Making bags: instructions/tutorials

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mc
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Post by mc » 14 Jul 2008 04:34

you're going to have to be a little more specific about your pain.

otherwise, the best advice I can offer is to take ibuprofen.
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Jordan
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Post by Jordan » 14 Jul 2008 14:36

hehe ^^


when I get to loose stitching the last side of the pent to hex, I make all the stitched loose, then pull each thread individualy till the end...

but, It doesnt look correct, because I can still see the stitches :(

Im not sure how to do this without showing the stitches :cry:

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Post by shredzilla » 14 Jul 2008 14:45

Hmm...Yeah I don't know, let's go over loose stitch method:

On the last side of the last pentagon, stitch it how you would normally, but don't pull the loops tight, leave them loose, with a good deal of thread on the end.

Now pull the bag inside out of itself through an opening. Tighten the loops (I usually start with the one furthest from the end of the pent (ie. the first long loop you made) I tighten that one, then move to the next, then the next. I usually don't cinch these with any gather at all, I just get them close to the fabric.

After doing this with all of them, you should have a really ungathered pentagon with the stitches not showing, or barely at all. Now grab both ends of the thread and pull until you have the amount of gather you want. Tie three knots and push the knot into the bag using a blunt yet pointed instrument such as a dull pencil or the tool found in sewing kits for this purpose (forget what it's called) Now you're done.

Okay, I think I know why you may be having the problem:

I tie my knots BETWEEN the hexes, not on one side of the first or last hex. I do this with every pentagon in the bag. A lot of people do not do this. If you are one of those people, that may be the reason you're encountering that.

Come to think of it, when I used to tie on one side of the hex, I had your problem a few times. I think it has to do with the fact that it's tough to measure gather when you have the thread coming out of one of your loops. You THINK you have the right amount of gather, but once you push that knot in, you realize you had more thread underneath that seam than you thought.

Other main differences I've seen with that type of knot-tying are either:

a. The pents come out somewhat uneven looking (lopsided) because the tension of the gather is focused on that one corner of the pent, on the other side of the hexagon where the knot is placed.

b. The knot eventually slips through the hex because of the tension it has against the facile, causing that pentagon as well as the bleedhole associated with it to become enlarged.
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Wasabi
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Post by Wasabi » 14 Jul 2008 15:32

Long story short, you just need to tighten the gather on that last pent (over estimate your speculation), and make a strong knot. Knotting in between the hexes doesn't make any difference whatsoever.
Waylon Lew - maker of Wasabi bags
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shredzilla
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Post by shredzilla » 14 Jul 2008 15:41

Wasabi wrote:Long story short, you just need to tighten the gather on that last pent (over estimate your speculation), and make a strong knot. Knotting in between the hexes doesn't make any difference whatsoever, in my opinion.
Fixed.

It definitely makes a difference when estimating gather. I don't have to "over-estimate" my gather at all when I tie between hexes, and apparently you do. How is that NOT a difference Waylon? LOL
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Wasabi
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Post by Wasabi » 14 Jul 2008 16:03

In Jordan's perspective, if he's seeing exposed stitches, then yes, he should overestimate his gather. Like you mentioned in your post, there is a possibility of excess thread that might be the cause of his problem.

I'm not criticizing your stitching, Chris. And I'll say this again: where you knot doesn't make a difference whatsoever. You don't even have to anchor and have the end of the thread meet/touch where you began on any one pentagon. You can still make a badass and even looking bag no matter what you do. A variety of stitchers with unique techniques have done so: Lonn Vo and Felix Zenger have done it, Jozef Palencar has done it, Hanna Mickiewicz has done it as well.

In fact, I have a Hanna Mickiewicz bag on me right now. She hasn't knotted in between the hexes, and the pentagon looks extremely even all around. I don't know how she stitches, but I haven't had one of her bags pop a stitch on me during sessions. The pentagon looks like a pentagon, with the sharp corners, straight seam work and everything. You DON'T have to knot in the middle to make the pentagons look perfect. You just need a good eye and estimate how your gather will work.

And Chris, don't make shit up. I don't overestimate my gather. I have a good eye for gather, and I trained myself as a stitcher to do just that. I may have had problems with anchors in the past, but that's the anchor, not my consistency or gather. I've extensively fixed that a while ago as well.

Please look into the context of posts before elaborating them and refuting them on the people making the post. A bag is just a bag, after all.
Waylon Lew - maker of Wasabi bags
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"Footbag can be pretty frustrating when it's supposed to be fun. I was partly driven by this forum - practice, practice, practice... As that is true, I think someone can be too focused on progressing and training that they miss the fun aspect of it." - Bander87

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shredzilla
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Post by shredzilla » 14 Jul 2008 16:15

Well, you're right, a bag can be stitched with the knots not between the hexes, but you have a greater chance of the pents being uneven simply because the gather can bunch up and rest on that one knot (and on that one side of the hexagon) rather than flow freely without obstruction from any fabric at all.

