fabric choices for a newbie

[the_mule]

Just found this forum, so I've not had a chance to read everything. I'm planning to sew up some bags and am looking for the right fabric to start with. The dimension-polyant stuff looks really cool, but I don't want to jack it up since it'll be my 1st attempt. Anybody have suggestions on a fabric that's waterproof, not too pricey, and is easy to work with? Also trying to source material and have found rockywoods.com and OWF; are these good sites? Thanks.

[trebor]

500D Cordura will start you off nicely.

I'm a fan of Quest Outfitters. http://www.questoutfitters.com/

[maat]

Hi!

Is cordura waterproof ? Some people say that it is, some that it isn't. Any experience ?
I want to make framebag (saddlebag later?). If cordura is the way to go, should i use waterproof zippers then ?

[trebor]

You can get Cordura either with or without a polyurethane coating on the back. The PU coating gives you a high level of water protection. Remember that your stitches aren't waterproof - but you can seam seal to help with that.

The zipper being one of the water resistant style does help. You can also cover a standard zipper with a bit of fabric to do the same job.

[12wheels]

If you read the description of the cordura fabrics that are offered by Rockywoods and others you'll see that most are "quick drying, and highly water repellent".   Cordura is really tough and the heavily coated versions will keep the water out for quite awhile but aren't waterproof like X-Pac.   If want to save some money and practice, check out packcloth.  It's lightweight, easy to work with, and is available with a urethane coating and DWR.  Try to find a higher denier version.  OWFI offered a 550 denier ripstop version at one time which was pretty nice for framepacks. Give them a call and see if they have any left.

Hammock forums has a tread which lists most of the major venders.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4182

You can also find fabric on Ebay although the prices aren't always that great.

Good luck.

[Adam Alphabet]

Just go for some VX 21. You'll be stoked you made your first one out of VX, it's a really easy material to work with. The only real caution I have is that the material doesn't heal so take the time to really think things through before you lay down all those holes.

Others like to make a practice bag in case they mess it up. Save that for stuff sacks and do some small practice sections of zippers, curves, tacks etc....you don't have to practice a whole bag, just the important parts. If you're going to spend upwards of 20 hours on something just do it right the first time out of the material you'd be stoked to hang off your bike.

Most important outside of the basics of stitching a straight line is to think of the construction process and the order in which things are put together and how things are put together. Think all day, measure thrice, think again, cut once, think again, sew it properly and move on to the next part. If you do your thinking first and do some small practice pieces on scrap you won't risk stitch picking because the hook is facing the wrong way or the zipper panel is off or.......

Have Fun!

[T-manTorin]

Hey there MULE,
I used 600 D Vinly coated Polyester, much like Cordura 500 for my first bag.   It said it was DWR (Durable Water Repellant).  I found the material really easy to work with and very forgiving when you made mistakes.  Cordura is basically the same type of material but a little better quality than standard Vinyl Coated Polyester.   I have been building bags for other people using more expensive material now like  Shelter-Rite, Weblon Regatta, X-Pac, Heavy Coated Oxford and a few others.  I was glad I started with the Cordura type materials because there is a big learning curve in sewing these types of bags.  The learning curve was fun but I made lots of mistakes along the way.  These more expensive materials are way less forgiving and you can destroy the seams and integrity of the bags by sewing, and re-sewing the seams a few times over when you make mistakes. Just a word of caution is all. 
I am still using my the first bag I ever built and it still works like new.(600 D Coated Vinyl)  It's two years old and going strong.  Even with a few mistakes. I want to replace it with a more top notch bag made with X-pac but heck..... if it's not broke then why bother.  It works great and is still very Water resistant. 
Take your time sewing and learning the tricks of clean corners, installing zippers, and all the rest of the stuff.  You will get better and better at it the more you practice.
Rockywoods and Quest Outfitters are great companies to work with when it comes to materials.  Great prices and they ship in a very reasonable timely manner.
Have a great time building your rig. If you have any other questions give me an email.
Keep innovating!

[T-manTorin]

Hey there again MULE,
I like what Addy had to say about thinking thru your layouts and patterns. Yes, very true! Take it slow, think it thru and then think it thru again.  I build all my patters out of heavy poster paper and then assemble them with paper clips. This might sound crazy and tedious but I even fold the seams so I can look at how I am going to sew them together in the tough areas. It serves well in a mock-up but takes a little extra time.   The key is, is to think thru the steps and write them down in the order in which you assemble everything.  This will greatly reduce mistakes. 

[the_mule]

Thanks to everyone for the pointers. Making a full scale mock-up out of paper seems like a lot of work, but it definitely makes sense. It should help me check measurements "thrice" at least, and better visualize how the project's shaping up. It may take a while, but I'll try to post some pics of the finished product. I'm very happy I found this forum.

[fotooutdoors]

One piece of (unsolicited) advice:  skip pins for holding the fabric together.  Instead, use staples inside the seam allowance.  Not my idea originally, I believe I read it on this board somewhere.  At any rate, X-pac is very hard to pin-I don't know how many pins I bent before coming across this idea- especially if you are using the heavier stuff.  A stapler gives you mechanical advantage.  Just remove the staples after running down your seam.

[KenSmithMT]

+1 for comment on staples.  I made the excess material at the seams 3/4".  Plenty of room for sewing without running the staples under the foot on the sewing machine.  Then you can trim off the excess before you seal it up.
Also..
+1 for VX21

[T-manTorin]

Hey Fotooutdoors,
Nice trick on the stapling.  I hear you on the pinning.  if the pins make it then you end up running them into your fingers...  Will have to try the stapling!  Thanks!

[Adam Alphabet]

I've had success using binder clips to hold things together. May give staples a try on those stubborn areas. Good tip.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/kevindanger/54-uses-for-binder-clips-that-will-change-your-lif-555z