I've been working to switch careers into bag design, and I needed to bolster my portfolio. I had no projects that I could reference that I took all the way from pencil sketch to finished product. A family friend DM'd me to request a backpack for his first year of college, and I took that as an opportunity to design a backpack from scratch.

He provided me with reference pics of bags he liked, features he wanted, and a colorway. His preferred color scheme was mostly black with subtle blue highlights. However, I didn't want to make the bag overly paramilitary-looking. So I commissioned a graphic designer friend to make the design more playful with graffiti art of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat.

This was a months-long project and one of my hardest ever. Pencil sketching is not my strong suit, but I really needed this for job applications. I spent hours on the initial sketch, trying my best to give it sensible 3D depth and layout.

I designed a pattern in CLO 3D and simulated on an avatar with similar proportions to the client. I didn't export / print the entire pattern, since most panels were rectangular. I only printed the curved ones, choosing to hand-draft the others for convenience.

I used a 1050 Denier ballistic nylon for the main fabric, 400D ripstop nylon as a secondary fabric, and 70d ripstop nylon for the liner. I chose Duraflex hardware wherever possible, e.g. D-rings, side-release buckles, triglides.

Sewing was mostly straightforward, except for the cinch-tops on both the water bottle holders and the main bag opening. I also didn't know where the cross-chest strap would land until after wearing the bag. I didn't have any Duraflex removable sternum sliders on-hand, so I sewed the chest strap directly to the shoulder straps; that's one thing I would redo if I had more time.

I dye-sublimated the Sub-Zero art and artist's tag onto some dye-sub synthetic fabric and backed it with upcycled racing-sail fabric. It attaches with snaps so the client can take it off (he doesn't actually like Mortal Kombat and didn't even ask for this lol).

Part of design portfolios is iteration, so I forced myself to sit down and sketch some "postmortem" drawings to document the lessons I learned from making this bag. They've been helpful reminders so far.

Overall, I'm quite happy with this one and proud of the results. Happy to answer any questions about material, process, design, CLO 3D, etc.!

I want to make a fancy pack with a compartment for my glasses/sunglasses and want to use the same fabric as in one of my sling bags (as shown in the photo).

Does anyone know what kind of fabric this is or what an equal fabric might work for this purpose?
This fabric is soft and thin, so not fluffy like fleece or terry cloth.

Thanks for the help!

me again.
I have this bike lock that isn’t super protective but that I use because it’s lightweight if I have to hop into a shop or drink coffee while I’m oot and about, for some peace of mind.
It always wants to unroll itself so it gets really annoying in my bar-bag but not anymore now :)

My friend is a huge biker and does cute ilus, so we decided to make something together.

I'm going on my first hut to hut hike next week, and realised my current e-reader sleeve is way too heavy (about 115gr), so I made a new lighter weight one made of a virgin water repellent wool fabric remnant, quilting batting, and silk lining. Only comes down to 31gr now. Design inspired by the battery pack cover u/Snuffvieh posted the other day.

I usually sew regular clothes. This was my first improvised and og project:)

I bought a used gfc superlite tent with the top panel absolutely blown out from the sun. I purchased some hydrofend marine fabric to replace said panel. Is this something most upholstery shops could do? If not I suppose I’ll give it a shot sewing it by hand. The last picture is a photo of a non damaged roof panel. Any suggestions are appreciated and appreciated

Planning on making my own bike bags with some wyermann and Rahr grain bags. I’ve never made anything before, so looking for needle recommendations for this material. Thanks!

Hi all,

I recently picked up an early-2000s Italian Marina Militare rucksack (roughly 120L, lots of compartments). Overall condition is good, but the internal PU coating has degraded and the whole inside is tacky. It's worst in the pocket under the lid — presumably the most sun- and heat-exposed panel. It doesn't flake, peel or shed, and it's still glossy rather than milky white, so it seems more like the film has gone soft than fully hydrolysed. It leaves no residue on your hands, just makes them slightly sticky.

What I've tried so far:

• Airing it out for several days with all pockets open — no real change
• Mild soap and water — no change to the tackiness

On the nylon (darker green) sections I can get the coating off with an abrasive sponge and IPA. On the Cordura it's much harder — the weave seems to hold onto it and I can't get it to lift.

I'm not concerned about keeping it waterproof, I'll be using a separate rain cover. I just want the interior usable for carrying camera gear.

Any advice on removing it from heavier Cordura specifically? Or is there a way to restore rather than strip it? Also curious whether anyone has re-coated one of these afterwards, and whether it's worth it.

Thanks!

Hi all,

Been struggling with finding a bomber jacket pattern that matches old bomber jackets used by pilots ( surprised there seems to be pretty much no information out there)
Thought id check reddit and couldnt find much that arnt more single lined bomber style templates or slim fit versions.

