How to Sew A Backpack with Cordura or Kodra Material

how to sew cordura backpack

TuffSew here, your heavy duty sewing machine manufacturer! So you want to learn how to sew a backpack? Maybe you just want to learn more about Cordura materials? If yes, you found the right article.

The first backpacks of our time were made of “cotton canvas” material waterproofed with wax coating. The problem with this was the material combination was very heavy. Also, the waterproofing was inadequate. 

One of the reasons backpacks were made of cotton canvas was the fact that they were very inexpensive to produce. 

This low cost to build quickly translated poor quality and low durability.

Today, if you are looking to manufacture a quality backpack…you’ll want to use Cordura or Kodra fabric. These fabrics have a rough fuzzy texture and used in all high quality backpacks. Compared to normal canvas, the Cordura is very lightweight and abrasion resistant. 

Compared to cotton canvas, polyurethane coated Cordura or Kodra is waterproof. You could use a nylon weave, but they are much heavier and not sought after as much in the backpack industry.

When looking for a superior strong, resistant to tearing and durable backpack, you should definitely consider military tactical backpacks. they can be made of both: Cordura or Kodra fabric.

Other advantages with Cordura is resistance to tearing and scruffing. Intense backpackers travel next to trees, brush, and rocks. They appreciate the durability of the waterproof travel backpack Cordura fabric and will spend extra money on a quality made backpack that will last them several years.

In terms of lifetime usage, overtime the polyurethane coating will eventually wear down. This is due to sunlight, exposure to water/salt water, chemicals used in cleaning, and storing the backpack in a damp area. 

Advise your customers to completely dry off the backpack before storing it. There are several quality levels of Cordura, so do your homework and find one that may be guaranteed of the weardown of it’s coating.

Now that you’ve selected Cordura or Kodra to be your material for your backpacks…..what sewing machine should you use to stitch it up?

Here are 5 tips for sewing cordura: 

1) Look into a built-in walking foot sewing machine. 

Our TuffSew Straight Stitch and TuffSew ZigZag are heavy duty, semi-industrial type sewing machines. Using a sewing machine with a built in walking foot is best because the walking foot is motorized and pulls the fabric through the sewing process from the top of the fabric. In conjunction, the gripped style feed dogs in a walking foot sewing machine pull the fabric from the bottom of the material. This top/bottom pull action gives you ultimate feeding ability when you sew Cordura or heavier type materials.  With a built-in walking foot sewing machine, you can sew many layers up to 1/4″-5/16″ thickness.  Here is a picture of this portable walking foot sewing machine and a true built in walking foot (the top portion):

For best results, do not use a standard household sewing machine when sewing layers of Cordura for backpacks. These sewing machines use a walking foot attachment.  Below is an picture of a walking foot attachment. This is what you DON’T want to use if you are sewing Cordura or Kodra fabrics. You won’t be able to sew more than 1 or 2 layers.

2) Make sure and increase your stitch length to the maximum while you are sewing.

 Some walking foot machines have a 5mm stitch length, others might have a 5.5mm or 6mm stitch length.

3) Use the largest size needle available. 

With most walking foot sewing machines, you can use up to size 21 needle.

4) Ask for a “slow” type foot pedal (some call it a carbon-elemented foot pedal). 

This will be a big advantage when sewing layers of Cordura. Take your time for best results.

5) Use a heavier type thread. 

Another great reason for using a walking foot sewing machine. Standard sewing machines can’t handle nylon bonded size 69 thread…but a true walking foot sewing machine can.

Lastly, if you want to learn why an industrial portable walking foot machine has advantages over a standard sewing machine…see this video: 

Also, here is a video on the belt pulley system advantages these walking foot machines have:

If you have any further questions regarding heavy duty sewing… email us at [email protected]

How to Sew Leather with a Heavy Duty Industrial Sewing Machine

how to sew leather

TuffSew here, your heavy duty sewing machine supplier. So, you have decided to start sewing leather. Here at TuffSew, we get one or two questions a day regarding sewing leather. 

The most important question to ask yourself is “what sewing machine am I going to use?” Let’s say you have a regular household sewing machine that you plan on using for this leather project. Will it sew your new leather project? The answer is maybe. There are many variables you need to be aware of.

First, your household sewing machine takes a maximum needle size of 19. Will this handle some leather? Yes, it will. But that size needle is pretty thin….and will only work on SOFT leather products with thicknesses from 1/16″ to 1/8″.

One of the biggest problems people have when using a household sewing machine for leather is they think they can sew 1/4″ thick or greater. If you do this, chances are you will break needles, skip stitches, and stall out. If you truly want to learn how to sew thick leather up to 1/4″ thick, make sure to research machines such as our Straight Stitch Industrial Portable Sewing Machine for leather.
 
TuffSew Straight Stitch Walking Foot Sewing Machine
 
The Straight Stitch can take up a size 23 needle! This size needle looks and feels like a nail…and will penetrate your leather projects very efficiently. This machine is manufactured with a built in walking foot. 

This walking foot will grab your leather material from the top and the bottom…evenly feeding your thick material through the sewing process. Here is an image of the walking foot:
Built In Walking Foot
 

And here are the 7 additional tips when sewing leather:

1) Don’t buy the most expensive leather the first or second time you sew leather. 

A lot of times you can find scrap leather from a local dealer at very high discounts. Remember, practice makes perfect. Learn how different thicknesses of leather need different needle types, sewing speeds, and varied lengths of stitches.

 

2) Find a knowledgable leather supplier, someone you can trust. 

Give them detailed instructions on what your application or project is, and ask them what they recommend you use.

3) Use a rotary cutter to cut your leather skins. 

You should also be using some weights to keep your material in place while you cut.

 

4) Sewing Leather takes time, slow down. 

