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  1. #1
    Senior Member NWAlabamaHiker's Avatar
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    Lock or seal a seam to make it down proof?

    I just recently finished a karo step down topquilt. Upon inspection a week or so after I completed it, I notice some of my seams aren't quite as tight as I'd like them to be. Specifically around my footbox where I put Velcro as the side closure on my footbox. There was a little piece of down that had worked its way up through the fabric by the thread on one of my seams. This brings me to the question: how do you seal or lock your seams to keep them down proof? I inspected my seams and all looked ok, but I obviously missed a couple of spots where they weren't as tight as they should be.
    Anyone have this issue before? How did you resolve it? Thanks!
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Rain Man's Avatar
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    "A little piece of down"? That happens on all my down garments and bags, whether DIY or retail. Nothing to be concerned with.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Snowball's Avatar
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    So far I haven’t worked with down so I haven’t much to offer but I agree with “Rain Man”

    Have you done any sewing in that specific area after you filled it with down? If yes the down could have been pulled out by the needle and thread and when you remove it it’s over.
    I also think you have to be careful when you remove down and especially if you pull it out. If you pull it you are likely to spread the treads in the fabric and make the problem worse (bigger holes). I had a cheap down jacket once and I had a similar problem. When I pulled on the down they linked up and formed a chain so one became 2 or 3 and the hole got bigger.
    I assume your fabric is downproof if not I don’t think there is much you can do.
    If the down is coming out the needle holes I think your problem was a dull needle or the needle was too big vs. the tread. Could also have been caused by stretching the fabric/seams while sewing.
    If it’s only in a small area (seam) maybe you could use a very thin paint brush with a thin silicone solution but you won’t be able to move it around when you start. Hot Wax may do the same trick, but then you have to think washing later on so …..
    If it’s only a problem around the Velcro then I think you will have a lasting problem if you don’t fix it. I assume you will be pulling the Velcro from time to time and if there is only one layer of fabric behind the Velcro its likely you will stretch the seam every time. Reinforce somehow.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member NWAlabamaHiker's Avatar
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    Ok thanks to both of you for your replies and thoughts. The fabric (HyperD Calendered) is down proof. The only place I'm seeing any leakage is yes, right at the edge of my Velcro where it pulls apart at. I'm thinking like you snowball, with me using the Velcro from time to time to open the footbox, then this will continue to be an issue and only get worse if I don't fix it somehow. So that now is my conundrum. How do I fix this area so that the problem doesn't get worse? Any ideas?
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  5. #5
    Senior Member Snowball's Avatar
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    It is a not easy to answer when we haven’t seen it, know exactly how the construction is and tried to rip the Velcro.
    The seam on the Velcro will always be a stress point. The forces you apply when opening the Velcro will always be transferred to the thread and then to the fabric. The result will be expansion of the needle holes. My guess is you only have one layer of fabric under the Velcro. It may not be the answer you want to hear but I do not think there is a way around ripping it apart and make some reinforcement like a extra layer of fabric under the Velcro(inside the TQ). For this solution to be very effective the patch you add has to be sewn in with seam rows around the area. It is about distributing the forces when you open the Velcro.
    Again depending on how severe the problem is ignoring it could lead to a more serious problem later.
    It is common people who have to open Velcro just grabs the fabric edges and rip very fast without thinking and that is ok if the design was made for it but if not ………….
    If the Velcro is sewn to the very edge of the TQ you would have the benefit of multiple layers of fabric to distribute the forces but the inner seam would face the same problem if it isn’t reinforced.
    Taking the TQ apart would be a pain I am sure but I do not see any other lasting alternatives.

    If you do chose to take it apart and don’t want to undo the closest baffles to sew in a reinforcement you could add a strip of spinnaker tape to the backside of the fabric with the Velcro (I am assuming the Velcro is only sewn to one fabric layer). However working with spinnaker tape requires good access because it is sticky stuff and you only have one chance. Spinnaker tape is strong stuff but I do recommend you try it on some scrap materials first. You can get it from marine supply shops and its usually approx. 2” wide.

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  6. #6
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    All of my down stuff has had a few escapees from time to time. If it's at a seam, you could always run another line through it if it's bad. Because your shell breathes it will give the finer feathers a chance to poke through. Best thing to do is pull it back through from inside the fabric. Unless you are doing bonded seams with cuben, there's really no way to seal it completely.
    Last edited by heycorb; 04-03-2015 at 10:09.

  7. #7
    Senior Member NWAlabamaHiker's Avatar
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    Thanks both of you for your replies. What I've done for now is I found some fabric repair/sealant type stuff. I just ran a bead of it around and just under the edge of the velcro, then let it set up and completely dry. I don't know how this will be as a permanent solution, but seems to be holding well in my initial testing. I guess time will tell...
    As far as having some additional backing under the velcro, I may still end up having to do this, but I don't relish the idea at all. However I will most definitely add some additional backing on my next project.
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