32-Panel Bag Advanced Stitching FAQ

[mc]

So, you've gotten started, you have made a few bags, and you want to refine your technique...

1. How can I save time cutting out my panels?

Instead of tracing each individual piece out on fabric and then cutting them out one by one, try this:

You will need a few strong magnets (I recommend one small "rare earth" magnet and a "normal" magnet of the same size - use google or visit a craft store) and templates made of stiff plastic or metal.

Take a strip that is just over one piece wide and about 4 pieces long (1/8th of a yard strips of facile from www.FieldsFabrics.com are about 4 pieces wide).

Fold it twice, lengthwise. This should make it 1 piece long, 1 piece wide, and 4 pieces thick. Put your template on top, and a magnet on either side to hold the template in place. Cut around the template. This cuts 4 pieces in the time it takes to cut 1, and skips the whole tracing process. It uses a bit more material, but the time saved is worth the fabric sacrificed to me.

2. How can I save time on stitching?

One simple way is to do two stitches instead of three and use shorter pieces of thread. This makes very playable bags and you don't really have to learn anything new to do it. Give it a try!

A more complex way is to alter your stitching technique. When you are poking the needle through the thread, I would guess that you are poking where you want it, pulling it all the way through (and all your thread to follow it), and going this way all the way through your footbag.

It saves a lot of time if you only poke the needle through the two pieces of fabric as far as it needs to go for the next stitch (i.e.: a few millimeters) and then poke the tip right back in to the facile without pulling the whole thing through. Then, push it through that hole the same amount (just another few mm) and make your next hole. Continue this way for your a whole edge. You can do save yourself the time it takes to pull the whole needle and thread all the way through many times if you use this method. When you get fast at it, you can stitch a whole edge in just a few seconds.

3. How do I make my bags more marketable?

Good quality, good reputation.

- Quality (playability, durability, aesthetics, versatility of style)

First and foremost, your bags have to play well and last long with good care. See my Bag Buying FAQ about the 50 60 70 80 rule.

Making them last long is not just a matter of picking good materials, it is also a matter of good technical stitching - if you are redoing edges and making multiple lines of stitch holes, or your stitches are too close together, or too close to the edge, or too far apart, or not in a straight line, etc etc etc, there is a good chance this technical mistake will lead to a weak point in your bag.

Aesthetics are about a few different things.

There are technical aesthetics that come strictly from consistency and stitching the right way for your panel dimensions so that your edges are straight and your bag is very round.

Then, there are artistic aesthetics - patterns, colors, experimental variations, and so on, and so forth.

There are a lot of good technical stitchers out there, so if you are interested in making your bags more popular, a good way to do that is to learn good technical stitching, then take measures to make your bags stand out!

Have a great palette of colors from which to choose, experiment with variations on old patterns (which will inevitably lead you to think of new patterns), make very simple patterns with colors that just look irresistible, experiment with different shapes of spikes and attachments to the bags, try new materials that play well and offer colors and patterns that you have never tried before, and on and on. Take a look at the bags that your favorite stitchers and peers are making, and draw new ideas from them by taking their ideas and varying them. If you do this a few times, you will find yourself with brand new ideas of your own, and before you know it, *you* will be the hot new stitcher with the wild ideas.

Sift through pages and pages and pages of the Bags I've Made thread. It is HUNDREDS of pages long and there are KILLER bags right from the very start. There is no end to the stitching inspiration you can take from that thread, as well as the For Sale threads, the New Footbags thread, and so on.

Versatility of style is about being able to make different kinds of bags for different kinds of players, styles, and preferences. Try different template sizes, different materials, different fills, etc etc etc, and get it so that you know how to make big bags, small bags, bags that play faster, bags that play slower, etc etc etc. This is all about experience and experiments, so get creative with it!

----

Reputation -

To get one -

Get your style so that your bags clean, precise, consistent, attractive, and playable. Stitch a lot. Start posting your bags in the Bags I've Made thread regularly. Make sure you have good presentation - put your bags on a background that is simple, attractive, well lit, and, hopefully, interesting and artsy as well.

About the presentation, this may seem a little unnecessary or silly, but the fact is, the only thing the people online can do with the footbags is look at them (unless you make demo videos, which is also a good idea if you can play well). The pictures with some kind of interesting or fun or artsy background just make the footbags look fun and awesome! So, the point is, keep the presentation in mind; take good pictures and make sure your footbags are rounded out in a nice shape and hand-rolled enough to even out the gather and stitching initially.

Once you're making nice bags and taking nice pictures, arrange to send a few tester bags to some better stitchers in exchange for reviews, trade bags with your peers and review them for each other, and make a For Sale thread where you detail your ordering specifications, your different customization options, your available stock, etc etc etc. Read the other threads and model yours after those.

If you do these things, you will quickly be able to build your reputation as a good stitcher.

As a side note, it really helps your stitching reputation if you beef up your player and organizer reputations as well. If people know that you are an experienced, involved, knowledgeable person who knows how to play the game with some degree of expertise, how can they not trust you as a stitcher?

Reputation -

How to keep one -

Fill your orders on time, keep those pictures coming, and keep experimenting with new things. Once you get a good stitcher's reputation, it's not hard to keep it.

