In the following review Bluebird Chic ambassador Amy Kingsford shares her experience with the DIY hardware-only kits.
I was really excited when I found out about the hardware-only diy kits from Bluebird Chic, because I love my straps and I’ve been wanting to make or get some type of strap that will fit my 11 year-old son’s camera and style.
Working through this project has given me some great ideas to work from in altering things a bit so that I can make a strap for my son.
The idea of customizing my camera strap by choosing the fabric and yet still having the same quality and design as my other bluebird chic straps had me excited.
However, I must say if you thought choosing your favorite style from the bluebird chic shop was hard, this problem increases ten-fold when you’re in a fabric store trying to choose your own fabric. This may have been the most difficult, yet fun part of the process!
I visited my local Joann’s and decided to narrow my search by first looking at their premium cotton. When I saw this bright and bold peacock print I fell in love.
Now it should be noted that I DO NOT have an industrial sewing machine, which is recommended in the instructions that accompany the kit. But my Bernina 1230 is a pretty hefty machine and armed with a needle meant for heavier fabrics like denim, I figured I’d give it a go.
I found the instructions easy to follow and I had most of the supplies that weren’t provided with the kit on hand, bringing the cost of the strap with the kit included to $38.00.
It was nice that the kit came with the quality leather, nylon webbing and strap hardware, as I think finding these supplies separately would have been pricey and time-consuming.
In the end, I was really pretty happy with the results. The denim needle seemed to handle the application of the leather tabs pretty well, with the exception of needing to play around with the thread tension to account for the extra bulk.
The strap took me a little less than 40 minutes to make after a thorough read thru of the instructions. I can see myself making countless of these straps for friends and family as gifts over the years!
Amy Kingsford is a resourceful and passionate virtual assistant who helps creative entrepreneurs carry out the everyday tasks of running their businesses at amykingsfodva.com
When Amy isn’t helping creative business owners save time and focus on their passion, she homeschools her two boys, travels the country, visiting National Parks and Monuments and documents her family adventures as an avid photographer and memory keeper.
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