elev21provisionco

05/18/2025

Last year I went looking for a sewing machine with enough power to get through several thick layers of sewing. Primarily backpack straps with mesh, EVA foam,and a couple layers of fabric. But also needed when binding thick seams over zippers and where multiple seams come together. This all metal Alt-O-Matic, unbranded otherwise and made in Japan during possibly the 1950’s or early 60’s, was one I bought last year and tuned up. I had only run a few test stitches before now but this baby churned through those thick straps like they were nothing. Great power and amazing straight stitches for a machine around 75 years old! This machine will definitely be in the rotation for future projects. Gotta love the classics!

05/18/2025

A couple years ago I made a prototype small daypack (left). Today I finished its bigger and more customized cousin, and I couldn’t be happier with the result! This new daypack includes pockets and organization galore! The bag is made from X-Pac fabric, with heavy duty X-Pac on the bottom for abrasion resistance. The inside includes a dyneema seam sealed zippered sleeve plus two stretch sleeves on the sides for simple organization. The outer pocket has a couple mesh sleeves as well, plus the front panel includes small darts to add a bit of extra volume. The two side water bottle zip pockets are oversized, and will carry a large Nalgene or Camelback insulated bottle easily. The back includes 1/4” mesh for comfort and also includes a sleeve zipper pocket for passports or other thin items I want to keep safe. The straps also include 1/4” mesh which to be honest is a bit overkill considering this will not be a heavy bag, but it’s what I had on hand. The straps each also have a stretch pocket to carry sunglasses or snack bars. I extended the length of the straps so the hardware isn’t right up under my armipit.
Decided to go wild with color including all the zippers and webbing. All together, a couple weekends of sewing and this pack is ready for travel!

05/05/2025

Finally started sewing on my next project and playing with more color on this one. Pairing the black base with colored zips and some coloring book accent panels should make this backpack really pop!

02/28/2025

Just completed this Porter35 from and I have to say it’s a great build and well done instructions and video help! I opted to accent with a pattern my cousin .warner2 painted printed onto fabric and I’ve posted about before. The pack is made with XPac V15 and the bottom is XPac X50 tactical for super abrasion resistance. Can’t wait til my next weekend trip to use this one!

10/19/2024

Today I shipped out another custom order rain jacket! Its been a while since I made a jacket and I must say I still enjoy seeing them come to life! The pattern design is my own creation, the colors selected by the client, the Ventek waterproof breathable fabric from and printed with their custom design tool. I do enjoy laying out the cut lines on the print so I don’t have to trace paper pieces! All in all it was a good few days back on the machine sewing this beautiful jacket!

05/09/2024

It began as a search for some extra power to get thru a few thick layers. I wasn’t ready to spend on an industrial machine but a friend was selling their vintage all metal tank of a Kenmore. Digging into the mechanics and fixing up that machine was as enjoyable as sewing, and since then I have acquired a few others to restore. The question is once I find the power I began searching for, should I stop finding old machines to tinker with??

04/06/2024

Finding the beauty underneath the dust and grime. Only thing thats new is the belt, everything else just needed a good cleaning. Enjoying another mini-hobby in restoring vintage sewing machines!

03/23/2024

This Morse 4300 Fotomatic III arrived today from a thrift store purchase and I have to say it is stellar! Can’t wait to shine it up even more and take it for a sew!

03/04/2024

02/24/2024

Some more deep cleaning of the Kenmore rotary sewing machine today. Over the decades, oil builds up in every nook and cranny of a machine. Today I carefully removed the plug assembly from the motor and cleaned all the old gunk away. Those plug prongs sure do sparkle like new again! Getting close to having the motor put back and ready for testing.

02/21/2024

A few before and after pictures showing some cleaning progress on the vintage rotary machine. While the work is slow and laborious I do get huge satisfaction from seeing a dirty object clean again. What a difference a little elbow grease and a lot of qtips makes!!