It has been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. However, that does not mean that I didn´t have anything to share. Photography is our family hobby. My eldest son loves taking photos with old, second hand cameras. His latest find was an old camera from 1976, that came without a camera strap. Therefore, I made a strap for the camera and it turned out so well that I decided that I must share this tutorial . A camera strap will make a nice personalized gift - and the best part is, you do not even need a fancy embroidery machine to make it! Many modern sewing machines have alphabet embroidery or decorative stitches and therefore this project is a perfect opportunity to finally use these features. Let´s begin!
You will need:
1" (2.5cm) wide webbing of desired length (mine was 40" (101.6cm)
two pieces of leather 1 1/8" wide x 3" long (2.9 x 7.6cm) (cut the leather pieces 1/8" (0.3cm) wider than the strap).
Aurifil Forty3 (I used color 4670). This thread is slightly thicker than regular 40 wt Aurifil thread and it gives more definition to your embroidery
90/14 Top Stitch Needle
90/14 Leather Needle
two D -rings 1/2" (14mm) or snap hooks depending of the type of the strap attachment on your camera
two carabiners
1. My webbing was a cotton/poly mix that frays a lot. Due to this, once cut to size, I slightly burnt both raw edges with a match to prevent fraying.
2. To make the leather endings, fold a 1 1/8" x 3" (2.9 x 7.6cm) leather piece in half, right side together. The piece will measure 1 1/8" x 1 1/2" (2.9 x 3.8cm). Mark 3/4" (1.9cm) from the top and 1/4" (0.6cm) from the left and right edges on the fold. Repeat for another piece.
3. Using a small ruler and a rotary cutter cut off the edges as shown in photos below.
4. Thread the ending through the D-ring. Place the webbing end on the 3/4" line. Make sure that the webbing is centered on the leather and that you have the same excess leather on the right and left sides of the webbing.
Fold the the leather on the webbing and clip in place (both top edges of leather ending aligned).
5. Using a leather needle and Aurifil thread (Forty3) both at the top and in the bobbin, stitch a reinforced rectangle 1" x 3/8". Start at 1/8" from the top. You might need to adjust top tension. On my machine I decreased it from 4.6 to 3.6.
Repeat for another end.
6. Using alphabet on your sewing machine create a sequence of letters or use a decorative stitch. I embroidered "STOP... see the beauty". You can find a short video here. Use a top stitch needle. You might need to adjust the top tension. First, practice on a small piece of webbing to check the embroidery and its position as well as adjust top tension if necessary. The standard tension on my sewing machine for lettering is 4.0. I had to decrease it to 3.6. Embroider the letters or use decorative stitch.
7. Add carabiners to the D-rings and attach them to the camera.
Your camera strap is ready!
I used D-rings and carabiners as I had them at home but you can use camera strap rings if you wish for your strap to look professional.
I am happy with how well the strap turned out. It looks stylish and feels sturdy.
If you would like to make a camera strap using this tutorial and share on Instagram or Facebook, please kindly tag me at @nordiccrafter and use the hashtag #nordiccrafterpatterns.
Happy Stitching!♥