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Can hand sewing be just as dependable as a machine?

HuumanCreed

HuumanCreed

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2020
Messages
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Location
Westminster Maryland
Wife got me a gag gift for my birthday, a pink little sewing machine she found at a thrift store (make me want to get her an easy back oven because I'm the one that handles the cooking in the family...). Because I told her about my ambitious to DIY my own saddle someday. 95% sure its not going to be able to handle the materials that I need to use for a safe saddle.

Anyway, so it got me thinking. I dont think its a bad idea that maybe I'll learn how to sew by hand during the off season. Maybe take 10-15 mins a night before I go to sleep, maybe it will be relaxing. We read to our kids before bedtime and it seem to help them settle, maybe it works for adults. I understand its going to take 10X more effort than using a machine, but if I'm not under a deadline, why not?

So I guess I wanted to know if anyone has try sewing by hands and do you have any tips? I have a Recon, I was thinking of adding a belt because I dont like the removable belt that came with it, maybe also leg straps with a g-hook design like the ESS or Tethrd's Phantom. For sure the panel connection straps like the Transformer. Doing simple backstitch pattern with a Box X stitches since it seem like the most popular design.

Or am I biting more than I can chew and you recommend I dont head down this path? Not realizing the fustration or difficulty involved? Safety is my main concern, I'm not going to depend on anything until I test it out. Just wanted to know if its alot harder than I realizes.

Thanks for any input or anything you can think of to post.
 
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My personal opinion is forget hand sewing. Not because it doesn't work or isn't safe, but because it is painfully slow and getting quality looking results is even slower. You need to make 2 stitches to accomplish what a machine does in 1. However if this is your only option, go for it. I have certainly done my share of it.

My recommendation would be getting an older used machine for cheap or free and learning to sew. It is not difficult to learn. You could learn in 30 mins from videos or in person. Then you have a skillset for life. Years ago I sewed a hand muff as my first project ever. I used a cheap machine my wife had. I have owned about 10 machines since then. I worked my way up in project difficulty until there is not much I'm scared to tackle.

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HuumanCreed said:
Wife got me a gag gift for my birthday, a pink little sewing machine she found at a thrift store (make me want to get her an easy back oven because I'm the one that handles the cooking in the family...). Because I told her about my ambitious to DIY my own saddle someday. 95% sure its not going to be able to handle the materials that I need to use for a safe saddle.

Anyway, so it got me thinking. I dont think its a bad idea that maybe I'll learn how to sew by hand during the off season. Maybe take 10-15 mins a night before I go to sleep, maybe it will be relaxing. We read to our kids before bedtime and it seem to help them settle, maybe it works for adults. I understand its going to take 10X more effort than using a machine, but if I'm not under a deadline, why not?

So I guess I wanted to know if anyone has try sewing by hands and do you have any tips? I have a Recon, I was thinking of adding a belt because I dont like the removable belt that came with it, maybe also leg straps with a g-hook design like the ESS or Tethrd's Phantom. For sure the panel connection straps like the Transformer. Doing simple backstitch pattern with a Box X stitches since it seem like the most popular design.

Or am I biting more than I can chew and you recommend I dont head down this path? Not realizing the fustration or difficulty involved? Safety is my main concern, I'm not going to depend on anything until I test it out. Just wanted to know if its alot harder than I realizes.

Thanks for any input or anything you can think of to post.
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No expert, just some thoughts.

I have sewn bar tacks and back stitches by hand that seem very strong, but have never been tested and are not in weight bearing spots.

There are resources that I've found online (and lost) that can help you understand which stitches are strongest and which are less likely to unravel once they get started. For what it is worth, I have read multiple places that the back stitch is the strongest hand stitch.

I read about a climber hand sewing his own climbing slings and testing them. Googling that might be interesting for you. It was just an interesting project for him, but if I remember they were quite strong.

One advantage you'll have is not threading those tiny needles and being able to easily use REALLY strong thread compared to most sewing machines.

It can be tough to push a regular needle through thick webbing, but a thimble helps and there are probably other tools.

I'm sure there are better ways, but I set everything up with a sewing pencil, masking tape, and I've even held stuff together with wood working clamps. I have no formal training though.

There are different types of needles for webbing vs other materials. For a finished piece, I do NOT recommend the stock needle on a Speedy Stitcher or similar. That needle is meant for leather and is sharp on the sides and will actually cut the threads of your webbing, instead of pushing them out of the way. So, if you use that cutting needle, you weaken your webbing as you strengthen your stitch. Ball and universal needles push things out of the way. The Speedy Stitcher handle is handy though and I have heard that you can chuck some thick machine needles into it and use it with proper ball point needles. You can test what I said about the Speedy Stitcher stock needle by sewing some stuff, removing the stitching, and then inspect your material with a bright light and magnifying glass.

Good luck. Maybe test stuff on the ground and and get a testing rig.

One nice thing with hand sewing with thick thread is that it is easy to start and finish stitches that will never unravel on their own. I'll often tie knots at the beginning and end (a square knot back onto the thread to form a locking loop, not the little overhand ball that can pull through) and even touch these knots with a toothpick with super glue on the end, just enough to wick into the knot and lock it up, like I've read of fishermen doing.
 
