I have a question.................pretty much every underquilt design Ive seen uses darts to form the contour of the hammock. Would a tapered edge shape do the same thing? (form the edges in 2 arcs, meeting at the top, sort of like a flower petal) Just wondering................
Check the KAQ DIY pattern. It may help with the idea.
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The purpose of the darts is to shape the UQ to avoid both air gaps and compressing insulation. It think its essential for a synthetic UQ for a gathered end hammock.
May of the commercial down UQs, including the JRB models, do not have darts. These simply rely on gathering at the ends, which works with down but so well with synthetic because of its stiffness (even pirmaloft is stiff compared to down).
The KAQ design uses angled sides, a poor mans arc if you will combined with darts to shape the body. The darts are wide enough to make the length of the edges match the length of the body down the center. Basically it gives it a bit of a bathtub shape. The goal is to have the contour similar to the bottom of your hammock.
I have made (and use) 3 different quilts of the 3 different weights of Climashield insulation. I didn't dart any as I wanted to use them as TQ and UQ.
I have no issues with gaps or anything with my Climashield...the 'winter' version has successfully been used at 22*F
IMO, darting is not necessary. I do believe it is a better (fool proof) design for a dedicated UQ
YRMV
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Having made boats in similar fashion, only darts will do it.
Think of trying to make a round bowl from a sheet of notebook paper. The more "darts" you put in it, the closer it will approximate round.
You can do it with no darts, but it will always have creases where you should have put the darts.
Jbo
the pleats are often because of the differential cut, the outer shell is alrger than the inner so pleats must be used to fit 2 sides of different lengths together.
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