Sailrite Sewing Machines

[archerships]

If you would like to make custom-made packs, tool rolls, etc., the Sailrite sewing machine seems like it would be a good choice. It's marketed toward sailmakers, and is capable of sewing multiple layers of heavy duty materials like Cordura, nylon webbing, leather.

BTW, can anyone recommend a book on hand sewing techniques?

Comments

[troyworks.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing. Useful for some future projects I have in mind.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Glad it's helpful!

[new-iconoclast.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a book, exactly, but hand sewing isn't hard, just time-consuming. The Northwest Territorial Alliance, a group of Revolutionary War reenactors, has a good "basics of hand sewing" page here, with basics of the most common stitches. Depending on what you're sewing and how much stress the seam has to bear, long seams are usually joined with a backstitch and flat-felled. That produces a seam that is generally as strong as the cloth itself if the right thread is used.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info! Very helpful.

[chutzpahgirl.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a pretty competent machine sew-er, a halfway good machine should be able to accommodate heavy material. It's just a matter of having the right ancillary equipment (the walking foot, the thicker needles).

Hand sewing is pretty easy to learn. If you're a visual learner, you should get someone to show you. That web page is a good start, though I'd have to differ on only using a single thread for sewing. A good place to start to find someone who could teach you hand sewing is your local craft store, which probably has classes on machine sewing. The teacher should be able to show you several different stiches in a couple hours.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestions! My main purpose in wanting to learn is so that I can work on sewing projects while I watch Simpsons/Sopranos/South Park/Carnivale. That way I feel less guilty...:>

What kinds of things have you made?

[chutzpahgirl.livejournal.com]

Many different things, mostly quilts. I machine quilt quite a bit, but I think business-wise I'm going to have to invest in a longarm quilting machine. I also make clothes occasionally, but it's all about the quilts.

[sweet-evil.livejournal.com]

Speaking of machines.... you still want the Washer/dryer?