Just got back from the holiday break. I went home to the province to celebrate the holiday with my family. As always, I am in charge of the pasta. Lots of food! Yummy food to be exact. I had pinapaintan, adobong puti, BBQ, pasta, etc...and i got to spend time with my family. I also met my brother-in-law and niece for the first time. It wasn't as bad as I expected. My niece is a cry baby, but cute none the less.
With regards to the bag. I was able to complete hand sewing all the reinforcement patches. As expected i was not able to do anything at home. I did manage to cut the pattern for the shoulder strap and manage to cut one of the traps from my fabric. The other i will do tonight including the hip belts. Now i think i wont have enough fabric for the front pocket. So maybe I will opt not having a pocket anymore. As for the compression straps, maybe I'll just put 1 on each side. which would mean sewing more patches, which is ok. no worries about the sewing, its the cutting i am really not comfortable with.
For the pads, I decided to use the insulation (the one with double sided silver coating used for cars.) for the pads in the shoulder strap and hip belt. Since the pack shouldn't carry more than 15 pounds, it should be ok.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Budong Project: Update 1
The Budong project is progressing rather slowly. Sometimes i find myself with lack of motivation or just down right lazy to do something for fear of ruining the entire project. So far I have fabric glued the reinforcement patches and hand sewn 2 of the 4 patches for the shoulder straps. I got myself one of those wooden circle things used for hand embroidery so that my fabric is taught when I hand stitch. I have employed the backstitch which my girlfriend says is a running backstitch...which is much more efficiently called a "backstitch." (Spent about five minutes arguing how to call the stitch...ahhh...)
Tonight I hope I can sew the remaining patches and finally have the chance to cut out the pattern for the shoulder strap and hip belt. Dimensions of the shoulder strap is 24" x 4", hip belt is 10" x 4". I haven't done the cutting yet. I am considering adding hip pouches, but its is rather ambitious considering that this is my first backpack project.
I didn't take pictures yet of my progress. Again i am overcome by laziness to even take pictures. My time on the project is spent more on visualizing how this a certain part should be made and how it should all come together and how it should look...and stuff like that. It is mentally exhausting to the point that I fall asleep thinking about this. I really wish i had a sewing machine that can handle heavy thread. That way I wont need to hand stitch every single part of the backpack. I dread hand stitching the entire side of the backpack which is 25" long. Imagine backstitching the entire length and i cant do that with a single piece of thread. i have to section stitch it. As in 5-inch sections because that is what I can stitch at a time without the thread looping on itself. I also have a bit of a concern for thread tension when doing a hand stitch.
Then there is the front pocket and the extension collar. which adds more sewing time to the pack. oh and the roll top closure system which I haven't yet made because I have no webbing! Crud! Someone please find me a supplier for the materials! Divi is of no help as of yet. I haven't found the secret places to buy fabric yet. I did find an online supplier but its just too expensive. Seriously, 200 pesos for 1 meter of ripstop? That's just not right, right?
Quality side release buckles are also hard to find. Help! Anyone!?
Tonight I hope I can sew the remaining patches and finally have the chance to cut out the pattern for the shoulder strap and hip belt. Dimensions of the shoulder strap is 24" x 4", hip belt is 10" x 4". I haven't done the cutting yet. I am considering adding hip pouches, but its is rather ambitious considering that this is my first backpack project.
I didn't take pictures yet of my progress. Again i am overcome by laziness to even take pictures. My time on the project is spent more on visualizing how this a certain part should be made and how it should all come together and how it should look...and stuff like that. It is mentally exhausting to the point that I fall asleep thinking about this. I really wish i had a sewing machine that can handle heavy thread. That way I wont need to hand stitch every single part of the backpack. I dread hand stitching the entire side of the backpack which is 25" long. Imagine backstitching the entire length and i cant do that with a single piece of thread. i have to section stitch it. As in 5-inch sections because that is what I can stitch at a time without the thread looping on itself. I also have a bit of a concern for thread tension when doing a hand stitch.
