For a few years my friends and I have woken up and wondered whether it was colder than expected, or if we all need warmer sleeping bags. So I made Temperatus!

I wanted to make MY perfect version of this, which is:

• Battery Life: More than 2 years, user replaceable CR1216 (More than 4 years if less sampling)

• Temperature: -30C to 70C (-22F to 158F), 0.1C accuracy with no calibration

• Button resettable MIN/MAX tracking, with last hour trend (The up/down/flat arrow)

• Sampling: Checks the temp every 2mins, (4 year battery with 10mins).

• You can force a fresh measurement by long pressing the button.

• Weight: <3.5g (1/8oz) with a battery installed

• Size: 35x15x4mm (1.38x0.59x0.16in)

I've been pretty happy with it for the past few months, though it took me 5 PCB and 10 case revisions to get it to the point where I am happy to call it done. Now I need to find something lighter than the S-Biner because that's heavier than the sensor itself. I have also found I can fit a CR1220 in this case to add another year to the runtime.

It is confirmed that my friends vastly exagerate how cold it is most of the time :D

Just got the whisky plank in (last piece) then consulted the book to find I'm about 1/3 of the way through ha. Now needs shaping, fibreglassing and all the gunwales etc adding. Have been shooting a little build film so will post that when it's finished in about 5 years...

I’ve been making bags for friends for about a year and a half and recently have had business really take off. A local shop reached out and asked if I had interest in stocking product on their shelves. Super big moment for my small business!

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.

I just finished my DREAM hiking pants!

The pattern was made to custom fit ME from Pattern Adventure. I chose the stretch hiking pants with hem, butt, and knee reinforcements, along with hand and zipper thigh pockets. The fabric was ordered from RockyWoods Fabrics and I went with Schoeller 4-way stretch for the anti-abrasion aspect (as opposed to ripstop nylon). It took me months and over 2 dozen fabric samples from 3 different companies to decide. This was by far my most challenging sewing project to date. It took me many months to complete, because it took all of my brain power 😝

I have very specific/unusual proportions and I got so tired of searching forever and spending money on clothes that don't even fit properly, which is why I chose to just make my own in the end.

I do plan on making a second pair with alternating colors. Hopefully the second time around, it'll be a little easier!

TL:DR I hate cutting fabric so I made a fabric CNC machine. My site, if you are interested in getting your own fabric CNC machine: https://briggsdesign.co/

Where to begin? I started my sewing journey 1 year ago to date learning to make my own backpacks, and I quickly found the part of the process I hated the most: cutting out patterns. I make my own patterns, and my OG workflow was -> design -> print -> cut out patterns -> trace patterns of fabric -> cut out patterns from material. Hated it.

Spent so much time and energy on this part of the process. Quickly started looking for other options... which brought me to my next method of cutting out patterns: lasers.

My buddy has a 48"x24" CO2 laser that really helped my efficiency and accuracy for cutting patterns. Quickly discovered the downsides, however: you have to pre-cut your rolls (typically 60" wide) to fit the machine, AND the fumes were bad, especially for more synthetic materials like XPAC or dyed thick Cordura. I didn't even try with foams. Plus if I wanted my own laser with a decent work area, I was going to be out $3-5k.

Then I came across an industrial fabric CNC machine in Costa Mesa, CA while taking a class through Canvas Worker (teacher: The Brown Buffalo - awesome brand if you haven't checked 'em out). It was awesome. Vacuum table. Sliced through material like nothing. So fast. Accommodated whole rolls of fabric.

After the class I went online to see if there were any hobbyist fabric CNC machines, only to find NONE. And the industrial ones were like ~30k. I tried reaching out to the manufacturers to see if they would ever make an entry level one... but no response. Price aside, they are also massive (6'x16'), wouldn't fit in my garage, and would need a forklift to deliver. I looked all over reddit, found several people with the same request, no solution.

So I took matters into my own hands - I built my own! The goals were:

1. Make it as affordable as possible

2. Accommodate a whole role of fabric

3. Vacuum table to hold down fabric during cuts

4. Cut from DXF files

5. Lightweight/fit in my garage

Total the build cost me $1090 (+ countless hours of blood sweat and tears lol). Cost breakdown here if you're curious. Could be done for much less, I was buying all the components from Amazon.

Build size is 68" by 45" - just fits a whole role of fabric width wise. So satisfying to not have to prepare the material to be cut at all.

Vacuum table is just a combo of MDF, coated plywood, and a shopvac. Works surprisingly well.

