Just had to comment on how sewing is slowly coming back. It's gotten so it's difficult to find someone who sews. Years ago, my mother did a lot of sewing and my oldest sister still does. She sews some fantastic quilts that involve hundreds of tiny pieces that make up a pattern for a quilt.
In my younger years, I didn't learn anything at all, other than 'guys don't sew, women sew'. Years later after my mom's MS got worse, my dad missed being able to have things repaired or altered at home so he bought an industrial machine that I still use today. I also use my late aunts home sewing machine for finer mat'l. I've found that it's very rewarding to finish a camp item, as well as hem my own pants etc. My youngest daughter brings her EMS pants to me to be hemmed. Times can change... guys can sew. The difference is that their expletives are in a higher volume when things go wrong. I've probably made more than two dozen camp related items alone including tarps, lean style shelters, stuff sacks, packs, a canoe splash cover, ground sheets, hammock quilt etc. I've repaired or altered as many otherwise.
It's easy to find a used sewing machine, so take the plunge and let yourself learn to sew. All that you need to know and all the sourcing for mat'ls is on-line. It's a great way to shorten the winter.

Your comments about not learning to sew as a youth, apply to me as well.

Sadly, the extent of my skills is haphazardly putting patches on my packs.

I now wish I had more skill in that area. It's not too late, right??? :)

Times have changed some things but not all. Got to modify the name it bit. It is not a sewing machine it is a "Thread Injector", much more manly!!! Don't sew , go inject some thread into material, PK is right, it is fun and rewarding.

I took sewing and foods class in 7th grade, didn't sew again until this year, for work, we bought a carpwt binding/serging sewing machine. Then I realized I could sew some of the gear I need to buy, ie underquilt, tarp, stuff sack, for a frqction of the price and make it out of better material. So now I sew and I'm a 27 yo male.

Not too good with the machine, but I hand stitch all kinds of things. You know, fixing your favorite clothes and gear, attaching things, etc. Found this 10 mile spool of about 50lb test thread at a garage sale for a buck. I have enough for life and then some.

Honey bunny sews whatever else I can't manage. We should cross train in case the Maker needs one of us real soon.

I remember when typing was considered a feminine activity, but the only sewing I did is what I had to for boy scouts, etc...

Nice cook pot Banana! You jimmy rig that?

I would really like to learn how to, I did it in 7th grade for school but don’t have any of the equipment now. Tried buying a cheaper $200 machine last year and it was a bit of a let down, might have been trying to sew too thick of material, might have been a bad machine, wasn’t going to take the chance so I returned it.

Learned how to sew in the service. Came in handy when I had to stitch up my ankle. Didn't do to good a job but it stopped the bleeding and didn't get infected.

JB

Kinda. Hand sewn mending that look terrible but never comes apart.

Lucky to have a friend that has an upholstery shop. He does all my mending.

Yes, and I learned in 7th grade home ec. Have my mom's machine on permanent loan.... it was one of the first major purchases she made after graduating college and getting a good job.

My wife's godfather has/had a machine repair business and had him look it over a few years ago. Its mostly metal inside, gears, etc. and will likely last longer than I will.

I've made stuff sacks, fleece summer bags, a thwart bag, hemmed pants, repaired blown seams, and sewed on about a billion little cub scout patches on my kid's vest.

Just gotta keep up with maintenance - cleaning out accumulated lint and oiling moving parts. Also keep a lot of spare needles on hand and don't try to force too much material through!

quote Sobi: "Nice cook pot Banana! You jimmy rig that?"

You mean the one I made with the cork handle? Heck yea!

I just made a stuff sack with a zipper for my sawyer gravity water filter, since sawyer was so nice to not send me one.

If you are looking for a sewing machine,the Viking 6440 is great. They are oldand can be found on Craig's List for $100-$200, but great work horse machines! They even have a gear down system to sew heavier things. I have 2 and am looking for another used one to have for parts.

I sew most everything from wedding gowns to portage packs.

My dad used to say sewing was just like carpentry work with a different material. "measure twice, cut once and put the pieces together."

I've been quilting ever since our first daughter was born in 95. Wanted to make her a hand-made quilt, so I took a class and learned a few things. Machine quilted the baby blankets for my next two daughters. Over the years I've had students make baby quilts that were donated to a local shelter for women and children.

Had a class in both junior high and another in high school. Did a couple of Frost line kits. Buddy of mine does it all the time now. I thought about doing it once here at home many years ago and heard my wife's thoughts without her even saying anything. She does a lot and has serger and regular machine and I do not touch. I have sewed a button on from time-time but that is it.