Then there is the front pocket and the extension collar. which adds more sewing time to the pack. oh and the roll top closure system which I haven't yet made because I have no webbing! Crud! Someone please find me a supplier for the materials! Divi is of no help as of yet. I haven't found the secret places to buy fabric yet. I did find an online supplier but its just too expensive. Seriously, 200 pesos for 1 meter of ripstop? That's just not right, right?
Quality side release buckles are also hard to find. Help! Anyone!?
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Budong Project
This project is about making my own hiking pack out of some ripstop material I sourced from Divi. Its blue and its my first prototype backpack. Construction is fairly simple, granting that you are an expert with a sewing machine and a master seamstress. The design is based on a lot of designs I have seen on the internet.
Wish me luck.
The materials have been cut. (most of it). I will be using free patterns on the internet for the shoulder straps and Hip belt. Target date of completion is January 12. Some materials will be from an old pack since buckles are hard to come by. I took the pack apart and scavenged the straps and buckles. I have one more backpack to dismember for its straps.
Specs:
- Capacity: 23L + 10L(extension collar)
- Roll top closure. like a dry bag.
- One external front pocket.
- With compression straps
- Backpack (Budong pack)
- Quilt (Replaces the sleeping bag)
- Bivy (for weather/bug proofing the quilt. Can also be used without the quilt on warm summer nights)
- Tarp (Main shelter. replaced the tent. Downside is, no privacy)
Wish me luck.
Home
Going home every Christmas holiday is one of the most awaited times of the year for me. Being away for most of the year makes it even more satisfying. Being able to see my family, sleep in my bed, eat Mom's cooking, rummage though my stuff, using my Amang's tools, and just being able to be me.
This year brings a bit of hesitation for me to go home. I'm sure there are going to be awkward moments especially since I think my family was invaded. Aside from the fact that we are no longer complete because my younger sister left for KSA to work there for 2 years, it just doesn't "feel" normal. Then again maybe its just me.
I called Mom last night, and i requested for her adobo. Of course, her adobo is the best in the world and you cant argue about that with me. I'm sure I will be doing the pasta again, but this time the BBQ sauce wont be made by my younger sister. I wonder who will do the sauce this year.
I try to avoid some things, but i guess this year its inevitable. I will have to go home and I will have to face someone. Will I be able to control myself? I cant say for sure. Maybe. Maybe not. Although I am excited to meet someone else. I'm sure she is the cutest new person I will meet. I already have my gifts for her. When she grows up I'm gonna take her mountaineering with me. I just hope her mom doesn't object.
Home! Its where I will always want to be whenever I am down. It will always be the place I'll go back to. Maybe even the place I will go to take my rest someday. A ton of memories, a lot of experiences, more memories to come.
This year brings a bit of hesitation for me to go home. I'm sure there are going to be awkward moments especially since I think my family was invaded. Aside from the fact that we are no longer complete because my younger sister left for KSA to work there for 2 years, it just doesn't "feel" normal. Then again maybe its just me.
I called Mom last night, and i requested for her adobo. Of course, her adobo is the best in the world and you cant argue about that with me. I'm sure I will be doing the pasta again, but this time the BBQ sauce wont be made by my younger sister. I wonder who will do the sauce this year.
I try to avoid some things, but i guess this year its inevitable. I will have to go home and I will have to face someone. Will I be able to control myself? I cant say for sure. Maybe. Maybe not. Although I am excited to meet someone else. I'm sure she is the cutest new person I will meet. I already have my gifts for her. When she grows up I'm gonna take her mountaineering with me. I just hope her mom doesn't object.
Home! Its where I will always want to be whenever I am down. It will always be the place I'll go back to. Maybe even the place I will go to take my rest someday. A ton of memories, a lot of experiences, more memories to come.
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