planning stages: climashield quilts

[Tucson Tom]

I have been stewing on this for a couple of weeks. I should just order materials and dive in. But it is always good to get advice from the folks here. So here is the deal. I have a nice pair of commerical down quilts. A JRB top quilt and a Te Wa shorty underquilt. These are pretty serious things that get me down below freezing. But I would like a simpler, smaller, lighter setup for warm weather in Arizona. So I am thinking that rather than tackle a down project (maybe someday), a less ambitious project would be some kind of synthetic job. And I am reading here and this Climashield stuff seems all the rage. So here is my thinking. I order up 5 yards of the 3.6 weight climashield and about twice that of some covering material, probably 1.1 oz ripstop (like some cosmetic second stuff from whoever has the best deal). But maybe I should think of some other fabric. It would be nice to just order it all from the same source and save shipping (probably ripstop by the roll, or Dutch if he has the Climashield). But STOP ME now if there are better ideas.

One thing I have learned is that considering the work you invest and how long you will use what you make, it always pays to use the best materials and not to fuss with saving a few dollars on materials.

Then I have to sew it up. It looks like you pile the layers nylon, nylon, clima -- then sew 3 sides and turn it inside out. Maybe sew 3/4 of an inch in from the sides? Then stitch up that 4th side somehow and then add some grossgrain on the sides for cinch on the ends and for suspension on the sides. What am I missing?

The climashield (and other fabric) come 60 inches wide. More than I need. My JRB top quilt is 78 by 48, so I might cut the climashield to 80 by 50. Keep the scraps to make a pillow or something.
The Hammock Gear full length underquilts I admire are 83 by 44, so again I would cut maybe 2 inches over (to 85 by 46). 2.5 yards of climashield is 90 inches. More than I need. I wonder if suppliers will sell 4.5 yards?

The top quilt should be easy except for the option of making a foot box somehow, I'll probably start with it.

I could use some lighter fabric. I am all about saving weight ........

[twandawg85]

I havent gotten to use my UQ in the wild yet, but I can say that making it was easy.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...re-the-love-UQ!
The way you described it would work fine. I didn't use grosgrain for the edges. I just put loops at each corner for suspension and made a 1 inch rolled hem on the ends for a channel to cinch the ends.

It's warmer than I expected.

All materials needed are available through both Dutch and Ripstopbytheroll. I ordered a little from each.

Have fun... And post your results!

[gnomad]

If you want to use the best materials, I am a big fan of Dutch's Argon. I made my quilts using the .67 and could not be happier. I have only about a dozen nights with them so far, so I cannot comment on long term durability. The fabric is wonderfully comfortable and does seem plenty strong.

[TNhunter]

I just finished up with a pair of underquilts and topquilts made from .9 argon and 3.6 climashield. SO MUCH EASIER THAN A DOWN QUILT. I love a quilt that stays tucked around you so I used the full width of the material and a half taper. The raw dimensions of the topquilt are 56x84 at the top and with the half taper 44 at the bottom. I used a draw cord at the head and foot end. I used a single snap at the top and 5 snaps at the bottom. The underquilts are for our Ridgerunner bridge hammocks so there are loops of grosgrain and mini carabiners at the head and loops of grosgrain with a mini line lock, a short piece of shock cord and a mini carabiner at the bottom. These are cut to fit the hammock without having a draw cord at the head or foot. They fit like a glove once the hammock is loaded with weight. They are cat cut on all four sides and are basically full length at just under 72" long. I haven't weighed the underquilt but the top quilt weighs in at 18.1 oz.


https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...d-argon-quilts

[Hunter55]

I think all you have to do is read your post. It convinced me that's what you need to do. I've made a light Underquilt from 3.6 CS and Ductch's Agron67 pretty much like you explained except I sewed in full length channels down both sides, made of argon for suspending w typical cinch channels at the ends. Came out pretty good for a first quilt project. I have the materials in hand for a second 6.0 CS and Argon 90. Gonna try to do some darting/pleating, courtesy of Boulderv7 ideas from his down quilt. Maybe even throw in some strips. CS and laminating is a very easy design if you take your time. As far a sewing up the last edge. I only left about a 6" hole to pull everything through and just back folded the remaining hole material and sewed it closed with a straight stitch line very close to the edge of the mat. Again idea courtesy of Boulderv7. As far as material, if i'm making a DIY anything I want, it to be the best I can make. That includes the materials, spend the $ get some good material. If you need to practice, or are concerned with design, buy a Wally World bed sheet to mock it up. And again courtesy of you know who Bouldrv7. I've learned alot from this member in a short time. he does some great work. Another CS guy in Punkisdead, he's got a handle on CS in UQ and TQ. Check them both out.

[MattK]

As others have mentioned, it looks like you are off to a good start. DIY Gear Supply's top quilt guide is a very good starting point. I will also echo comments about the Argon from dutch: fantastic stuff for a quilt. I recently made a TQ and an UQ with CS Apex and Argon from Dutch. Here would be my approach, if i were to do it again:

-Use Argon 67 for both TQ and UQ. The difference will be a couple bucks and a couple ounces. For me, worth it in the long run.
-Use Argon 67 taffeta for the liner on your TQ. Has a great feel to it.
-Use the shell material to create a channel for the foot cinch on the TQ.
-Using a series of snaps to close the footbox would probably be the simplest closure option. I do like my zippered option though.
-I am 5'11" and I really like my TQ length at 78". Saves a couple oz over 84". YMMV.
-Make your UQ a 3/4 length. Use the full width of the raw fabric for the long dimension of your UQ. Cut to the 46" width you proposed. Uses a lot less fabric, has less waste, weighs less, costs less, and is used in conjunction with a small foot pad (which can double as a sit pad).
-Use the Argon material to make the end cinches on the UQ; grosgrain doesn't gather very well.
-I have had good luck with full length grosgrain side channels. Haven't tried other UQ suspension styles yet though.
-If you really want to shave some ounces, put a head hole in the UQ so you can leave your insulated jacket at home. Took me a bit to figure it, but once I wrapped my head around it, it wasn't too bad to actually construct. See here.

Make sure to post some pics for us to oggle once you actually build the quilts!