Some of my best projects have been collaboration with other canoeing friends. One will have an idea or a need, another will help planning and pattern making and I will do the sewing. We do have to be careful not to "over engineer". We have done barrel packs, kitchen hangers, cooking cozys, sleeping systems-not bags, paddle covers, all kinds of stuff sacks and "roll and click" dry bags. The winters are long so we have lots of time to sew!

I am a 35 yo male and had hardly picked up a needle, then I started playing hockey in college and my expensive leather gear started to break/tear and instead of replacing it I would sew it back together. Ugly but effective hand sewing.

The women of my moms family are very serious quilters lots of equipment and experience. I had my mom help me fix some camping thing that tore a few years ago. After that time she made me do it myself and I started making things from scratch. Ive now done 2 UL tarps, 2 portage packs (I have moms extra machine in the basement right now to finish the newest pack), slip covers for the single air matresses, a paddle bag, some sand anchor bags, and assorted stuff sacks. My wife cant sew a lick and now asks me to repair clothes occasionaly...

Ragged -- I will second that older machines are normally better, the one I borrow was bought in the early 80s and runs outdoor fabric better than the newer $$$ ones (both sil and heavy canvas). You do have to have the right needle and fiddle with the thread tension though

Yup. My mother made me learn how to sew, cook and do laundry...thought it was dumb at the time. Not anymore!

Bob

I'm a 24 year old guy and I can sew. Some of my friends laugh at me that I can sew but I don't care. I learned in 7th grade to and my mom taught me some stuff to. I can't you a machine and in not great sewing by hand but I can do it. I've only ever really sewed patches on my backpacks and one patch takes me about an hour. And I think every patch I've ever sewed has blood on it from my fingers. Not great at it but I can do it! Lol

I got lucky and had help sewing my pants and boots that failed on my WCPP trip. My "canoe" pants got replaced and had my 40 day trip been 41 days, I'd have been sewing or cutting them off. Wore them right out. That is one skill I have yet to master... but I plan to figure it out as I found how useful it can be.

Way back in the early 80's, I purchased an imprssive New Home sewing machine for my wife(now ex.). I designed a lot of gear, cut it out and showed her how to sew it up. Things changed and the sewing machine went with her.

I am NOT getting another machine. I have something much better now, a very good friend named Dan Cooke.

I have sewed and stitched for a long time. Mostly leather now. 10 years ago I found a 1928 Singer leather (pedal) sewing machine. Got it for $100 buck and have been offered many times that. I do all my own snaps, buckles, and some zippers.

I once made a pair of leather-clad goggles out of a plumbers pipe fitting, some plexiglass, and a piece of leather. Got the headband off an abandoned shopping cart. Added some brass screws and acorn nuts on the sides for decoration. Technically I finished them but I wasn't fully happy with how it turned out so I took em apart intending to improve them, but they've sat for a while now.

I like this thread! Get it...thread.:) Seeing everyone but me knows how to sew some... anyone want to sew a liner for my sleeping bag? Got some material at Joanns called Royal blue peachskin, it's a thicker silk material. Shannon doesnt sew much. I don't really know how to make a liner but everyone says it'll extend temp ratings a little.

I learned how to hand sew in high school. I sewed new leather on this old Duluth pack last week.

quote pswith5: "I like this thread! Get it...thread.:) Seeing everyone but me knows how to sew some... anyone want to sew a liner for my sleeping bag? Got some material at Joanns called Royal blue peachskin, it's a thicker silk material. Shannon doesnt sew much. I don't really know how to make a liner but everyone says it'll extend temp ratings a little. "

Where are you located? I am sure I or someome else would give lessons!

The folks on HammockForums.net use the term "thread injector" rather than "sewing machine."

"He operated a thread injector and built a quilt" sounds far more masculine than "He sewed a quilt."

quote zooshooter: "I once made a pair of leather-clad goggles out of a plumbers pipe fitting, some plexiglass, and a piece of leather. Got the headband off an abandoned shopping cart. Added some brass screws and acorn nuts on the sides for decoration. Technically I finished them but I wasn't fully happy with how it turned out so I took em apart intending to improve them, but they've sat for a while now."

word: Steampunk

Some of the finest tailors are men. And some of the best equipment designers and sewers are men (CCS). So maybe we don't need to have a more masculine term. Sewing is an essential for some of us!

