First DIY TQ, getting started and need help already

**CountryRoads** · 02-21-2015, 11:01

Good luck with the down. The quilt looks awesome!

**jn35646** · 02-21-2015, 11:54

Oh man, the down was a mess! Here's the rest of the story...

Sewed up the sides:

Tried to make the ends where the shock cord will run look nice:

Time to move to the guest bathroom (tiny space, easier to clean if things go poorly with the down). All ready to roll with the vacuum and noseeum trick. Got my scale, down, quilt and some tunes. Better stand on a toilet and take a pic/selfie combo to remember this with.

Didn't get down to the first baffle before the vacuum trick was out. The down immediately clogged the mesh and therefore no suction. All bets were off and I began stuffing fist fulls. Insanely messy but effective. The calculator called for 22g per chamber but in the moment I upped that to 27-28 per.

When I was done with the last baffle I had used the full pound of down, which makes sense with the math of 28x16=448 grams or a hair short of 1lb.

At this point I vacuumed for at least 15 minutes. Down was still everywhere. I had my wife bring me the injector and I finished the work in the bathroom floor.

More vacuuming and clean-up followed by spreading the down around for the reveal!

Looks like it is lofting near 2.5" with all the overstuff. The baffles are only 2" tall so I guess that's what it will be.

Quite proud of it! It was really warm in my 5 minute smilefest of a test.

Need to pick up some omnitape/Velcro and add that and the shock cord and it'll be finished. Then on to the tarp.

**CountryRoads** · 02-21-2015, 12:49

Lol. Really LOL! I won't tell all my down stuffing stories...but the first time I was harvesting from a coat, I tried the: wet the down and make it into balls approach. I will never do that again. It's really STICKY when it's wet! Somehow down even got into my refrigerator in the weeks after that project.

The quilt looks great!

**jn35646** · 02-21-2015, 13:33

Thanks!
20.8 oz. No idea what sort of temp range it will be useful for. Probably could have gone with some 850/900 fill power and got it close to a pound. Still a lot lighter than my sleeping bag it is replacing

**outdooraddict** · 02-22-2015, 11:21

What was your overall cost?

**jn35646** · 02-22-2015, 18:11

Originally Posted by outdooraddict

What was your overall cost?

I think around $125-130 when I get the omni tape. Down was about $60, 5yd Argon67 was $50, I think the noseeum was about $10. Just need the Velcro and add the shock cord. Could have saved a lot on fabric, not sure why I went all out for fabric and cheap on down. This is a big upgrade for me as it is but some 850-900 fill down would have been amazing.

**outdooraddict** · 02-22-2015, 18:26

Awesome, hoping I can whip one up before my may 15 trip.

**jn35646** · 02-22-2015, 21:30

Originally Posted by outdooraddict

Awesome, hoping I can whip one up before my may 15 trip.

Good luck! Post pictures if you get around to it. I really got into this quilt and cranked it out pretty quick, just a couple days really. 15 hours or so.