My latest project finishes

[Greg]

If you have a mooch at what type of thing you want to do I will happily share whatever I know. My knowledge comes from trial and error, internet, youtube & library books.

Schweet! That would be awesome. The only thing I was "taught" how to do is start and stop sewing fabric, how to fold over and finish off binding (or trim tape) to make it look good and some basic mechanics of the sewing machine.....THAT'S IT! They kind of left me hanging pretty bad as how to sew stuff together but I was one of those kids that took things apart and put them back together to see how they worked. So I've studied and taken apart pouches and packs to try and get an understanding of how it all goes together. Making adjustable slings can get very tricky if you dont know what your doing.

The main stuff I sew is slings, pouches (like ones the military attach to their vests), small packs with a couple slots or pockets. Here is a picture of my latest creation that is probably my best idea ever and I am so proud of. We make tools for military and police to break into houses and make a set of tools (sledge hammer, pry bar and bolt cutters) that are 13-17 inches long that we call the mini tools (appropriately named) So I wanted to make a bag/pouch that had 3 slots to seperate in the bag (cant have noisy tools banging around when your trying to be sneaky) a flap to fold over the top and velcro and buckle for retention, couple side pockets and a large padded shoulder strap (with quick release buckle in case of emergency) and a leg strap. The idea is this bag is small and affordable enough that police departments could have several of them and keep in the trunk of the patrol car and be ready and easy to delpoy when needed. The user just slings it over the shoulder, the pouch rests on your hip on the opposite side and then a leg strap to clip on to hold it in place. Then they can run off and take care of whatever threat is requiring them to breach a door with.

Alright so I know I'm getting but I got myself going explaining this to you and I want you to understand why I am so proud and excited about this pack because I truly think this will save lives!

A very popular term in the police/military business is "Active Shooter" which is a situation where someone is going around shooting people and unfortunately this is becoming a very frequent problem (school shootings, mall shootings, etc.) Is this as big a problem in the UK as in the US? Most law enforcement departments have a SWAT team that is trained and equipped to deal with these type of situations. But with an active shooter situation you typically dont have time to wait for the SWAT Team to be called, them get to the station, gear up, then get to the problem....thats too long as the majority of the past active shooter situation were around 5-10 minutes so every minute counts. But the ones that lasted a lot longer and produced most deaths and most media coverage are the ones where the local cops showed up and the building was barricaded and they had to wait for the SWAT team with the breaching tools. History shows us that the people who do such horrible things like this are obviously very disturbed and mentally unstable people. But they are getting more intelligent on how to increase the amount of death and carnage from idolizng others who have done this (Virginia Tech, Columbine, etc) and they are realizing if they barricade and lock doors the cops cant get in, the people cant get out and the defenseless innocent people are stuck inside with a madman loaded with guns and ammunition. You cant predict these events, they are almost impossible to prevent but I am sick and tired of defenseless innocent people dying because they couldnt get to them in time AND I CANT SIT BACK AND NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! So with these mini tools and pack I am trying to make it possible for budget-strained police departments to have an inexpensive, affordable option to get these necessary tools into as many police cars as possible. So no matter where the active shooter is a police car is probably close by and can get to the situation before it gets too bad, bust in through the doors and either contain the threat to stop the attack of "take care of the problem" Here is a pic of the pack I made....my best work ever!

[KBear]

I do alot of hand stuff as i can do it semi-reclined. My fav web forum is -
The Sewing Forum
there are a few guys on there and people from all over the globe. A recent guy who inspired me had started sewing kites and he had done a brilliant job.

Another blog i follow is -
Quilt Dad
he quilts really well, his skills are excellent, good designs and execution.

If you have a mooch at what type of thing you want to do I will happily share whatever I know. My knowledge comes from trial and error, internet, youtube & library books.

Thanks for posting these, I had never thought to look on the internet for tips either. I do own a sewing machine and can do basic sewing. I made my curtains in my downstairs rooms and have made a few pillows. I haven't really sewn a lot since I took home economics in 8th grade. I have forgotten many things, like how to do the invisible stitch to close a pillow. I have also always wanted to make a quilt, don't know why, just seems so cool! Thank you again for sharing with us!:thumpup:

[KBear]

Looks like we were posting at the same time Greg. That's great work, I definitely do not sew that well.

[Katie]

Holy crap Greg!!!!! That is awesome work! No wonder your boss keeps replacing your phones...you are incredibly valuable

Bet you could sew leather too on that industrial machine, or heavy blankets....(all horse & dog stuff)

[ajj1001]

That some difficult work there, I imagine you could do some awesome rucksacks and outdoor stuff with those skills.

[Cindylou]

Greg, I am totally impressed! Great work. You are a man of many talents and full of passion! And it shows.