I sew. First project was a ten t while in high school. I was a camp quartermaster and repaired canvas and leather portage packs and canvas tents. Next a complete car interior. Then an opportunity to pick up a used sewing machine of my own. My mother sewed on it at a shoe repair shop in Mankato Mn. when I was an infant. It is a old treadle Singer 31-15. The shoe repair shop used it to sew belts and purses etc. I used it for repairing camp sewen goods and then on to sewing up wind pants, gaiters, ski wax bags and then Rucksacks for the camp I worked at. The neighbor seen the rucksack and then others wanted a rucksack as well; mukluks and other items soon followed. Tonight I will be sewing on a canoe spray cover for a Wenonah Prism.

Started sewing by hand stitching while in the Army, loooong before they had velcro patches, we had to sew them on. Patched a few things, got a wild hair one year to make a throw blanket for my mother in law that looks like a Finnish flag. Spent tons of $ on a machine and material, you'd be surprised how tough it is to get that right shade of blue. It looked fine in the store, but when you got home it was too dark or too light. Turned out great. Sew with the machine a few times a year now.

I like to create, so my newest creative interest is knitting. With the oldest daughter now hitched, I need to be able to make socks for a new G-Baby. I think knitting is tough. Four needles for socks UGH!

So, I don't really sew, I'm determined to create what I want. I hope My stripper canoe I'm going to start in another month turns out as well as that Finnish throw blanket!

Bobs

I learned to sew by making kites with a sewing machine my grand mother gave me. I alao sew free hand as well. In fact I just made a fabric protector for my non stick griddle using heavy canvas, velcro, and heavy thread. Turned out real nice. It's sewn folded/closed with stiching on the sides. Open it up and slide it out.

quote BobsMn: "Started sewing by hand stitching while in the Army, loooong before they had velcro patches, we had to sew them on. Patched a few things, got a wild hair one year to make a throw blanket for my mother in law that looks like a Finnish flag. Spent tons of $ on a machine and material, you'd be surprised how tough it is to get that right shade of blue. It looked fine in the store, but when you got home it was too dark or too light. Turned out great. Sew with the machine a few times a year now.


I like to create, so my newest creative interest is knitting. With the oldest daughter now hitched, I need to be able to make socks for a new G-Baby. I think knitting is tough. Four needles for socks UGH!


So, I don't really sew, I'm determined to create what I want. I hope My stripper canoe I'm going to start in another month turns out as well as that Finnish throw blanket!


Bobs


"

If you are into knitting socks, you might try the "Two at a Time" method - both socks on a long circular needle. There is a good book. It is fast and easy and they are both done at the same time and are identical. Two at a Time Socks





I did these last winter.

With you Grandma L.
Sewing is essential, why stitch a sex to it?! If one is not feeling very masculine about it do a few pushup and pullups in between jobs. I see you are a Doug Wood fan! Same. Ever since Old Turtle I've been sold on the man.

quote Grandma L: "

quote pswith5: "I like this thread! Get it...thread.:) Seeing everyone but me knows how to sew some... anyone want to sew a liner for my sleeping bag? Got some material at Joanns called Royal blue peachskin, it's a thicker silk material. Shannon doesnt sew much. I don't really know how to make a liner but everyone says it'll extend temp ratings a little. "

Where are you located? I am sure I or someome else would give lessons!"

I live in the SE metro(twin cities)(St.Paul/Mpls)Wife has a machine somewhere?

quote pswith5: "

quote Grandma L: "

quote pswith5: "I like this thread! Get it...thread.:) Seeing everyone but me knows how to sew some... anyone want to sew a liner for my sleeping bag? Got some material at Joanns called Royal blue peachskin, it's a thicker silk material. Shannon doesnt sew much. I don't really know how to make a liner but everyone says it'll extend temp ratings a little. "

Where are you located? I am sure I or someome else would give lessons!"

I live in the SE metro(twin cities)(St.Paul/Mpls)Wife has a machine somewhere?"

When you are ready for your project - send me an e-mail. We can work on the details.

Enjoyed that first line from Dan Cooke's above: "I Sew". I hope to shout!

All these "I did it myself" skills are vastly underrated in this modern world. Back from the time of WW2 there was a slogan designed to encourage folks to conserve just about anything that was needed for the war effort; "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". Maybe I'm getting loony in my old age but I come to care for anything of mine that has given me good service; I'd rather have the known and proven to use than any of this modern shinny stuff. Especially if it has some needed repair done to it that I can take pride in.

Along with sewing I'd sure include working in leather; I just finished a sheath for my new axe. After days of playing with patterns made of brown paper, I finally settled on one and made it. It came out good and it will continue to give me pleasure when I come to use it.

Best Wishes, Rob

Today I just finished 2 covers for my new REI sit pads so they can buckle on to canoe seats and be protected from puncture. Took my sister and I about an hour. And, they turned out perfectly as planned. Now on to the next project.