Ninja Tarp!

The last couple of weeks have been quite busy on the making moments front.  It’s hard to find the time to sew when you’ve got a lot on in general.  Another factor is that cutting out fabric for tarps takes a lot of room.  That room usually has to be found on the front room floor by moving furniture about, which in turn takes even more time to move stuff, tiptoe around the room not treading on fabric, cutting fabric, moving all the furniture back.  So, to cut say, the two panels for a cat cut tarp can realistically take all evening.  I have to feed and water children and make them go to sleep before any of this happens.

Three things I have bought to make life a lot easier.  An 8’x 4’ sheet of ¾” plywood which sits on the kitchen table.  A soldering iron with a very fine tip.  Some sheets of hardboard.  Two panels of a cat cut tarp and all re-enforcement panels and various other bits can now be cut in less than an hour.  I’ve made templates of the panels with hardboard.  The material is placed on the plywood, the template over the top and I “draw” round it with the hot soldering iron.  Very quick, leaving heat sealed edges – no fraying.  This may be excessive if you’re just making a few bits and bobs for yourself but in time I do hope to start making a few things to sell.  One of which is the following…

This has been made for Mr. Horner, his selection of fabric.  My own designed (lets face it most of these are pretty similar designs) tarp.  The material is a coated nylon of some sorts, it’s tough, waterproof and very black.  In fact everything on the tarp is black.  I love the look of this.

At the moment, before seam sealing, it’s 292g, not the lightest in the world but light enough, it packs down small but it’s yet to be tested outside.  That’s a job for Steven and I do hope it works as good as it looks. 

I’m not taking orders as such yet, mainly as I don’t have that much time and I don’t want to leave people hanging on for stuff for ever, but expressions of interest are always welcome