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I made my climbing stuff by hand with a speedy stitcher....it'll do anything a machine will do just much much much much slower... I haven't made a saddle by hand but definitely can be done.... It'll just take forever. It'll toughen ur hands up for sure
 
Sewing by hand can definitely be done and be as strong as sewing by machine. Proven by thousands of years of stuff sewn by hand before machines were invented.

With that said like others have said it will take you a loooooooog time to do it. As for me I SURE WOUND'T try it just before I went to bed and tried to sleep. I will be frustrating and give you a workout trying to sew through all those layers. Your hands will be sore also.

I also suggest that you find you a cheap sewing machine. If you can get you some #16 to 18 size needles, I use Jeans needles, the heavy upholstery type 100% polyester thread and take three layers of webbing and try out the machine to see if it will sew it ok. I also suggest that if you can get a machine that has a built in needle threader. I have a PHAFF Tiptonic 1171 that has the needle threader and it is WONDERFUL with my old eyes and trying to get that thick woven Guttermann upholstery 100% polyester thread I get at Joann's Fabrics through that little needle eye. I also at least triple stitch everything.
 
rich said:
Sewing by hand can definitely be done and be as strong as sewing by machine. Proven by thousands of years of stuff sewn by hand before machines were invented.

With that said like others have said it will take you a loooooooog time to do it. As for me I SURE WOUND'T try it just before I went to bed and tried to sleep. I will be frustrating and give you a workout trying to sew through all those layers. Your hands will be sore also.

I also suggest that you find you a cheap sewing machine. If you can get you some #16 to 18 size needles, I use Jeans needles, the heavy upholstery type 100% polyester thread and take three layers of webbing and try out the machine to see if it will sew it ok. I also suggest that if you can get a machine that has a built in needle threader. I have a PHAFF Tiptonic 1171 that has the needle threader and it is WONDERFUL with my old eyes and trying to get that thick woven Guttermann upholstery 100% polyester thread I get at Joann's Fabrics through that little needle eye. I also at least triple stitch everything.
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Huh....no idea they had self-threaders. I knew my cheap one was cheap but I didn't know how cheap.
 
Ok, the Speedy stitcher look pretty cool, never heard of it. But checking it out for sure. Thank you for the info about needle pushing the material and not cutting it, didnt even think about it!
 
Simply put there are many reasons sewing machine were invented. They just do it better.
 
I hand sew with really heavy thread that you cannot sew with on a machine and it makes for very strong stitches and I have tested them to the best of my abilities and am comfortable with it but to each his own!!!!
 
I think there are indigenous peoples from all over the world that have in the past and may still currently and long into the future sewed, are sewing or will sew difficult materials for lasting durability by hand (teepees, hunting shirts and robes, moccasins, headdresses, quivers, etc.). I say if you've got the time and the inclination, go for it.
 
raisins said:
Huh....no idea they had self-threaders. I knew my cheap one was cheap but I didn't know how cheap.
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It us usually a little leaver that you pull down and the attached peace swings to the back of the needle and a little hook automatically slips through the eye of the needle. You lay your thread across this hook and when your release the leaver it will pull the thread through the eye of the needle for you. At least this is how mine works.

Heck, my wife has machines that I tell her all she has to do is throw the thread and fabric at it and it does it all. LOL
 
HuumanCreed said:
Wife got me a gag gift for my birthday, a pink little sewing machine she found at a thrift store (make me want to get her an easy back oven because I'm the one that handles the cooking in the family...). Because I told her about my ambitious to DIY my own saddle someday. 95% sure its not going to be able to handle the materials that I need to use for a safe saddle.

Anyway, so it got me thinking. I dont think its a bad idea that maybe I'll learn how to sew by hand during the off season. Maybe take 10-15 mins a night before I go to sleep, maybe it will be relaxing. We read to our kids before bedtime and it seem to help them settle, maybe it works for adults. I understand its going to take 10X more effort than using a machine, but if I'm not under a deadline, why not?

So I guess I wanted to know if anyone has try sewing by hands and do you have any tips? I have a Recon, I was thinking of adding a belt because I dont like the removable belt that came with it, maybe also leg straps with a g-hook design like the ESS or Tethrd's Phantom. For sure the panel connection straps like the Transformer. Doing simple backstitch pattern with a Box X stitches since it seem like the most popular design.

Or am I biting more than I can chew and you recommend I dont head down this path? Not realizing the fustration or difficulty involved? Safety is my main concern, I'm not going to depend on anything until I test it out. Just wanted to know if its alot harder than I realizes.

Thanks for any input or anything you can think of to post.
Click to expand...

I just finished those same mods. Took a good saddle and made it great. I didn’t hand sew it but my buddies wife did them all in about an hour for me.
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So I did add leg straps by hand sewing using the back stitch pattern. Dont have picture yet. it wasnt very clean because it was black thread on black straps. But it felt really strong. It was actually alot easier because I didnt have to worry about gauges because the force applied by my hand was plenty to push a strong nylon thread throught multiple layer of straps. It DID take a while, and next time I'm going to use different color material because I was having a hard time seeing black stitching against black materials.
 
Can’t work a sewing machine to save my life. Hand sewn all my fixed webbing bridges. Never had a problem with any of them. Bought very heavy duty thread and doubled stitched it.
 
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