I (read: AI) made a custom app that runs on a RPI 4, with a GUI, that basically imports DXF files, shows the toolpath, and controls the motors. Any SW engineers in the chat, please feel free to improve the code (found here).

All the 3D prints I made using Onshape - design files can be found here.

Hoping to make this accessible to anyone who might want to replicate what I've done! If there's enough interest I can even put together a guide for how to make your own. Gathering emails here for anyone who is wanting to stay in the loop. May try and make into a product if others want it.

Anywho, happy sewing! Hope you enjoy.

I'm bummed this type of gridstop isnt available in colors anymore. Trying to use my scraps of it wisely 💔

Had to add the Gucci handle for some flair.

I work at a university where there's a relatively big machine workshop, lathes, 5 axis mills, welding etc. so I dumpster dive in their recycling bins for material. Found this stiff brass mesh and after very little thinking I turned it into my new daily backpack :D my fingers are killing me but the result is totally worth it :3 I just have to not sit on it....

Edit: I made my own clothing tags cause I sew clothes all the time. And yes, the clothes tag is a picture of my dog with glasses on.

New account, but long-time lurker - been so inspired by all you awesome makers out there and wanted to engage a little more. Have started to feel confident enough to share & get advice on projects.

Sorry for the long post, I have ADHD so I struggle being concise (at least I’m in the habit of blaming it haha…. specs are at the bottom if you wanna skip to that.

Been repairing clothes, hiking gear for a few years, and more recently making dry bags and the occasional thing for my mini-Doxie (she does not accompany me on the hikes sadly). Only really sunk my teeth into more complex builds and pattern making in the last 7 months or so. I made this EDC as a gift for a friend and it’s been an awesome build, probably my favourite so far. Really pushed the efficiency and managed to get this off my drafting software and onto my back in about 8 hours over a few evenings. Everything is either flat-felled, bound (this actually caused some puckering you can see on the bottom because I used a narrower S/A than usual), or double/top stitched.

This bag just started as an evolution of some ideas I’ve been mulling over for a few months. Recently I’ve been practising studying finished forms (mostly smaller things) and then recreating them without drafting or following a pattern, just to get out of my head a bit and put the fabric straight to the table. It’s a really gratifying exercise, but can also be frustrating.

I was keen to try some elements of a Merchant & Mills daypack which I really like so sort of incorporated those into the design as I went, especially the pleated front panel with the zipper storm flap. As a result it sort of feels neither here nor there and not really my own, but I was sure sad to let it go and have already learned a lot in the making. The problem in trying to make something original is that everything’s already been done and you just gotta honour it and be you.

MATERIALS

The bag is mostly olive 210d Gridstop and the ‘wrong side’ of coyote Ultrastretch, as well as some of last season’s British Millerain’s Sahara Tech Wax canvas. I lined it with a BCI soft-touch canvas in glorious mustard which was a first for me as I usually just bind the inside, but seeing as I was just making a top loader for an IT dude that felt like a nice touch - totally forgot to get some photos of it, though. The only stuff I couldn’t find in the UK was the Vatan 6mm 3d Airmesh which went into the padded back panel and upper vest straps, as well as the Hexmesh for the full vest (which I adapted from the MYOG fastpack straps) and anodised hardware which I got from my fave, AdventureXpert.

The leather bits including the label are all from some 1.5mm rescued scrap and is also the first ‘leather work’ I’ve done (if you can call it that) so excuse some of the rough stitching and lack of burnished edges. I love leather work but also (kind of) vegetarian so only really willing to salvage or pay for scrap. Would love a few pointers if that’s anyone’s wheelhouse.

The bag came to:

£50-£60 for materials actually used

8-9 hours labour

49cmx32cmx16cm

and 1kg on the dot.

I’m a photographer but literally never take the time to properly document stuff unless I’m on a job, so it was nice to do a kinda shameless product shoot before I shipped it off! Think I’ll try get in the habit of doing this more often.

Have some X11 in black lined up for the next project with an RX30 in Alpenglow for accents and the pocket lining. This is going to be a dedicated camera bag so will definitely be diving back into the leather stuff as I want to make some lash points for a tripod. I’ll also probably make it a bit taller in the torso to accommodate a back access zipper for my 16” laptop as well as a clamshell front access zipper for my camera cube when I’m on shoots.

Thanks for reading if you got to the end!! I’ll be shorter next time.

EDIT: Blown away by the response this has gotten, thanks everyone for the kind words and questions!! Continue to be inspired by this community in a big way!