About to start.....any tips

[dannyvp]

I'm about to make a hammock and a tarp from DIYG.
I was going to follow his patterns.
Mainly the double layer hammock pattern.

Is there anything you would add?

[Bushwhacker]

Go out there and have fun!


Hammocks are really quite simple.

[JP_dog]

Enjoy starting/feeding your addiction! The splicing lines is my current favorite task, I think I am going to put a locked Brummel on every piece of cordage in my house

[MAD777]

Sew the ridgeline first on the tarp! I learned that one the hard way.
Oh, and have fun!

[Bushwhacker]

Sew the ridgeline first on the tarp! I learned that one the hard way.
Oh, and have fun!

Then how do you figure out what size of ridgeline you need? I always assumed swapping ridgelines was relatively easy.

[Mrprez]

I always sew the ridge line last. That way, I am not dealing with a full tarp as I hem the edges, sew on reinforcement patches and tie outs. YMMV.

Biggest piece of advice I can give is to think 3 steps ahead. Oh, and measure thrice and cut once!

[GregB]

You may find some helpful hints here in these videos.

This is how I sew a hammock.


This is a detail of how my ridgeline is installed.


And this is a video I just put up a few minutes which discusses hammock length vs. hammock comfort.


My favorite and most comfortable hammock is 12 1/2 feet long with a 116" ridge line.

I hope that's helpful for you. Welcome to the addiction.

[gunner76]

take your time

[hangNyak]

Sew the ridgeline first on the tarp! I learned that one the hard way.
Oh, and have fun!

+1 on this. I also made template from paper of one side of the tarp with cat cuts. Once you sew the ridgeline together, you then just lay the template next to the ridgeline and trace the pattern. Do this on each side. The rest is just sewing.

[SnarkyJosh]

I recently finished my first tarp... here's what I learned:

• Use sharp scissors and only use it on fabric, not paper or rope. Rotary cutters work well, but require a cutting mat.
• Tape doesn't stick to silnylon very well, pins work better.
• Use binder clips to keep loose material under control.
• A 110 yard spool of thread is not enough for a winter tarp.
• Rolled hems on a curve can be tricky and may end up looking a little wrinkled, but use a small hem like 1/4" and it won't be so bad. Running a second parallel stitch line will also help flatten it out.
• Templates are your friend. I used ghostline poster board, it has faint grid lines. It was thick enough that I could just cut around it with a rotary cutter without having to mark the fabric.
• I had limited floor space so I folded and cut my tarp out like this... video from CWHammocks.