Time to sew

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 24 Nov 2004 20:33

I have never made a bag before, but from what I hear it takes, like, an average of 5-8 hours?? What I wonder is how the heck do you find time to make bags?? I would love to try it out, but I wouldn't even know when I could start one.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 24 Nov 2004 20:39

I believe it takes between an hour to three hours for most of the top stitchers. I've heard Abshire pumps them out in a bit over an hour, or something. I'm also pretty sure (going off what she told me a while ago, so my memory's pretty vague) that Jane takes... About two hours or so? I think it's about getting down into the zen art of it and just being able to go through a bag. It's relaxing.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 24 Nov 2004 22:48

i stitch chunks at a time, if i have an hour to spare, i'll stitch a few panels together. i have an old altoids case that i put a wack of panels in and a need and thread and bust it out when ever i have a spare moment.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 25 Nov 2004 02:44

I timed a bag the other day and all up it took me about 2 hours 40 minutes - including cutting out the panels. But I was stitching with pretty crap material so I wasted a lot of material cutting it out - if I was paying $40 US per metre I would take longer cutting it out.

Like Andrew, I stitch in patches - there are 60 edges you need to stitch on a bag. I think I do 15 in the first go, 25 in the second and 20 in the third. The first bags I did I tried to use all one piece of thread - but now I use three - one for each section. Basically I spiral up so that I don't have to repeat any edge - which is why I use three pieces - I don't think it's possible to do it in less. I think when stitching it's good to know exactly what you're going to do from start to finish before you start the bag - I guess the more bags you do the easier this will be for you!

Leuch · Post by **Leuch** » 25 Nov 2004 03:31

Jeremy wrote: The first bags I did I tried to use all one piece of thread - but now I use three - one for each section.

Wow!! One thread in a bag! That's crazy man! And now only 3?? Why? What 3 sections are you talking about??? I don't understand why don't you use a thread for each pentagone...
I use 12 threads for 12 pentagones... and I make my bags in around 4 hours.. but I have to count again... I might be quicker now...

The_Songster · Post by **The_Songster** » 25 Nov 2004 07:27

for 4 panels it takes me like 30 mins and for 32 panels it takes about 30-45 mins cutting and only about an hour to stitch

what you wanna do is first make 3 "Flowers" with a pent in middle and 5 hexes

then u start combining them together and it will go much faster

also don't make 4 flowers cuz u'll need the extra hexes here and there

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 25 Nov 2004 07:57

Jeremy wrote:The first bags I did I tried to use all one piece of thread - but now I use three - one for each section.

Wow, sure hope you don't bust a panel.

Virppa · Post by **Virppa** » 25 Nov 2004 12:05

The_Songster wrote:for 4 panels it takes me like 30 mins and for 32 panels it takes about 30-45 mins cutting and only about an hour to stitch

what you wanna do is first make 3 "Flowers" with a pent in middle and 5 hexes

then u start combining them together and it will go much faster

also don't make 4 flowers cuz u'll need the extra hexes here and there

That´s propably a good advice, I have to try it next time I sew.
Anyway I do 32 panel in 3-4 sections depending how much I have time. It tooks about 4-5 hours I think. I have a bad habit to wonder the bag before it´s ready so that takes a much of my time.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 25 Nov 2004 14:49

Thanks for all the comments, guys! This is really helping. I never paid attention to the sewing section before, so I don't know the first place to start.

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » 25 Nov 2004 15:36

Same here Erik, I don't really know where to start either. I want to sew my own bag too, but I never seem to understand what to do even though I read the tutorials at footbag.org. I'll try during winter break though, maybe I can sew my own one in time for the Xmas Jam and see what others think of it.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 25 Nov 2004 20:53

i'm with charles! jeremy, if you bust a panel, you have to sew 1/3 of your bag back together!!! when you start selling bags and some come back to you to get patched up, you'll change that stitching method pretty quickly. that's alot more work than it needs to be. i, and i know carol, fred, and abshire, sew using the 12 thread method.

i sew it all as one. i don't bother with the flowers and then sew them together, because when i did the bags turned out lumpy. i find it easier to make round when i just keep adding panels to what i already have, as opposed to putting larger chunks together.

my 2 cents.

ShredNJ · Post by **ShredNJ** » 26 Nov 2004 09:35

I can finish a one thread bag in 2 hours, you really need to focus on the bag, no tv, no nothing. I aslo wind up with over 144 Knots in each bag. I think this makes for a more even break in.

Ive never liked the 12 thread thing, I never had a problem replacing panels either, since i knot so much.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 26 Nov 2004 15:35

Thread 1.
I stitch the 5 hexes to a pent, then the next 5 pents to those hexes.

Thread 2. I stitch the next 10 hexes to the last 5 pents and then the next 5 pents to those hexes.

Thread 3. I stitch the last 5 hexes to the pents and then the last pent.

I use extra strong sewing thread - which I can barely break with my hands so as yet I haven't broken any panels. It would suck if I broke a thread but I figure the way to get around this is to tie a knot in the thread before and after each panel - so you'd only have to restitch one panel if the thread breaks. The best knot is a fishermens knots - I think it's called a "blood knot" - but it slides down the thread to where you want. I can't describe how to do it very well so you'll have to search for it or something - it takes about 10 seconds to tie the knot.

Pitbull · Post by **Pitbull** » 26 Nov 2004 17:33

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread but I have a question. I just finnished sewing a 32 panel bag, and it turned out very nicely. The only problem is that when I massage the bag with my fingers the material from the hexes comes out. Does anyone have any advice?

The_Songster · Post by **The_Songster** » 27 Nov 2004 08:04

just sew together the hexes next time before you finish off the bag