Sewing?

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
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I figured this would be a good place to discuss sewing since being able to repair clothes or your pack in the field is a good skill.

I'm not satisfied with the choices out there for satchels so I thought it would be fun to make my own. I need a project anyway. :D I'm going to do it by hand and I think I'll start with denim for a prototype and then maybe upgrade to nylon if everything works right. My question is what stitch do I use? Web searches only turn up types of stitches and not really where or when to use them. I want it to be strong obviously and simple would be nice too. If you have any other projects you've done with sewing I'd like to hear/see them.
 
My sewing projects usually involve a stiching awl mine is called (The awl for all) it does a nice lock stich i've used it on leather knife sheaths, nylon webbing, canvas & heavy denim. this is one of the most useful tools i've ever owned every outdoorsman should have one in there pack.
http://www.awlforall.com/merchant2/index.html
 
This may sound crude to real leatherbenders, but…

If I’m sewing heavy leather I use a saddle stitch. Poke holes with an awl or a drill motor and bit. Put a glover’s needle (dull tip) on each end of the thread. Each needle passes through each hole. The lower needle ends up on top. The upper needle ends up below. Shuttle them back and forth at each hole. Pull the thread tight as you go.
 
Raymond1000 said:
This may sound crude to real leatherbenders, but…

If I’m sewing heavy leather I use a saddle stitch. Poke holes with an awl or a drill motor and bit. Put a glover’s needle (dull tip) on each end of the thread. Each needle passes through each hole. The lower needle ends up on top. The upper needle ends up below. Shuttle them back and forth at each hole. Pull the thread tight as you go.
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I use the same method with leather but would it translate to fabric?
 
Raymond1000 said:
Maybe with heavy canvas. Otherwise, I doubt it.

I assumed a satchel would be leather.
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Thanks. Yeah I'm not a big fan of leather bags. I really like the material that maxpedition uses but most of their designs are just...too much. Too much organization, too much molle webbing, too many pockets, etc. I use ziplocks for my gear so I just need one med. sized bag to put them in.
 
I am currently planning a stitching project with heavy canvas as well as leather, too. I decided against the saddle stitch, because I fear while tightening the yarn it will crimp/warp the canvas. I just ordered a "speedy stitcher" awl, very similar to the "awl for all". Here is a video that shows the stitch it makes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNFMzAEW0V0&feature=related

Best regards,

l.
 
I consider sewing to be an essential life skill, not just a survival/outdoor related skill. I am not an accomplished seamster like my Mother was, but I can do yeoman repairs to clothes and camping gear when the need arises. I do include a mini-sewing kit in my camping gear. Several stitch variants work best with lighter cloth such as a blanket stitch or a running stitch. I noticed on my latest venture to Gander Mountain that they carry a neat little field sewing kit about the size of a match safe. You know what they say about a stitch in time.
 
A double needle stitch will pucker thin cloth if you pull it too tight, but so will practically all the others too. Lockstitch, backstitch, whatever. Another way to minimize that is to use shorter stitches.

A running stitch doesn't tend to pucker, but isn't really very strong either. But if you think about it, a saddle stitch is nothing more than two sets of running stitches, one on top and one on the bottom, and there's no reason you have to do them at the same time. All you really have to do is run a series of stiches with one needle, then follow with the other. No pucker.
 
I can hand sew fairly well don't know what stitch is what but it works . I also have and can use (I have made shirts) a 1931 singer hand crank sewing machine
Roy
singer.jpg
 
I own a White sewing machine. It’s older than I am. It doesn’t do any of the tricks modern machines do. Not even the zig-zag stitch. Forward and back is about it.

But all the machine’s innards are metal. It can sew through medium canvas and light leather without a hitch. That’s more than you can say for the plastic gutted modern ones.

I once used it to make a deerskin-velvet vest…Don’t ask. Fashions have changed. The point is, on that machine sewing leather to cloth was no harder than sewing a shirt hem.

If you want a sewing machine for crafts projects, get an old one. I’d suggest old Singers and Whites.
 
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Man I can sew a hack button, rougue hem, and limited awl work but it would be great to see some how too's from the accomplished. I agree sewing/mending is essential
 
I keep an assortment of needles and some waxed nylon tarp thread in my pack at all times. It's come in handy plenty of times. I also have a sewing awl and highly recommend it. I just wish they had a higher thread capacity.
 
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