Hi all, I’m sorry if this question has been asked many times before.

I am planning to make a backpack that I can use for both commute/work but also the occasional hike. As I cycle in the rain, I’m looking for a fabric that is very waterproof, but also durable and lasts long (I don’t want any polyurethane coating that can peel off). In terms of weight and denier, I’m not planning to make an ultralightweight bag but a good combo of structure/rigidity, durability and low weight is still much appreciated. I’d like to keep this project somewhat budget conscious. Ideally fabrics only available in the EU.

Or are there any reliable water repellent sprays that last long and are not insanely bad for the environment?

I know the bag will never be perfectly waterproof because of the seams etc, so in very heavy rain I may still use a raincover, but in general I want to not have to worry about medium rainfall.

Thanks!

I working on sewing a set of bikepacking bags. For deciding in material I wanted to try a stem bag out of cordura 1000D with a nylon liner.

My kenmore 158 was struggling with some jamming issues and starting when going through multiple layers. Am I pushing the limits of machine or am I missing something?

Outer fabric cordura 1000D

Thread Guttermann topstick thread spool

Guttermann universal thread in bobbin

Organ Jean needle 110/18

Maybe just me, but my Amazon and eBay feed is full of bags and other MYOG type products. Some of them are such low cost it starts to make sense to buy them for the parts or assemblies: zipper, lining, pocket assemblies, or shoulder straps. Example: full backpack (https://a.co/d/0cqUaww3).
What are some known good hacks that reduce cost or effort you innovative people have found?

I know about the all-metal Kenmores and the cheap machines at Goodwill that always seem to need a good cleaning. Just thinking about an easy option. There was a post here about the Vevor dupe of an industrial Juki. Got me wondering about the $97 Vevor. Thanks.

Hi, I have been making my first backpack doing the straps. Mostly I end up manually hand cranking because when the needle hits two layers of sewn thread seams (spacer mesh and nylon, then edging with bias binding) the needle hits a point it finds difficult and bends.

I have resorted to using jeans 90 size needle thinking they would be stronger but still bend. Are there any stronger needles that would handle this, or does everyone just hand crank?

PS. I have tested sewing the machine with two layers of polycotton no problems but as soon as I try to sew layers over two lines of thread seams underneath it can't handle it. I have also tested re-threading and trying every tension but keep it on 1 or 2.

My backpack is worn out and I am thinking about buying a new one. But I started thinking that maybe I could make one instead?

i am hand sewing and not necessarily a complete beginner, but self taught, so my experience is all over the place. Do I need special thread to make it sturdy enough?

P.S.: I am thinking about using cork fabric. I have bought small city backpack from that material which is holding up pretty well for years now. But Its just a small backpack that can't carry heavy stuff.

Can’t seem to find these anywhere. Any help would be much appreciated.

I made a storage sack for my backpacking cook pot out of some "nylon silk" aka. parachute nylon. While it's functional and I will use it, I'd love to learn from my mistakes.

What I did was trace out the bottom circle, cut it in shape with seam allowance and then use pins to attach it to the already sewn perimeter piece. However, once I started sewing, the fabrics seemed to be moving at different speeds, resulting in the top fabric bunching at every pin.

I did the sewing with the circle on the bottom and the perimeter on top, because that seemed easiest at first. Should I have done it the other way around?

I'm trying to sew over a folded 3mm cord and my bottom thread keeps on nesting.

I'm on a Juki 8700, Tex 70 thread, 110/18 needle, I tried using two hump jumpers, one in the front one in the back, hand cranking it, increasing / decreasing foot pressure, cranking up top thread tension but nothing seems to work.

Any feedback is much appreciated!

Whole question in the header I suppose! Of course this is a raw edge and I will be sewing trim over it. Although I do like to sew through the velc on certain projects to reinforce it so I’d still like to know how to make it cleaner. :)

I'm a home hobby sewer (backpacks, etc) thinking about upgrading my walking foot Juki 1181 to a Unison feed Juki 1541. They can use the same table and motor, so I could swap heads. But I'm worried that my 1181 will be hard to sell as just a head unit.

Should I keep my 1181 on it's table so potential buyers can test it out? That would mean selling the 1181 as a full table and motor working unit. Then I'd have to buy the 1541 with it's own table and motor. My wife says I'm only allowed one sewing machine.

