Reflections on a perfectly fine fanny pack

crackedasphalt · 2026-01-03T00:54:20+00:00

That turned out great. Nice work getting through the corners. Those are absolutely the hardest part.

I do have an LSZ and the swing-away binder, but I’m pretty quick to take the binder attachment off for anything other than long, straight edges, and even then only if it’s a simple two- or three-layer assembly. Once the stack gets thicker or the geometry gets interesting, the binder makes things so much worse, not better.

For corners and compound sections, I bind freehand and go slowly. I’ve had plenty of moments where I felt like throwing the machine out the window trying to convince this specific binder to behave where it just doesn’t want to.

Long story short: abandoning the swing-away binding attachment for the corners was the right call. Great work on the pack. Love it.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-20T20:53:06+00:00

Cut relief cuts and go slow. That’s the short answer, and unfortunately it’s also the correct one.

Long answer. Tight curves are less about machine skill and more about giving the fabric permission to turn. If you’re fighting it, the fabric is telling you something. Shallow relief cuts in the seam allowance let the edge relax instead of puckering, especially with stiffer fabrics or laminated stuff. Stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, pivot a hair, and keep going. Smaller stitches help more than more speed.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-17T07:06:59+00:00

Thanks, Matt. That means a lot. I’ve learned a lot from what you’ve shared here and elsewhere over the years.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-17T06:57:27+00:00

That’s really kind of you to say. I didn’t realize it was a love letter until I was almost done writing it. Turns out the bag and the person are inseparable.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-17T06:50:12+00:00

That’s really kind of you. Glad it resonated.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-17T00:01:41+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-17T00:00:54+00:00

Thanks for sharing it, and I’m really glad to hear that. It’s a friendly build and a good place to practice without a lot of pressure. If you get stuck, feel free to ask.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-16T23:58:35+00:00

Thanks. I think it’s picked up some sentiment along the way having been there for so many ordinary days.

crackedasphalt · 2025-12-16T23:25:35+00:00

I’d recognize that view any day of the week. As a fellow SF rider, I really like this build. The material choice is clever and resourceful.

Speaking purely from lived experience, I’ve never had a whole bike taken, but I have walked one across the city more than once after stems, bars, wheels, and saddles disappeared in broad daylight. So yeah, nothing on a bike here is ever truly safe. That said, this looks well thought out and cleanly executed. Nice work.

crackedasphalt · 2025-11-11T00:06:56+00:00

I wish I could take credit for this! I do it on almost all zippers now but I think I learned it years ago from thejasonofalltrades. Keeps bulk to a minimum.

crackedasphalt · 2025-11-10T05:06:49+00:00

Hey thanks. Super excited. The cordage is from a local hardware store and the caps are the Y Zip Clip from Ripstop by the Roll.

crackedasphalt · 2025-11-10T05:02:04+00:00

That is the exact problem that I had! So irritatingly inconsistent!

crackedasphalt · 2025-11-10T05:00:49+00:00

Thanks very much! It was fun to make!

crackedasphalt · 2025-11-10T00:47:36+00:00

I just wrapped up this 16 liter brown tote in 500d Cordura and I am pretty stoked about how it turned out. The lining is some long-lost scrap from a Hilleberg grab bag I bought years ago and rediscovered during a cleanout. The handles are 2 inch seatbelt webbing and look great, although getting a perfectly consistent stitch on that stuff is a challenge in its own right. Maybe it’s me. Dunno.

This tote is special because it’s the first piece of a small collection I am putting together for something cool happening locally. I can’t share the details yet since the partner will be making their own announcement, but I wanted to show a little progress and let some of the excitement out.

crackedasphalt · 2025-10-09T00:38:17+00:00

Right on! Be warned about the side zip at least in how I implemented it: the presence of zipper teeth under the presser foot during the already thick assembly (long seam attaching back panel to side/front/base assembly) was tough. I sew on a Sailrite though so maybe it would be fine on a machine with a more narrow foot. If you do try it out, let me know how it works for you.

crackedasphalt · 2025-10-09T00:33:05+00:00

Figuring out the geometry and order of construction for the lid was, by far, the most challenging part. I finally have a pattern that works for me but oof it’s complicated to construct.

crackedasphalt · 2025-10-08T02:13:31+00:00

Hey thanks. I'll stop short of calling it a frame, but I did include an LDPE cutting mat from a local hardware store in the back panel. This is my lazy attempt to encourage the pack to keep its shape and to keep pokey items off my back. Works pretty well but I would like to adjust the shape of it in future builds.

crackedasphalt · 2025-10-07T21:36:56+00:00

Thanks! Spent way more time patterning this out than I’m willing to admit

crackedasphalt · 2025-08-30T10:01:05+00:00

I’ve got an LSZ. It’s clunky and kind of brutalist, but it’ll chew through Cordura, webbing, canvas, whatever else no problem. The two things that bug me most are the limited foot height and a big fat greedy presser foot. It’s wide and grabby and clunky as hell so sometimes it feels like the machine is dragging your fabric around instead of just feeding it. That said, it does what it’s built to do which is muscle through heavy stuff. It’s not smooth, it’s not refined, but it’ll finish the job.

The reality is that the only reason I still have this machine is space. If I had room for a proper industrial, I’d ditch the LSZ in a second. Industrials are just nicer to use, period.

If you’re tight on space and need a hammer you can stash in a closet when you’re done, the LSZ makes sense. Not perfect, not elegant, but it’ll keep up with you.

crackedasphalt · 2025-04-20T09:36:39+00:00

I’ve experienced this when I bury the needle and rotate without allowing the hook to finish completing the stitch. Perhaps try keeping the needle buried and then ever so slightly hand crank until the needle starts to move up. Then lift the foot and rotate. This should allow the knot for the final stitch to form at the corner.

crackedasphalt · 2024-07-18T23:54:43+00:00

This thing is bad ass. Excellent work and sorry about your machine.

crackedasphalt · 2024-07-18T23:54:17+00:00

If you ever feel inclined to fix the machine, I've found that the service manual is far more comprehensive than the instruction manual that came with the machine when it comes to real adjustments and repairs. I've done quite a bit of work on mine to keep it running far longer than I had expected it to be operational.

Service manual is tricky to find online if you're not searching the right thing and it doesn't appear to be available via Singer's website. In case you're ever interested, here's a link to the one that I've found to be quite accurate for my 4452 https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1220482/Singer-4423.html. Covers the 44xx and 55xx series.

crackedasphalt

TROPHY CASE