons of abuse. I’ve also sewn some junk, and made a few novelty items I never actually use.

My favorites have been a ski pack and bike bag made from X-pac. The ski pack is based on a learnMYOG pattern with a few touches stolen from favorite packs. And roll-top bike bags are very forgiving so I just copied a friend’s bag. I highly recommend salvaging parts from old packs. (Lmk if you wanna sell me a mystery ranch hip belt!!).

White looks like super cool hyperlite packs, but it’s hard to see the inside if you make the interior black. Also, I eventually needed to add a stiffener to the rolltop so I could close it with one hand. On the bike bag, I added the purple guard after the fact (from an old Tupperware).

I make a cool kneepad too!(not pictured)! It worked pretty well but the send pads are better. When I got serious about sending my proj, I scrapped my macaroni-art and strapped on a send pad.

Erik Jwrote:

 Is it as simple as cut a slit in your fabric, stuff the webbing though, and zigzag stitch over the join? I'd be worried about the material tearing.

I'd be worried about the material fraying apart under the seam and eventually failing.  I would try to sear the fabric where you slice it.  I have successfully used a thread burner to do delicate searing work on tears before patching.

mbkwrote:

I'm hoping this is an "anyone into adhesives" question rather than a sewing question: has anyone had success (or failure!) adding lash points onto a BD Creek 50?   If so, what did you do?

I have sewn daisy chains and loops onto packs. I don't think the Creek presents any particular problem.  Why are you thinking glue?  I have a Creek 50 and 35, so if you send a sketch of what you're hoping for, I can look at the pack and figure it out.

Jay Andersonwrote:

I have sewn daisy chains and loops onto packs. I don't think the Creek presents any particular problem.  Why are you thinking glue?  I have a Creek 50 and 35, so if you send a sketch of what you're hoping for, I can look at the pack and figure it out.

I am thinking glue because I don't know how to sew.  :-)

I guess technically I don't know how to glue, either, since I don't know what kind of glue would stick to a Creek 50.

mbkwrote:

I am thinking glue because I don't know how to sew.  :-)

I guess technically I don't know how to glue, either, since I don't know what kind of glue would stick to a Creek 50.

Are you going to be in Western Colorado anytime soon? Or want to ship it this way? I can bartack whatever you want. PM me

If you are talking about gluing to the vinyl / rubbery outside, I'd consider vinyl cement, like HH-66... or maybe E6000. YMMV.

Max Rwrote:

Made a chalk bucket last night. Lined it with some cool purple velvet i stole from my wifes fabric stash. 

That's killer! Where did you source the patterned fabric? Also does it have something stiff in the lip to keep it open?

Ethan Jeannettewrote:

That's killer! Where did you source the patterned fabric? Also does it have something stiff in the lip to keep it open?

It’s from ripstopbytheroll.com. They have tons of technical fabrics. They can even print any color/ pattern dyneema. This fabric is fairly stiff (RS21) on it’s own, so i just did a single fold, then stitched velcro on it. 

Isayah Bannisterwrote:

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The internet NEEDS a picture of someone climbing in daisy duke short-shorts while rocking this chalk bag

Jorts are actually the best climbing pants. I’ll cut em short once I blow the butt out. Belayer’s gonna love it