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  1. #1
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    How do you tell if fabric is downproof?

    I'm getting ready to make the dinos single-size down quilts. I have quite a bit of WalMart $1 fabric on hand, but am not sure how to go about testing it for being downproof. My dear departed MIL told me many years ago that the male dino was allergic to down so I've never made anything with down. I found out recently that one of his brothers is allergic to down, but he is not so down quilts, here we come.

  2. #2
    slowhike's Avatar
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    i'm not sure how to best answer that question but i'll give a couple thoughts & we'll see what the others have to say.
    i believe a lot of folks would suggest a tightly weaved fabric.
    a DWR treatment would make it even more down proof i believe but in my limited experiment w/ home made down stuff, i'm thinking that an untreated fabric will do fine as long as it's tightly woven.
    ed speer showed me a way to test for tightness in the weave. take a corner or edge of the fabric & grip tightly w/ both hands a couple inches apart & pull up & down in opposite directions, stretching the fabric.
    with moderate force, it should not begin to show light between the threads.
    but if you do it very hard, you can cause even the fabric that is sold as "down proof" to show seperation, so it's not a very scientific test
    i've used 1.1 rip stop from the $1.00 bin & it seems to do fine. ...tim
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  3. #3
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Thanks, Slowhike. Since female dinos aren't all that strong, the pull method would likely work.

    I heard years ago that you can put playsand (the stuff for kid's sandboxes) in the fabric and then shake it a bit. If any sand gets out, the fabric likely won't hold down. Has anyone else heard this method?

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    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    You might could test with sand, but I think you might need something finer-grained than normal play sand to get a realistic idea. Cheap sand like that is pretty coarse.
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  5. #5
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    BB, that is what I was thinking. Maybe flour or baby powder (us grannies have both) would be a better test

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    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Just don't try that test in a store. You'll have them calling security on you for sure...

  7. #7
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    I think Jeff is using 1.9 untreated for the body in his down hammock. Check with him on this, but if it works for a hammock it should work for a quilt.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  8. #8
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCPatrick View Post
    Just don't try that test in a store. You'll have them calling security on you for sure...
    That would give "coke spill in aisle 7" a whole new meaning.

  9. #9
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frolicking Dino View Post
    That would give "coke spill in aisle 7" a whole new meaning.
    Ok lady -- Step away from the material. I'm sorry ma'am. You'll have to come with us...

  10. #10
    slowhike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frolicking Dino View Post
    BB, that is what I was thinking. Maybe flour or baby powder (us grannies have both) would be a better test
    powder like that would even sift through some thing down proof i would think
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

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