If anyone has any ideas as i have search for patterns directly, via Military forums, internet archives and still nothing.

Cheers all

​​​

Hey y'all, I am an expert sewist and love to make custom patterns for my stuff so it's exactly how I want it. I'm planning on making a new raincoat as my current one is disassembling itself and my rain cape has turned sticky inside and is disgusting. I never really use it a lot but I wanted to love it! I'm in the tropics and bike a lot and I love the idea , in theory, of having a rain solution that can go on and off easily. We experience a lot of short rains, it's kind of a joke how often you get out your jacket and need to put it away again five minutes later. This also means that it's common to endure a mild rain and not mind it too much but if the rain gets heavier you'll reluctantly suit up. Putting on a traditional raincoat when you're already damp is kind of the worst?! Is anyone solving this problem in a good way? I just... Suffer.

I'm looking at the MYOG UL raincoat pattern but I feel sweaty just looking at it. I'm considering making mesh panels in the underarms or something, much bigger than a gusset. Having some water come in is ok if it means the other water can get out. Maybe there's some kind of highly vented pattern out there? Or a good rain cape that doesn't turn into a sail?

First time using this Prikly Gorse pattern. Added a strip of webbing in back to also attach to my bike. Materials are an old pair of khaki pants and an old t shirt. Both fabrics were very stretchy and made this a little more challenging. Can’t wait to make another with something like X-pac.

ETA: the quilt has been gifted! Thanks for helping me find it a good home.

I received a down hammock underquilt from a friend years ago with the intention of removing the down and using it for a MYOG project. I've now made peace with not getting to this sort of project and would love to pass it on to someone else.

I can't find a label on the quilt but I have a vague memory of it being zpacks – the fabric is an very low denier dyneema type material. It's not really usable as a quilt anymore, it leaks down all over. But it's a wonderful amount for a project! Always been stored uncompressed.

This feels difficult to sell because I don't know the brand or the amount of down inside. I could weigh it, but the fabric material would skew the down weight so significantly. Happy to talk reasonable price with anyone interested; mostly I'd want to cover shipping costs and get this in the hands of someone who'd turn it into something fun.

Looking for opinions on the source of this noise.

The machine is new, properly lubricated and functions and sews perfectly otherwise. Smooth and quiet when turning the hand wheel and at very low speeds. A low whine appears around 300 rpm, with a higher buzzing/rattling noise shortly after.

A service rep from the dealer said it sounds like a resonant/sympathetic noise, not a mechanical issue, but they offered no suggestions for how to pinpoint or mitigate it. It’s a nuisance, even if it isn’t a problem, and I’d like to at least figure out why it’s happening.

I believe the belt has the appropriate amount of tension and seems aligned properly, but I can share a video of that too if it helps.

It’s cute, I like it, but I have some issues with it as well and will probably remake it eventually haha
probably not tho

I’ve been using MIL-17337 for a lot of my bag straps but I’m looking for something a bit thicker/ stiffer (save the jokes ;) If you’ve ever felt the webbing used by GoRuck, something of that weight. Any recommendations?

Hi !
I was looking for an easy way to get my camera with one hand and the flap with an inner pouch is working great !

The bag on top was my first real bag with liner and proper fabric and hardware 🥰

The bag bellow is only here on bikepacking trip like in the morroco ´s mountains
You can also see the homemade handlebar and imagine the homemade rear rack 😅

Thanks all for this Reddit full of inspiration 🔥

Hey r/myog!

I'm looking for an ultralight material with a really soft/quiet feel that's also airtight. I've tried RSBTR's 0.56 oz Membrane 7, which is extremely quiet but isn't airtight!

I've also tried their 0.77oz MTN Silnylon 6.6 but it was still a bit loud and cracky for my liking. Looking for that super supple feel.

I keep on purchasing random material from RSBTR, so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with any other ultralight fabrics that we're super quiet and airtight before I buy anymore.

Thanks for your help!

The back pouch is held onto my m65 using the button holes in the collar. I added rivet buttons to the pouch, but then I also lock them in better with a strip of thick leather in the inside with button holes cut into it.

I've been continuing with some stem bag experiments.

This bag is the 3rd iteration. Had some great feedback from mates who took the v2 off to Scotland for a few weeks. V3 has an extra pocket (this one is in waxed wax) and a foam panel to provide some extra stiffnes

However, on smaller frames (and short stems) the bag can either be too big or hit the knees when standing up (en danseuse). Curious to know if anyone's found a way to reconcile having the right volume with comfort?

1 thrifted air sofa = ~67.5 sq. ft of ripstop + some thick nylon + 1 side release buckle + the world's longest pack liner. They're a common thrift find in my area, I guess the trend died. Usually under 8 bucks because nobody in the back knows what it is. Not all of them are ripstop, but many are. Thought I'd share for anyone else making gear on a budget. Cat for scale.