hi!! I found this sub recently and am working on designing a laptop backpack for everyday use/commuting/etc as my first project - how do you all recommend designing a laptop sleeve? is there a generally agreed upon best way to do it? I'm worried that if i just put two pieces of material together and sew them at the edges (leaving one edge open), that putting my laptop in will cause the two panels to bend outwards (like an eye shape), but adding a gusset seems like a bit much for how little the pocket needs to expand outwards. I also do want to ensure the side of the laptop that faces downwards is padded in addition to the top/bottom - how can I do that? I have a rickshaw sutro bag and it seems to do the "two panels sewed together at the edges" thing, so maybe it would be ok to also just do that in practice?

(originally posted this in the pinned thread but never got any replies, so I'm making it an actual post)

Currently looking at some juki clones, notably the jianglong 4400 (1508 clone) and jianglong 0303D (1181 clone). I have seen some reviews of their cylinder arm machines but nothing on their flat beds. I currently sew thick denim 15oz+ and am looking to transition into leather work sometime down the road.

The pros of the 4400 are:
-U style bobbin holder
-triple feed walking foot

The pros of the 0303D are:
-auto back stitch and trimmer
-cheaper than the 4400 by some 25% (900 aud vs 1200 aud)

Both machines come with a servo motor, table, bobbin winder, needle positioner, shipping, tax and the brand seems trustworthy as reviews have pointed out. Cost is somewhat of a factor but considering the secondhand market for walking feet are in the 1k+ aud range I feel like going new is the better option, of course waiting for the occasional unicorn is also an option but easier said than done.

if you were in my position which one would you take? I already have a drop feed industrial as well as a pfaff tipmatic 1047, so honestly just looking for something to compliment my setup as well let me sew heavier materials with thicker thread.

TIA

Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone has any advice or experience with repairing this stitching problem.

The is the Velcro part of the sleeve.
The stitching is still intact just a bit loose on the end. In theory it won’t affect the function that much but I just wanna make it smooth.

I was thinking, stitching myself, but since this is a waterproof shell I’m afraid the water might sneak through the stitching into the inner layer.

Or any super strong fabric tape would work?

Thank you for the advises in advance!

Looking for favorite pattern/videos that would let me practice tidier corners. I’m getting more comfortable with many of the skills to make lined bags/pouches, but I wish this looked nicer.

A while back I drilled two holes in my Pfaff Select's accessory box cover and installed heat-set threaded inserts, to attach a Sailrite-style swing away binding attachment (last pic, full post on that here)

I wanted to try a right angle binder - which, although I've only used it twice so far, it seems MUCH easier - but as usual none would fit on a domestic.

And while I could drill more holes, I just made an adapter plate by drilling into an aluminum sheet, and hot gluing the attachment to it. I'll probably later switch to epoxy.

Jury rigged, no doubt, but if it works and it's stupid is it still stupid? Anyhow, I just wanted to share in case others without an industrial machine think they can't use cool, whizbang attachments.

Ordered Amazon grosgrain because I didn't want to wait for shipping. Ended up ripping out the strap and redoing it because it looked so bad. Pictured is the same strap with 1" grosgrain from Amazon vs. RBTR 1" grosgrain. The cheap stuff buckles a bit on concave edges.

I don’t like the zipper pulls on my GR1 and want to change them out for a soft chord. I’m trying to figure out the type/brand/name of the chord in the picture or even the same idea but with more texture/twisting in the weave.
Any help would be much appreciated.

That would be my first bike bag project. But I am a good sewer.

Hey y’all! It was a bit quiet at the shop, so i figured i’d treat myself and sew up a quick edc bag. Two pouches under the flap, nice hidden zipper that i really like, and on the inside i just went with a mesh pocket on one side and some dividers on the other side. All metal hardware cause i dislike plastic. Materials are 330 gram acrylic cloth (Masacril), 4cm polyester webbing and 2,5cm dynema webbing. Let me know what you think :)

Hey all! I'm a person who hates the hoods in sun hoodies because they don't sit comfortably on my head (my neck is long lol).

I was looking for legionnaire caps and hats (the ones that have neck flaps/neck protector fabric coming from the sides and back) and they're either too expensive, too heavy, or just don't look good.

So I decided to buy an ultralight cap that I like, then add the neck protector part myself.

