I have a few hobbies, and I tend to cycle between them. I love having a project, and making something. Craft wise they fall into three main categories: metal, wood, cloth.
Yeah I know, that pretty much runs the whole spectrum. They all boil down to the outdoors and here is how: knives, canoes, and outdoor gear. Usually I flow between them. I get too focused to do anything else. Continue reading
I am getting close to wrapping up work on our basement. We can’t wait to have a new sewing/craft, family, play space. Right now it seems so big, but once we are able to move in I am sure it will fill up and seem small.
The current status is almost ready to paint. It was primed last week and last night I did a second round of checking/mudding flaws. Tomorrow I plan to sand the new areas and hopefully prime them. I may even get to paint this weekend, then on to doors and trim. I have been pretty bad about taking pictures along the way, but when it is done I will post the ones I have.
So we got the tarp finished in time for the trip. It ended up being about 15'x12' and came in real handy. It's made of sil-nylon and without the netting came in at around 2lbs. I will have to weigh it when I get a chance.
Places I have used:
Rochford Supply: The cheapest no-brand Cordura I can find. Also great prices on hardware and webbing, especially in larger qualities.
Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics Inc.: Great selection and good prices. Cons: no online ordering.
Places I have not used, but have looked at:
Rockywoods Fabrics: Prices seem a little high, but you can order online.
Seattle Fabrics: Prices seem high, but they have a good selection and some useful tips.
Quest Outfitters: Haven't really looked at this site.
It stopped raining for a little bit last night and I was able to put up my partially finished tarp. There are a bunch of un-hemmed edges, it has less than minimal attachment points and haven't started the removable bug netting. Current weight is less than 2 lbs.
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This will probabbly be an ongoing list of outdoor gear sewing tips and projects. I should also put together a list of places to get materials from.
http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/tips/tips.asp
http://www.shelby.fi/catalog/articles.php?osCsid=68f84dee6dc2a2bbebac78320b90a7e1
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
http://www.kiddiesgames.com/jacketinserts/index.html
Prepping for our trip later this month I am going to be doing a bunch of sewing. I have already made a sleeping bag for the little one. It's basically two double thick fleece layers with a zipper. It's not the prettiest thing, but it should get the job done. Last night a big order of fabrics came in and I started my silnylon tarp. I am going to pattern it after this one.
The other thing is making some wicking synthetic clothes for Eli. Most baby clothes are cotton and as we all know cotton and water get dangerous. So my mom found some patterns for baby clothes and I got to get at least a couple things done before we head out on the water in the middle of nowhere.
Its been a while since I have tackled complex sewing projects.
sewing. I did a little back in middle school in Home Economics class; we made duffel bags. This time I made a thwart bag and a bow bag. I am glad how well they turned out.
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