fabric question

~enigma wrote: ~ ~> this one is a bit off from the usual :) ~> my SO & i are home brewers. i want to make bags to hold the ~> whole grains & the hops so we don't have the wort chiller ~> getting all clogged with goop. ~> the grain bags we bought are a very loose cotton knit, a ~> gauze like consistancy, but very stretchy (the grains swell a ~> lot). is there any fabric like this available to home sewists ~> & how would one stabilize it for sewing? ~> the hops bags don't have to be stretchy, but they do need to ~> betight enough to kepp the hop bits contained. i made one of ~> muslin this morning, but i think that's going to be too tight ~> a weave. maybe Onesburg? ~> any suggestions greatly appreciated. :) ~> lee

You might consider "sports mesh" -- it comes in various hole sizes; it's polyester usually, so very stable for temperature and leaching, and most would certainly contain whole barley, wheat or even sorghum. It's the stuff sports jerseys are made of quite often; e.g.:

MeshZipper bag or fold the top down and and secure with basting or safetypins.

Kay Lancaster wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@hub.fern.com:

i'm ordering both sample packs. even if it's not stretchy enough for grain bags i can use it for other stuff :)

are there good locking zippers? we'll be boiling (& stirring) & i'd hate for a zipper to open. we tie the top of the current cheezy bag closed, but untying is a pain. zippers sound good in theory... lee

~Kay Lancaster wrote in ~news: snipped-for-privacy@hub.fern.com: ~ ~> On Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:06:19 +0000 (UTC), enigma ~> wrote: ~>> this one is a bit off from the usual :) ~>> my SO & i are home brewers. i want to make bags to hold ~>> the whole grains & the hops so we don't have the wort ~>> chiller getting all clogged with goop. ~> ~> You might consider "sports mesh" -- it comes in various ~> hole sizes; it's polyester usually, so very stable for ~> temperature and leaching, and most would certainly contain ~> whole barley, wheat or even sorghum. It's the stuff sports ~> jerseys are made of quite often; e.g.: ~>

Mesh ~~ooooh! thank you! ~ i'm ordering both sample packs. even if it's not stretchy ~enough for grain bags i can use it for other stuff :) ~ ~> Zipper bag or fold the top down and and secure with basting ~> or safety pins. ~ ~ are there good locking zippers? we'll be boiling (& stirring) ~& i'd hate for a zipper to open. we tie the top of the current ~cheezy bag closed, but untying is a pain. zippers sound good ~in theory... ~lee

Most zippers have a hole in the end of the zipper pull. Use a safety pin and pin the pull through this hole to the bag. That will keep it from opening.

Cheap cotton string, seam ripper.

I like a clove hitch for closing bags. The miller at Bonneyville uses a bow clove hitch to close his flour bags -- he makes the last tuck with the bight of the string instead of the end, so that pulling on the upper free end unties the knot. It works on flour bags, but I doubt that it would untie as easily when soaked.

Joy Beeson