I made a framebag from mostly recycled materials (scavenged suitcase) for a friend to use on an upcoming trip to Morocco. The only thing I had to buy were the buckles. If I make another, it will definitely be a lot wider. The material repels water, but I'm sure it's far from waterproof.

IMGP3249 by Court Harding, on Flickr

The buckles put a lot of pressure on the material at the sides, which isn't ideal for opening/closing but at least it's solid, I guess.

IMGP3251 by Court Harding, on Flickr

I included a gap at the top-tube/seat-tube junction. I think it's good to have a grabbing spot for the inevitable hike-a-bike. I put a little cover over the ends of the zippers so they don't rub whilst pedaling.

IMGP3252 by Court Harding, on Flickr

The bottle is held in with 2 adjustable pieces of shock cord - 950ml of water seems stable.

IMGP3246 by Court Harding, on Flickr

A pocket with a Berber symbol, the majority of the people in the Atlas. Hopefully they will find this endearing rather than obnoxious. I like (finally) having a sewing machine.

IMGP3256 by Court Harding, on Flickr

A repair kit held in place withshock cord, containg a buckle, some webbing, thread, a needle and a couple of patches of the same material as the rest of the bag.

IMGP3258 by Court Harding, on Flickr

I like the thoughtful little touches like a stash for multi-tool and bottle and the space for grabbing the frame.

Not convinced by the buckles though - quite apart from any frame rub, my knock-knees would be bleeding after a few miles

Nice job

Seen a few threads on here made my own gear, do you have an industrial weight sowing machine or using domestic type with suitable needles.

My wife has a Jernome home sowing machine but she doesnt think it would be up to heavier materials cordura etc

So what is everyone using

The buckles sit pretty flat, but time will tell.

I'm just using a standard 'Brother' one, but I've not used it on particularly heavyweight materials.