I was taking a jab at you about over-estimating, I'm sure at this point you don't do that at all. I just thought it was kinda harsh of you to refute my entire post in one sentence :P

I know that I used to overestimate the last pent a lot to counteract the guessing game of how much string I had left on that pent. A few millimeters of extra string can make a huge difference in gather believe it or not.

And to be honest, the lonn bags I HAVE seen (a very few) that were blown-out were because of the problem I outlined previously. (the knot breaking through the facile and producing a big gap between those two hexes where the knot ends up)

Anyway, we're both in agreement it's more likely a gathering problem. I was just merely giving Jordan a more fool-proof method to alleviate this problem, in my opinion.
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Jordan
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Post by Jordan » 14 Jul 2008 17:32

im still not sure what my problem is... maybe... I just need more practice...

I will report here after bag 3 !!

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Post by Wasabi » 14 Jul 2008 17:34

Well, I will say this: focus on the consistency of your stitches, and make sure everything is straight and even. Everything counts on your stitching consistency.
Waylon Lew - maker of Wasabi bags
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"Footbag can be pretty frustrating when it's supposed to be fun. I was partly driven by this forum - practice, practice, practice... As that is true, I think someone can be too focused on progressing and training that they miss the fun aspect of it." - Bander87

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Post by mc » 14 Jul 2008 18:01

he asked me about his problem on IM.

turns out he was blind stitching, not loose stitching.
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Jordan
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Post by Jordan » 14 Jul 2008 18:07

should I stitch across a hex completely straight, like this - - -

or like this / - - \


just a random question...

what do you think?

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Wasabi
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Post by Wasabi » 14 Jul 2008 18:23

Depends on how big the short side of the hexagon is.
Waylon Lew - maker of Wasabi bags
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"Footbag can be pretty frustrating when it's supposed to be fun. I was partly driven by this forum - practice, practice, practice... As that is true, I think someone can be too focused on progressing and training that they miss the fun aspect of it." - Bander87

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Post by jrstubs » 19 Jul 2008 05:49

Nobody likes my method of closing bags...so whatever I say is irrelevant to this thread, except the fact that nobody likes how I close my bags...

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26 panel photo

Post by Shellsofparadise » 24 Sep 2008 16:06

If it's not clear enough, email me and I'll send you the words.

shellsofparadise@yahoo.com

Image

I'm in full support of handmade artists out there. I'll encourage you guys to try new designs, and you gotta keep me motivated to. Thanks to Jerab and MC I'm gonna attempt my first 32. I always wanted a starbag!

All stitchers, contact me for a trade!!!

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Post by shred_4_jesus » 09 Oct 2008 04:59

Well, I may be hated for this post but oh well.

I have been out of the loop for awhile and I would like to start stitching, but I don't know the best way to start. I see tutorials and such, but is there a good way to start. Is buying a kit, the best way, or are there other ways? Please help an ignorant person like myself. Thanks :oops:
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Post by JoshC. » 09 Oct 2008 06:24

I just got started, and have made 1 32 panel. It was hard to get started, but the real obstacle is just getting all of your supplies. Get your ultrasuede lite (if you think you wanna stick with it, dont waste your time with crappy tshirts), your needles, a pen to write on fabric, and scissors. Then from there, you will have everything you need to start experimenting. For me, none of the tutorials made sense until I actually started stitching, then I understood what they meant. Hope this helps.
Josh Cummings

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Post by shred_4_jesus » 09 Oct 2008 06:47

Yeah, it does. Thanks. It's just kinda hard for me right now. I moved to Durrës, Albania, and I am a missionary. I don't know where to get all of the stuff here. I may have to start with a t-shirt or something. Just until I know where to get the stuff. Thanks a lot. I will tell you how things go.
Darin Thompson

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JoshC.
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Post by JoshC. » 20 Oct 2008 11:47

When you guys stitch, do you stitch an entire flower, then tie the knot, or just one side of the pent, then tie the not? The latter will take much longer, but I think it will make the bleed holes more even and the over all look of the bag better. Is that true?
Thanks
Josh Cummings

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If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.

Check out my shred blog: http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.ph ... 20&start=0
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Post by moparman » 20 Oct 2008 16:33

You would do the entire flower then the knot according to Jerab, and apparently every other sticher I've seen talk about it.

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Post by JoshC. » 20 Oct 2008 16:43

Thanks
Any other opinions?
Josh Cummings

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If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.

Check out my shred blog: http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.ph ... 20&start=0
Check out my skate blog: http://cummingsspeedskating.blogspot.com/

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