Sewing machine

[Ride1gear]

Looking to buy a sewing machine to experiment with some bags and other jazz. What models? Where from? Any patterns for bags out there? Materials to use? Anything I haven thought of?

[Adam Alphabet]

Any machine you can get your hands on to start. Like a bike...Learn to use it, find out what you like and what you don't. Find out if you even like making gear.

Lots of info on this forum. backpackinglight has a great MYOG forum. Google and youtube are your friends when learning to MYOG.

I started on a europro I 'borrowed' from my mom, it was a beast. It handled way more than it should have and I beat on it until I got to the point that the machine was the limitation to my progression not the skill set I had developed (kinda like a bike).

Then I got a machine that met most of my criteria within my budget (kinda like a bike haha) and have been going strong since. Good Luck!

http://churningbutter.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/tools-of-the-trade-strike-hobby/

[fotooutdoors]

If you have someone to borrow from, start with that. If you are buying a machine, get something off craigslist. Id you are buying off craigslist and see a deal for an older pfaff in good working order(130, 230, 260) snap that up.
Patterns don't really exist for bike packing bags, except a few on these forums; search and you will find them (I'm not at my computer atm, or I would include a few links).
Materials: most of us use fairly burly materials like cordura, ad well ad a fabric called x PAC or vx21. Rocky woods or backwoods day dreamer have the latter.

I would suggest reading some threads to see what others have done, them launching from there. Making bags is not as straight forward as following a pattern, do it requires some planning and creativity. Good luck!

Sent from a one-finger keyboard...pardon my autocorrect

[thesergeant]

Without a doubt get a vintage machine.  The machine plastic varieties just aren't robust enough.  I've owned and restored probably 2 dozen "domestic" vintage machines since I started sewing and making my own gear and my favorites are the following

Pfaff 130
Necchi BU or BU Nova
Adler 189A
Singer 201

You also might want to consider the Singer 15-91 since there are quite a few out there.  It isn't my favorite machine but it will get the job done.  Look to spend around $150-250 for a properly refurbished machine or $50-100 for one that untouched and may or may not need work.  Search Craiglist and stay away from eBay.

Use Gutterman Tera 40 thread (tex 70) with a 100/16 needle.  For lighter duty stuff you can use Gutterman Mara 70 (tex 40) with a 14 or 16 needle. 

Goodluck.

[Dirt Dog]

 This fine information is why I'm hanging around this forum.