Also, the prices at Prizzi are $600 less than my local shop in south Seattle. But I do believe that supporting local brick and mortar stores, with working mechanics has great value also. Thoughts?

Found this Singer HD 4452 at a local flea market for $90. Seems like a good deal. It looks to be in pretty good shape. One of the plastic covers isn’t on correctly but otherwise looks pretty good with my limited knowledge. I’ve been wanting to get into myog for making pouches and bags mainly. Would this be a good starter machine? Thoughts?

Let me start with apologising for bringing sofa’s to the MYOG subreddit 😅. But this fees like a better place than most diy subs.

If you’ve got go a bit of myog experience, what would be more difficult when making a sofa like this?

What do you think the base construction would look like?

I’ve finally narrowed my search down to two machines, and I’d really appreciate input from anyone who’s actually owned or sewn on both.

For context, I’m strictly a hobbyist. I mostly make MYOG gear—backpacks, slings, organizers, pouches, etc. Materials are mostly Cordura, 420D Robic, X-Pac, Hex70 lining, webbing, foam, spacer mesh, and the occasional vinyl project. I don’t sew leather beyond maybe a patch or light trim.

I recently bought a Sailrite LS-1 and, while I understand why people like them, it just wasn’t for me. It felt clunky and unrefined compared to what I’m looking for, so I’m selling it and moving to a full-size industrial.

Here are my current options:

Juki LU-563

• $850 asking (hoping to negotiate a little)
• Includes several extra presser feet and a bunch of M bobbins
• Clutch motor
• About 3 hours away

Consew 206RB-5

• $1,000 asking (also hoping to negotiate)
• Servo motor already installed
• Looks to be in excellent condition
• About 2 hours away

Posted are pictures of both machines.

I know the 206 is newer and already has the servo, but I also know the LU-563 has an excellent reputation and, if I’m honest, it’s the machine I’m naturally drawn toward. That said, I’m trying to make an informed decision instead of buying with my heart.

For those of you who have actually used one or both:

• Which machine did you prefer?
• Does the Juki really feel noticeably smoother or more refined?
• Is the top-loading bobbin on the LU-563 something you end up appreciating?
• Is there anything about the 206RB-5 that you liked better in everyday use?
• If the prices end up around $750–800 for the Juki and $900–950 for the Consew, which would you buy? Note: my area sucks and things are always at a premium.

Again, this is purely for a hobby. I’m not running a business or sewing 8 hours a day. What’s most important to me is simply owning a machine that’s enjoyable to sit down and use for years.

I’d love to hear from people with real hands-on experience rather than spec sheet comparisons. Thanks!

I'm trying to make a poncho, but so far the test stitches don't look very good.
I'm using Alterfil S 80 and Microtex 80. I've attached a Walking foot(?) that I bought a while back for stretch fabrics.
No matter what setting I use, the fabric gets pulled together just a little.
What settings do you use? Can it even look perfect?

I picked up archery recently after finding some arrows and a bow at the thrift shop. I’m not sure if I’m going to commit to the sport so I’d like to make myself a quiver using some scrap. Im hoping to basically make a tube (maybe a rectangular shape if that’s easier) but I’m absolutely stuck on how to sew this together. Does anyone have advice for sewing up a tube with a reinforced bottom?

I am sewing a rooftop tent. The base material is a PVC-backed waterproof polyester. I marked a 60"x60" square on my roll of material. After cutting, some of the side lengths changed by up to a half inch. I come from the world of diy wood and metalworking projects, so working with this shift is a little strange to me. I would appreciate any tips or resources to help me with this massive project.

Looking for the best/easiest and simplest way to tack down the edge of the front + gusset to the gusset (so it all sits properly from the outside)

The bag is a crescent one, curved upwards at both ends of the zipper and straps. The two curved ends curve in fine, but the main body section curves outwards and changes the look on the outside.

I’m doing the birthing method for the liner, and would like to avoid obvious topstitching on the outside (close to the edge might be ok) because its corduroy and messes with the fabric direction.

What would be the easiest/simplest way to tack this down or keep it from flipping outwards? Leaving it would change the look overall (weight at bottom of the bag will cause this edge to flip up instead of down towards the gusset)

I think clipping it would make the edge turn towards the main fabric piece instead of the gusset (is that most likely to happen?)