If you don’t have enough time for your project, then don’t start it. Manage your time and start back up when you can give 100% of your attention and effort to your leather sewing project.

5) You can press leather with an iron (other side of hide).

6) Don’t use pins on leather as they leave holes. 

Ask your leather provider about clips.

7) If you are sewing 1/8″ thick or greater, make sure and use a presser foot that is grooved. 

The TuffSew Straight Stitch Machine has this grooved presser foot. The feed dogs are also grooved. This will give you the benefit of true grip when you are sewing. You want to be in complete control when sewing thick leather- so make sure and get the right machine for the job. For more information regarding this machine, please visit: Walking Foot Sewing Machine for Leather.


Lastly, here is a YouTube video on some advantages of using a walking foot machine for sewing leather or other thick materials:
 


Click for more information about our: TuffSew Portable Walking Foot Sewing Machine.
 
The TuffSew Team

What Tools Do I Need to Sew Canvas for Boating Projects

how to sew canvas

Before you start diving into do-it-yourself canvas sewing work on your boat- you need to make sure you have all the right tools for the job. You are going to need a heavy duty sewing machine, some thick needles, some thread, a good pair of scissors, and material. 

You don’t need to be alarmed and go buy a $1,200 dollar sewing machine. A simple walking foot sewing machine with a built in motor will do.

We recommend our TuffSew Straight Stitch 9” heavy duty walking foot sewing machine for all of your sewing projects. There are two different size TuffSew Straight Stitch machines. One has a 7” gate the other has a 9” gate. The gate is essentially the amount of horizontal working space from the left edge of the sewing machine to middle base of the machine. 

We strongly encourage you to use a machine with a longer 9” base-it will certainly make things easier on your when sewing canvas. To learn more about this sewing machine, please click on the video below:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN-ewDgw8V4
 
Let’s get to material. You have primarily 2 choices at this point. You can go with the standard in the industry “Sunbrella” which is acrylic – or natural canvas. We do recommend using Sunbrella however the price is 2-3 times higher than natural canvas.

Next on to the recommended thread! If you are new to sewing it’s important to use the same color thread as your material. You certainly don’t want to show off your errors. Light colored thread on top of dark material does look fancy- if you are up for the challenge. 

The type of thread you want to use is polyester based 69 or 92 weight. A simple google search will place in on websites where you can order all different colored threads for your particular project.

Needles and the correct sewing machine are next and the most important topic on this article. The following hypothetical situation happens daily… So you are excited….let’s say you bought your Sunbrella material, bought a great pair of new scissors, and bought your brand new 69 colored thread. 

You wake up early one Saturday and take out your regular household sewing machine and needles. You start to sew…but the needle not only won’t penetrate ¼” thickness of material, and the needle starts bending and then they keeps breaking. DON’T PANIC! It’s not you.

You just need to realize you are not using the correct sewing machine and needle. You need to use a 135×17 needle size 22. These needles are like nails and will penetrate up to 3/8” thickness of canvas. 

You also need a walking foot industrial style sewing machine to hook these needles into. Once you have the right sewing machine and needles….your sewing project will come alive.

It’s important to find a heavy duty walking foot sewing machine for sewing canvas. Click to learn the other benefits to using the TuffSew Walking Foot Portable Industrial Sewing Machine.

As always, if you have any further questions- please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]. I get back to all emails within 24 hours.
-The TuffSew Team-

How to use a Heavy Duty Walking Foot Sewing Machine for Upholstery Fabric

how to sew upholstery

The myth is over. Sewing upholstery is no different than sewing regular fabrics. The only difference is with the equipment and consumables you will use to tackle your thick upholstery projects. 

Thicker upholstery fabrics require you to use heavy duty walking foot sewing machines equipped with thicker thread such as 69 nylon bonded thread.

Why? Heavier material needs to be held together by heavier thread and stronger stitches. You will also need industrial grade sewing needles when working with upholstery. Normal needles will bend or break when trying to penetrate upholstery. Make sure and use sharp scissors to cut through your thick material.

Also when sewing upholstery you will also need to include backing, which requires you to use a portable walking foot sewing machine to handle this weight. You can’t use a heavy duty thread and an industrial grade needle on a regular household sewing machine. 

Make sure and use the correct machine for your sewing needs-otherwise your project will look inconsistent. 

Now on to how to sew upholstery:

Inspection  

First examine your material. 

Take your sharp pair of 6-7 inch scissors and trim all the worn out or frayed edges of your material. Make sure and cut just enough. There is no reason to cut excess material that is in good shape.

Sewing Machine Setup: 

Medium Stitch Length. Mid-Range Tension.

Pattern Pile or Nap: 

You want to determine if your material pieces have a nap. Don’t know what a nap is? Imagine brushing your dog’s hair down, when it’s neat and shiny. And then imagine brushing it the other way and you’ll feel and see the resistance. Make sure all your upholstery pieces are facing the same way-nice and shiny. This will affect your end esthetic result.

Double Check Equipment: 

Make sure you are using a portable walking foot machine. Make sure and use a size 18,20, or 22 needle depending on thickness of fabric and sewing machine recommendation. Make sure you are using nylon bonded 69 thread.

Upholstery Placement: 

Most built-in walking foot sewing machines have a 3/8” lift which allows you to put more material under the presser foot. You always want to leave a little seam allowance. Make sure and place the raw edges right on top of eachother while the right sides together.

Sewing: 

Start sewing normally as you would with a regular household sewing machine. If you have some loosely woven fabric that might unravel, finish the raw edges with a serger. If your project doesn’t have backing, you’ll need an extra seem so it doesn’t unravel.

For more information on portable walking foot machines which are built to sew heavy duty upholstery fabrics, click here: http://www.tuffsew.com/straight-stitch-industrial-walking-foot-sewing-machine