Whats the secret to nice looking cinches on stuff sacks?

[Ofemur]

Another tip. Leave your thread to the back for those tight spots. Run a stitch or two by hand to get started and then use the threads as a pull cord to get the first bit of fabric through the feed dogs. Once you have enough stitches, you should then be able to grab the fabric and continue as normal. Most of the loose ends will be enclosed by other seams. Personally, I sew a french seam down the side and across the bottom. Don't forget the loop "handle" on the bottom so that you can hold the bag when you pull the stuff out.

Here is a Google Docs spreadsheet to calculate the size piece of fabric to cut for a particular size stuff sack
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...lview?hl=en_US

[Redoleary]

Here is the video as promised. You could just as easily apply this technique to square bottom sacks as round, but this method does not allow for flat felled seam to create the cylinder.

[Brewguy]

I think my method is similar to the gear supply stuff sack you linked.

Line it up on your machine so the fabric is on the outside of the needle. Holding the triangle with your finger should be enough to help feed it through. Also start in a little, not at the very edge so the fabric doesn't bunch up. The triangle should be fairly large about 2 in on the top an 3 or so on the side.

I'll see if I can upload pictures

[Brewguy]

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Alright see if that helps. The square bottom I did like papa smurf showed in his recent video, have to fold that seam to seal it after cutting.

[xxl_hanger]

Don't know why you want round stuff sack bottoms. I pack all my square bottom staff sacks into bicycle panniers and they fit exactly in like rectangular containers without much compression. If I would use round stuff sack bottoms I would have much more compression and some useless holes.

I like my grosgrain handles on the bottom and the way I reinforced them by itself. It is not easy to rip them out. The same purpose has this little grosgrain loop at the beginning of my flat felt seam. There is also no easy way to rip the flat felt seam open.

If durability is the most important basis of your decision-making then you should carefully look what I've done again. I'm convinced there is nothing better on the market.

[ocnlogan]

Thanks for the images, and for the video. They're both very useful.

I'm not quite sure which one of these methods that I'll use, but they've all given me great ideas. I can see a few areas where I clearly was doing things a variation of "the wrong way" and not a variation on "the right way". Right now I'm just trying to sort out which method (or combination of methods) will work the best for my gear/material/skillset.

Oh, and for those of you that are rolling hems on these, or other projects, do most people use a rolling hem presser foot, or do you usually roll them by hand and then pin? I've used the presser foot on all of my hammocks so far, and can say that it has VERY much sped up those projects. I guess what I'm asking here is if that type of rolled hem is still appropriate for other areas, or if I should be rolling/pinning these things by hand (where its called for of course).

Thanks again everyone .

EDIT:

Like I said, I'm not stuck on round stuff sacks. Just literally every one I'd ever seen that I could remember, and the ones I had on hand at home for old sleeping bags/sleeping pads were round, so thats what I attempted at first (because I had a model). I had a bit of pucker on it, but otherwise it wasn't bad at all. Again, its not the dimensions or most of the rest of the construction that has been hard for me, it was specifically the cinches. And I think I've found what I'm doing wrong there, and will try some more out when I get home tonight.

[Brewguy]

I'm not a pro just offered some tips that seem to work for me. Ideally you'll use those ideas and find what works for you. As far as round bottom. My square bottom looks round once the tarp is in there, but I know what you mean most commercial ones are round, that's a nightmare though.
For rolled hems I just fold a few inches at a time and don't pin, it works pretty well for me.

On my top hem I just fold one time and see close to the edge, then sew the triangle them fold it one more time to create the channel for the cord. Not rolled like a hammock or tarp.

I like tac blades method, curious why he doesn't finish the French hem inside the sack to give a smooth finish outside?

[Ramblinrev]

rolled hem presser feet are a lively topic around here. Some folks (like me) see no point to the them and have never really gotten them to work successfully. Others say they work wonders and can't imagine not having them. You pays your money and takes your chances. As with many things there are no variations of right or wrong. Only combinations of what works for you.

[xxl_hanger]

Professional rolled hem tools are expensive. Even if they work successfully and very fast they would be overkill as long as we sew only individual things and don't repeat the same work several times. In a professional environment the situation is different because each single piece and detail should look exactly the same regardless which person sewed it at which time and always as fast as possible.

I eyeball all my rolled hems and could make them even drunken the same way. It was only a little training to get exactly what I want and always fast enough for me. Nobody is behind me with a stop watch or with a seam gauge.

[Tacblades]

I'm not a pro just offered some tips that seem to work for me. Ideally you'll use those ideas and find what works for you. As far as round bottom. My square bottom looks round once the tarp is in there, but I know what you mean most commercial ones are round, that's a nightmare though.
For rolled hems I just fold a few inches at a time and don't pin, it works pretty well for me.

On my top hem I just fold one time and see close to the edge, then sew the triangle them fold it one more time to create the channel for the cord. Not rolled like a hammock or tarp.

I like tac blades method, curious why he doesn't finish the French hem inside the sack to give a smooth finish outside?

I like the look of the seam on the outside also wear and tear, protects the inner stitch line, and sometimes i fold flat the seam and stitch for a french felled seam.