If there's anything else you'd like me to comment on, let me know.

[lezthan3]

Is it the Ultrasuede & Ultraleather Sample Set that you get? I'm confused. because otherwise I would have to pay like 60 bucks.

[RipWalker]

Lezthan,

You're not looking for a sample set, you want to order small amounts of individual Ultrasuede Light colors. Here are the exact links that you'll need with a brief explanation of what each represents:

Ultrasuede Light Extrawide

The link above is the normal Ultrasuede Light page with many of the more popular colors. You'll typically pay $6.87 before tax for .125 (1/8th) of a yard.

Ultrasuede Specials

The link above is the "special deals" Ultrasuede page with many of the less popular colors. Note that this page may contain other types of Ultrasuede - not only Ultrasuede Light, so read the titles carefully (some people like using the others regardless... I've never tried them myself, only Light). This page is GREAT for those who are just starting and want to learn on some colors at a slightly lower price point. You'll typically pay $4.62 before tax for .125 (1/8th) of a yard.

Ultrasuede Light Jungle Prints

The link above is the Jungle Prints Ultrasuede Light page. All Ultrasuede Light with some interesting colors for those unique bags that you might want to make. You'll typically pay $6.87 before tax for .125 (1/8th) of a yard.


If you're just starting out, when you go to order some of the fabric and you're entering a "quantity," don't type 1. Instead, enter .125 as the quantity. That represents 1/8th of a yard and is the smallest increment in which Field's will cut fabric for you.

Hope this helped!

[Donovon]

Also, If you are just starting out, I would make it a priority to check out the 32-Panel Bag Beginner Stitching FAQ thread.

[lezthan3]

Okay thank you, I just couldn't figure this out.

[mc]

Is it the Ultrasuede & Ultraleather Sample Set that you get? I'm confused. because otherwise I would have to pay like 60 bucks.

I made this thread so that you (specifically you) would ask less questions that have already been answered, not more.

Why are you asking a beginner question in the advanced FAQ?

That information is provided clearly in the beginner FAQ.

You are not confused. You are ignorant. Do some reading and you will be less ignorant.

[RipWalker]

Oh wow, pwnt. I took care of that one... you can link to my writeup from the beginner thread if you want -- he asked here so I posted it here.

Peace.

[garygargan]

Take Good Photos - we all love to see nice bags, and seeing as we can't touchor feel your bags, your pictures are the only way we can relate to them, I don't care how well you describe it, if the picture is blurry - I don't like your bag. Fortunately, pictures are easy with a few pointers

1. Get good light - the best light is diffuse light, think of a cloudy (not rainy) day- that's diffuse light. You can see in my homemade (cheap) lightbox I created diffuse light by having lots of light shining through tracing paper.

2. Use the Macro setting. Like we said- blurry = bad, sharp = drool...

3. Use a camera stand, it will always be more stable than your hands and will reduce camera shake. If you don't have a stand, use some books, or a beanbag, or hey, here's a novel idea - footbags!

4. Use the timer - pressing the shutter key is movement, movement creates blur, blur = bad.

5. Edit your photo's. We want to see the footbags, so crop out your naughty girly mags and fill the frame with that sweet bag you've just stitched

6. Edit some more if you like. I usually lighten my images so people can see them on their dingy monitors. Sharpening should be done on every digital photo.

7. Post it. Put in a few comments, bag number, weight, materials, etc, then sit back and wait for people to start sharing the love.

I hope this helps you stitchers get your bags noticed. There are many fine stitchers out there who have contributed to the community, I felt this is where I could contribute the most. I work as the backup photographer in the studio for a outdoor goods retailer, taking images for the online store.

The above pictures where taken with a cheap point and shoot camera - you don't need fancy or expensive equipment. Good Luck

[Donovon]

...That is Intense

[calven]

...That is Intense

agreed. off topic: love the american flag colors

[Ramen God]

Lots of new stitchers all of a sudden, I'll keep this near the top of the bags and equipment section for them to read.

[hacksterbator]

MC, awesome posting of late!

As a side note, it really helps your stitching reputation if you beef up your player and organizer reputations as well. If people know that you are an experienced, involved, knowledgeable person who knows how to play the game with some degree of expertise, how can they not trust you as a stitcher?

This is huge. because...

Lots of new stitchers all of a sudden...

and if you haven't been in the game for at least a few years, and your game is shit, i'm not buying a bag from you.

Reputation -
How to keep one -
Fill your orders on time, keep those pictures coming, and keep experimenting with new things.

-Provide personalized service. Word of mouth is the way people hear about bags.
I work with one stitcher, Eskimo Joe. he makes all my bags. he knows what i like. I give him feed back on a bag he stitches me, and he tries to figure out how he can make the next one better. Because of this personal collaboration over the past few years, and the special player/ stitcher relationship we have forged, i will forever use his bags as long as he'll stitch them. Provide this kind of service, continually evolving your style and stitching the bags that your clients want, and they'll follow you to the end of the earth and spout off about how awesome your bags are at every opportunity.

p.s. Eskimo joe bags are the best. Blabber t'yer mates.

[Ramen God]

Nicely said. Makes sense.

[mc]

Thanks!

[bump]

[mc]

bumperdoodledoo!