Sewing Thread....A discussion on making your own adventure textile gear.

The Artisan

Adventurer
Been keeping busy prototyping, testing size options, and most of all learning so I can make 2021 the year I (finally) start my business. I've been looking for an industrial machine that is going to suit my needs but every time I think I find a good option another one pops up and changes my mind. And while I am still finalizing what product offerings I will initially be launching, I have been making some of these personalized gear bags for some close friends and family to help raise some capital and get things started. Turns out buying bulk fabric and notions is pretty expensive lol

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If you plan to sell, careful using logos without consent. A number of companies crack down and fine. BMW sent out a number cease and decist letters recently
Kevin
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
If you plan to sell, careful using logos without consent. A number of companies crack down and fine. BMW sent out a number cease and decist letters recently
Kevin

Excellent point? Amazon and Etsy have cracked down on logo usage.
 

alexcivick

Observer
If you plan to sell, careful using logos without consent. A number of companies crackdown and fine. BMW sent out a number of cease and desist letters recently
Kevin
Excellent point? Amazon and Etsy have cracked down on logo usage.
Oh I agree lol I intentionally referred to it as "making for friends to raise capital" instead of sell for that reason. Esp because Land Rover is also notorious for cracking down. Try finding an independent company that supports Land Rovers and has the word Rover in their name lol

The gear I will be producing and selling will not have any of those logos or anything added to them.

The trademarked logo'd stuff is mostly my personal bags I made as test/prototypes that I will use in my Land Rovers. Everything else is examples like the rover club badge or the logos for some of my friend's businesses.

And the custom stuff is just an excuse to get some design ideas or test out a pattern without completely wasting the material. It is a pain and time killer to add the digitizing and embroidery I'd never be able to produce them in a capacity with the current process and equipment.
 

The Artisan

Adventurer
Alex all good then I have dealt with bmw for 19yrs in my upholstery business. If people want logos I give them the materials and tell them to bring back embroidered
Kevin
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Oh I agree lol I intentionally referred to it as "making for friends to raise capital" instead of sell for that reason. Esp because Land Rover is also notorious for cracking down. Try finding an independent company that supports Land Rovers and has the word Rover in their name lol

The gear I will be producing and selling will not have any of those logos or anything added to them.

The trademarked logo'd stuff is mostly my personal bags I made as test/prototypes that I will use in my Land Rovers. Everything else is examples like the rover club badge or the logos for some of my friend's businesses.

And the custom stuff is just an excuse to get some design ideas or test out a pattern without completely wasting the material. It is a pain and time killer to add the digitizing and embroidery I'd never be able to produce them in a capacity with the current process and equipment.

Trust me, I love/loved developing new, innovative gear for individuals, companies and Government organizations. I still do custom work but now the cost it includes development time with the customer, design time, patterning time/materials, prototype development with sewout, redesign and then final product so the hourly rate and prototype cost is significant. It generally is only economical for well funded start-ups or existing companies and large volume productions to recoup the development cost.......and I'm still 8-9 months out due to demand.

Good luck and keep sewing!
 

akhummer

Member
I”ve spent years using a lightweight sewing machine for horse and dog tack, tarps, custom cargo straps, etc. and am ready to move up to something more suitable for heavy weight materials. Looking for something pretty basic and considering a Sailrite or Juki DDL-8700. Portability aside, which is the more capable machine?
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
I”ve spent years using a lightweight sewing machine for horse and dog tack, tarps, custom cargo straps, etc. and am ready to move up to something more suitable for heavy weight materials. Looking for something pretty basic and considering a Sailrite or Juki DDL-8700. Portability aside, which is the more capable machine?

Two different machines. The 8700 is a high speed, straight seam, fixed table machine for garment production and the depending on which model, the Sailrite machine(s) are compact, portable, powerful walking-foot machines for heavy materials. For the type of material your working with go with the Sailrite or look at the Juki HD walking foot machines so that you have the power and speed control for dealing with thick materials. PS: yes you can use a 8700 for what your doing but, there is better and more material specific machines out there that will make sewing more controllable, enjoyable and the machine will last longer. Good luck!
 

akhummer

Member
Thanks BritKLR. When I went back and looked at the Juki specs I realized it was not a walking foot machine. I’ve always liked the Sailrite but am really tempted by one of the Rex, Comsew, etc. brands.
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
Thanks BritKLR. When I went back and looked at the Juki specs I realized it was not a walking foot machine. I’ve always liked the Sailrite but am really tempted by one of the Rex, Comsew, etc. brands.