Would it be better to leave it and sacrifice the overall look?

(Last photo is bag stuffed with the edge flipping in certain parts)

I'm seeing zigzags on ends of zipper pockets and have troubles replicating this clean of a look. I tried removing teeth underneath at zipper ends and zigzagging over it, but it still ended up looking jagged. In addition, removing the teeth also risks visible teeth popping outside of the zipper pocket, and the slider coming right off (has happened before).

Some people have said a bar tack machine would sew right over these teeth, but I'm not seeing it.

Any ideas?

Looking to make some bags, pouches, tool rolls with the hopes of a simple overcoat one day, to aspire to a barbour/filson (esque) style. I love waxed cotton fabric from the likes of British millerain. Ive recently read that it's easier to work with unwaxed then wax yourself. Thoughts from myog people? Id prefer to use the pre waxed options to not have to worry about yet another skill to learn (ie waxing)Also, British millerain website seems like good prices, rather than alternatives from fabric sites. Im in the UK. Thanks!

Any lateral thinkers out there?

I am making a handlebar bag, and need some plastic to stiffen the sides and bottom. My searching skills are letting me down. There must be something that's sold for another purpose, but it's escaping me. Must be sold in the UK. Cheers

Hi everyone,

I'm an ambulatory (non-paralyzed, some limited ability to walk) wheelchair user living in Southern Ontario, Canada. It's my second winter in a chair and my first in my permanent chair, I was in a temp one with a very different setup before; I normally run hot but last winter I realized sitting still you get REALLY COLD and the wind goes right through you! I got by wrapping a fleece throw blanket around my legs but this was very awkward/got caught in things, was not waterproof, and on my new chair is a lot less viable overall for various reasons.

I'm a moderately experienced sewer with access to a sewing machine, serger, and coverstitch machine. As such I'm looking to make a leg cover with an interchangeable lining that could ideally serve as a thin/light rain shell in summer with no liner, suitable for fall/spring with a thin liner, and a heavy liner so it would function like a leg parka for winter (can get down to -30 or even occasionally close to -40 with the wind chill at times where I live). I commute on transit and need to be able to stay warm and dry while waiting on platforms or moving between transit stations but not overheat too much on the train - I likely can't remove the leg cover on transit but could take my coat off to cool down.

I have a reasonable sense of how I want to design it, the biggest thing is sourcing the right materials, especially the outer material which will need to be relatively soft/flexible and wind/waterproof but ideally somewhat breathable. Overall weight and bulk are also important considerations and I don't think I have the ability/patience to work with down. I have sewn plenty of garments both knit and woven but have very limited experience with/knowledge of technical fabrics. Not sure what's available to a home sewer in Canada. I have sourced some material from Refasten to make rain covers for parts of my chair in the past but they're bag oriented and even for that purpose the material was a lot stiffer than I anticipated and very hard to work with around curves.

Any thoughts/suggestions for what materials might be best for my leg-coat/parka would be much appreciated! Thank you!!

When stitching zippers, I consistently get puckering and wrinkles and end up losing about 1/4" of length compared to the original length of the zipper.

Here what I'm using, Techsew 4800 Tex 90 nylon thread 500D cordura fabric YKK #5 zipper tape

So far I've tried reducing the tension on my machine to the lowest I can without the threads sitting flat on either side, tried stitch lengths from 3mm to 8mm and found that 6mm gives the least problems. Ironing the piece flat after each line of stitching had no effect on the wrinkles.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Also, with piece like this should the pattern be made over sized then cut to final dimensions after the stitching is done?

I recently stumbled across a garage grown gear (mountaineering) backpack, where UHMWPE thread was used for all seams (if I understood correctly, maybe only the seams with the highest strain).

Now I’m wondering, if this really makes that much of a difference or is this rather a marketing thing than actually making the pack more robust? Has anyone here used this kind of thread before or does anyone have a pack with this thread?

I’m planning on making a mountaineering pack that’s a as durable my abilities allow, so I wanted to know about this before buying such an expensive thread.

Edit: Well, your verdict is out and it’s clear that it’s not a good idea to use it. Now I’m wondering, why the manufacturer of said backpack is using it at all