A lot of good things have been said so far. And, I agree with them all. When I started to sew, I kind of had it easy. Both my grandmothers, and my mother and mother-in-law had been sewing for years. My mom majored in textile design or something like that. She was always sewing (despite bad arthritis in her hands at a young age). My wife started to learn to sew dresses soon after our first daughter. She had many women to show her how to use a machine, and she used their machines under their supervision. So, here I come along wanting to make my own gear. All I had to do was ask my wife and mom how to do it. I am not an expert, but I know who to ask when I have a problem. I would recommend that you ask your family if there is someone who can teach you and let you use their machine on a few projects to see if you like it.

Is it cost effective? That depends on your skill. Go look at the prices of gear at REI or some specialty shop. Those are the prices you are trying to beat. A lightweight tarp is between $75 and $150. I can easily make the same quality or better tarp for 1/3 of that price. You can make one that doesn't look professional but works for less as well. If you compare the cost of cheap gear that is heavy and falls apart, then it is not cost effective. Clothing is little more difficult. Usually, if you look hard, you can find cheap clothing that is just as good as that expensive stuff at REI or Cabelas. But, in reality, when you make your own stuff, you are custom manufacturing it to your needs. The cost should be compared to a custom job, not an off the shelf, fits everyone, job. And as a side note, REI is a great source for webbing and hardware like side release buckles and ladder locks. They are pretty cheap compared to other places I have found.

I would recommend you look at Ray Jardine's site for his opinion about MYOG. He has a good article about sewing.

Anyways, my goal is to have all my equipment 100% homemade. My shoes might be a challenge, but I think I can do it. Happy sewing. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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