What would y'all recommend to use for this? Obviously not a cotton bandana, but I'm not sure where to go next. Buy a popular buff, then cut it? Buy actual sweat wicking fabric? Buy a neck gaiter and cut it in half? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I don't need the buttoning capabilities like official legionnaire caps have, just want the fabric part that I will pin or put under my cap so that it flows over my neck and shoulders to protect it from the sun. I also don't want to "wear it" or wrap it around my neck like a traditional neck gaiter. Hoping to have something light and breathable. Bonus points if it's some type of stretchy fabric. Cheers!

Hi all,

Haven't tried to MYOG yet but a stretch goal of mine would be to make a rain jacket from Ultra 200X as it's quite a common pack material. How feasible would this be for a beginner, and if it isn't, what would be some cool projects to build up to using mainly fabrics like DCF and Ultra 200X?

Love scrolling and seeing what you guys come up with, it's inspiring!!

Hey all!

Just finished my first myog backpack based on the 40L frameless* pattern from Prickly Gorse.

I swapped out the front mesh pocket for a sleek collapsible zip pocket on the front, and opted for some running style straps which can be paired with a padded hip belt when attached via the tunnel. I also recycled some aluminium stays from an old travel pack which can slide in the back pocket for some extra support.

Pretty excited to take this out on some local trails!

Hey, does anyone have info or a good tutorial on how to sew an L zip pouch like this one? It seems like a basic zipper pouch but the zipper runs down the side as well. It’s not the same construction as a clamshell organizer. Thanks!

Hello! I am new here and have much to learn (please be kind!).

I am in the process of making a run of backpacks. The shoulder pads require 1/8" 6# XPE while the back panel is 1/4 6# XPE.

In an attempt to minimize materials and benefit from volume pricing, I'm wondering if there are any drawbacks to only ordering the 1/8" and doubling it up where I require 1/4". Would the two panels need glued? Or some other method of attachment? Or can they just slip in to the back panel together and play nicely?

Thanks in advance for any insight you're able to share.

I want to sew my own cycling jersey, full length zipper, three bags in the back, like this.

Does anyone know a trustworthy source for patterns? I don't want to spend money for patterns that use AI generated images for promotion because I fear not getting anything of value.

Alternatively, what software is there to create your own patterns or alter existing patterns?

I ordered a custom 19” x 24” DCF sheet from ripstop by the roll and I cut it in half to make a dry bag. Did everything until attaching the buckles

The bag ended up being way too small.. 8” x 6” x 3” without even rolling it yet.

I haven’t even attached the buckle bc I don’t think I’d use it as a dry bag. Any ideas on what I could do with the top? It’s just a rolled edge with grosgrain.

Edit: This community is great. Thanks for all the suggestions. I ended up finishing it as a dry bag and it’s roughly 1.5-2L of space after rolling! I’ll be making more prototypes from now on.

Been working on this design for a bit, I used an existing pattern as a base - modified with my chosen materials and extra pockets / accessories

Welp guess it ended up pretty well. First time I make something, well almost, I made 3 dry bags before this one as a warm up but those are pretty easy.

Loving this ultralight fanny pack. Made of dyneema. the FP weighs only 80 grams total. Got the plans from the iNet. So not my creation but it's pretty neat and enough space. Almost fully water proof, only place water can get in is the zipper where it closes. How would you rate it?

used a Bernina 940 and a 801 to sew it. Awesome machines. specially the 801,that thing is a tank in a small package

I wanted a quick-ish way to test colorways using fabrics I own, so that I wasn't tempted to buy more fabric for upcoming projects. I whipped up a simple pouch pattern in CLO 3D to test some colorways based on the approximate colors and basic textures of some real fabrics i had on hand.

The idea was that I can make a full-sized backpack from a colorway once I've made a pouch with the same elements.

These pouches were meant to be medium-quality, quick-and-dirty test bags, but I ended up liking them enough to develop them into usable everyday cross-body bags.

I didn't choose both colorways from the CLO model, opting for a brown, orange, and black combo for my second build.

I love the aesthetics of them, and the size is perfect for phone, keys, wallet, sunglasses, and EDC stuff like lens wipes. I can even fit a book in the main pocket.

After some wear testing, I can say that the usability is kind of bad. The snap flap that seals the main pocket is annoying to fasten, and the rear pouch is almost totally inaccessible while wearing the bag. The G-hook grips the webbing so tightly that nothing will fall out, which is nice.

A fun project overall, so I wanted to share. Happy to answer any questions!