Where to buy fabric

Discussion about making bushwalking-related equipment.

Where to buy fabric

Postby taipan821 » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 4:53 pm

I'm looking for a source of basic outdoors fabrics (sorry simonm, not looking for hexon...yet) can anyone recommend a store (online or otherwise) that stock normal ripstop nylon, My local spotlight has some...but its day-glo yellow and a bit hard on the eyes
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby simonm » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 5:07 pm

That's ok. What will you be making with it? That might help others recommend something. I don't think there is much else available locally.

We do have regular ripstop though - http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-sh ... stop-nylon.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby taipan821 » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 8:58 pm

looking at making some stuff sacks, to making a wind breaker shell that actually fits me, but mainly to practice before moving onto specialised fabrics (calendered, sil etc)
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby andrewa » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 9:12 pm

I've made my own gear for 30 ish years, and Simon appears to have the best quality easily available stuff that I've ever come across, and at competitive cost. Whilst I've bought fabrics from Spotlight, they have all been of low quality, and if you just need to practice sewing, then save money, and buy some $1/m stuff to get it right, and then use good quality fabric.

Other sources that I've previously used are places like OWFINC , Dimension Polyant, and Zpacks. I've had some good and bad stuff from the first 2, and beyond this the exchange rate may make a difference. I'm now at a stage that I'd probably buy from Simon, except that I have a gazillion yards of other fabric.

Certainly sleeping bag nylon and down is way easier through Simon.

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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby Moondog55 » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 10:24 pm

Op-Shops for old sheets to practice on, also good place to get woollen yards goods cheap
But Simon for sure for the better stuff although I could help out with some cheaper Ozcam
Ve are too soon old und too late schmart
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby Gadgetgeek » Wed 28 Dec, 2016 10:31 pm

opshops, for practice stuff, find some slick synthetics to do practice runs on. old sheets for patterning, half of the struggle is getting the machine and yourself dialed in, so just doing lots of straight practice seams has its value. I'm too impatient for that, and my stitching shows.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby ofuros » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 5:05 am

Ikea & Spotlight is all I can think off if you
want practice materials before moving onto the good stuff.
Mountain views are good for my soul...& getting to them is good for my waistline !
https://ofuros.exposure.co/
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby simonm » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 5:28 am

I also have a box of remnants that I eventually put up on the site at a much reduced price. If you are interested just send me a PM and I can see what we have.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby Nikad19 » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 2:02 pm

What size needles do you use on ripstop nylon (hexon). I may need to get some more before my order turns up from Simonm.


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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby simonm » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 2:57 pm

Nikad19 wrote:What size needles do you use on ripstop nylon (hexon). I may need to get some more before my order turns up from Simonm.


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Normally you would match your needle to your thread and for the Mara 70 thread a metric 14 or 16 needle is recommended.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby taipan821 » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 5:38 pm

thanks for the info everyone

I brought some calico and made a scale tarp (200cm x 180cm) to practice working with large quantity of fabric and long sewing runs, had fun and learned from my mistakes...like double checking seams, seam allowances need to be sufficient to properly do a french seam and use a seam guide for next time!

as for needles.... I've got 10 needles of every gauge from 8 to 24 on order, should be here in the new year.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby andrewa » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 8:25 pm

Well done. Biggest needle I've ever found , with difficulty, was an 18g leather point, and even they're hard to find. With your arsenal, you'll be able to sew bits of wood together. Where'd you find the 20-24g needles?

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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby taipan821 » Thu 29 Dec, 2016 10:58 pm

andrewa wrote:Well done. Biggest needle I've ever found , with difficulty, was an 18g leather point, and even they're hard to find. With your arsenal, you'll be able to sew bits of wood together. Where'd you find the 20-24g needles?

A


my correction...9-22 gauge was what I ordered (its been a while)

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Admcity-Austr ... =918503619
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby andrewa » Fri 30 Dec, 2016 5:26 pm

Wow. Lots of needles!

Can anyone tell me whether there is any difference between needles that fit a household machine and those that fit an industrial machine?

Having just hand stitched a leather holster for one of my knives....took ages....I reckon a size 22 leather needle would have worked nicely on my household machine ( using the wheel in the machine).

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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby Moondog55 » Fri 30 Dec, 2016 5:48 pm

Domestic machine needles have a flat on one side industrial needles are round shanked [ usually] I can get Schmetz to 21 locally but I'm told that no bigger is available. I used #18 on the battle dress pants and that size was much better then the usual #16 I use for cotton sheets; #8 was more than enough for the silnylon using Rasant thread
Ve are too soon old und too late schmart
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby andrewa » Fri 30 Dec, 2016 5:55 pm

Ah, thanks. I need domestic machine with flat sided needles. Haven't seen bigger that 18g, but will look for 21g on net.

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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby paddlpop » Thu 29 Jun, 2017 6:25 pm

Note. If you try and run heavy thread through a domestic machine you are in danger of prematurely wearing out the lower catch mechanism...domestics aren't designed to run heavy thread.
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Re: Where to buy fabric

Postby Moondog55 » Sun 09 Jul, 2017 7:21 am

paddlpop wrote:Note. If you try and run heavy thread through a domestic machine you are in danger of prematurely wearing out the lower catch mechanism...domestics aren't designed to run heavy thread.


True enough
Metric 20 is as big as I would go and M60 is a dream to use in my machine after the service.
At the moment Lincraft locally have some excellent hardfaced 100wt fleece that is as good as Powerstretch for only $8- a linear metre
Ve are too soon old und too late schmart
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