I keep eyeballing the Rex's too. Since for me it's a hobby, this would just be a way to "level up" from my very-cheap Brother machine. I know there are MUCH better machines out there, but hard to justify the price gap for something I'll use a few times a year. (Especially since spending more on a better sewing machine is going to cut into my mill and lathe budget!)
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Thanks BritKLR. When I went back and looked at the Juki specs I realized it was not a walking foot machine. I’ve always liked the Sailrite but am really tempted by one of the Rex, Comsew, etc. brands.

Good luck and post up what you end up with!

BTW, my REX (Made in Japan in 1964) was my first HD walking foot machine and made 1000's of pieces of gear. I still have it (in storage) and will put it to use again once our shop is done.

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hg1027

Member
First, a question, so it doesn't get missed in the post -

What fabric for a grill cover? I'm in Houston, so rain and sun more than dust or snow. Grill will be under a covered patio or in the garage most of the time, so I think I can skip the $25/yard sunbrella. I'll also make a cover for a roll around generator that will also be between the garage and the patio. Joann for their outdoor cushion fabric? I assume there's a more industrial supplier out there.

I've sewn a few things over the years, little bags and water bottle covers for my Scout troop, modified backpacks and laptop sleeves, more recently clothes for dolls for my two little girls. My mom had a Singer she got for her wedding in 1974, that just got replaced a few years ago. My mother in law gave my daughter a sewing machine when she was about 6. I thought "surely it's just a fisher price toy, blah blah blah." Then she brought it home and it's a Brother xm2701. Not a Rex or a Juki, but it's a real machine, and I don't have to go to the neighbors house to use it. My skills have not outgrown this machine.

Hand sewing has always been the more show-off skill for me. My daughter ripped some pants at a school event, I had a hotel sewing kit and a bandana in my backpack, stitched it up before she had to be on stage. Friend popped a button off his shirt at his wedding, I sewed it back on without him having to take off the jacket and waistcoat and boutonniere and bowtie. Numerous pants buttons.

The best was a scout put an axe in to his leg 11 miles from the nearest road. The first attempts at bandaging as we hauled him out kept bleeding through, so I sewed him up and it held long enough.

I'm working on an awning based on Rayra's designs. I went with the 1.1oz silnylon, knowing that I'm not good about going back and making again with better material if good enough is good enough. I've french seamed the inside joints, hemming the edges now with room for grommets.

I took the panel with us to Big Bend last week, but I hadn't figured out the roof connection, and we were using the poles I'd made for washing lines, so never put it up. Got yelled at by a ranger for tying it to a tree.

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hg1027

Member
Some progress made during a boring conference call. This machine does not like to back up. I was taught to back up at the beginning and end and every so often in a long run.

Considering what I need to do around the grommets. Sew more, add webbing inside, leave it and go ahead.

Also not sure I need the outside edge seam. I suppose it flattens it out and may look a bit more tidy, but it's more thread to possibly come loose and look ratty later, and I'm going to keep it in a stuff sack, so flat edges are not necessary for that.
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hg1027

Member
Awning ~finished (I like rayra's addition of flaps to cover the grommet edge, don't need that just yet). I added webbing after the first grommet, as the sharp edges were already showing signs of cutting the nylon. I might have to pull that one out.

I got 25 feet of dyneema with the nylon. Cut in half and put eye splices in each end to be the guy lines. I looked for ways of doing taut line hitches or otherwise adjusting the length of them, but it's so slippery those knots don't work. Current plan (worked in the yard) is to do a sheepshank if I need to shorten, and still use the eyes. And I get to say sheepshank.

Attachment to the roof rack is with monkey fists and bowlines. 5 of them on the car when I'm going to be there a while, 2 at each end would go to the poles I have at each end of my 8 foot trailer.

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hg1027

Member
Grill cover made, $9/yd duck canvas from joann. Very basic, I did at least fold over the seams but that's about as fancy as I've gotten. It's loose enough I can probably sew up the back, I had left open in case it was tight.

The wheels on the cart need to be moved forward a few inches, and needs to be blasted and painted, then I'll see where snaps or grommets need to go to keep it all tight. This is mostly to keep sawdust off it when it's in the garage, and pollen off when it's in the screened patio.

Next will be the rolling generator and the fire pit. The pit might have been wet when I put it away, so need to get the sand out and make sure it's not garbage before I bother with the cover.
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