Help with top cover

[Splinter]

I just finished my first DIY hammock. I used hc4u's HH clone instructions and the hammock so far seems to have worked. I want to add a top cover of 1.1 ripstop, but I don't want it to be attached to the hammock body. This project is probably a lot easier than I am making it, but it has me stumped. Any ideas???

[headchange4u]

Whe i made my first top cover for my HH, Just just stretched the hammock out on the floor, laid a piece of fabric over the hammock and used a yard stick to draw an outline of he hammock, allowing about a 3" allowance on all side. I sewed a drawstring channel around 4 sides, leaving openings at the asym tie outs and the head and foot.

[Splinter]

Did you cut the drawstring, or was it one piece? How did you guy out the corners? I also picked up some plain locking buckles, like what is on a backpack. I had hoped to use them to aid in clipping the top cover...kinda keep it free from the hammock body and to aid in ventilation. Thanks for your help!

[headchange4u]

The drawstring is all one piece and runs around the perimeter of the cover. You can see some pics of it installed on the hammock in my gallery. The corners don't guy out. They are open and the guy line goes around the hammock, at the side tie outs, and that's what hold it on.

[FanaticFringer]

Top covers make a huge diffrence in really cold weather. Be careful at those borederline temps of say 35 degrees or so. I woke up one morning and had water (condensation)
all over me.

[Splinter]

I appreciate the help. I am going to start sewing and see what happens. The pics were very helpful. Thanks for all the help on this.

[Splinter]

I got it to work!!! I couldn't figure out the side guy out points, but I finally got them. Thanks for all the help!

[S3ymour]

now you have to post pictures!!

[Splinter]

I would have posted pics last night when I had finished, but it was too dark for the images to look right. I tried to stay true to HC4U's directions, but then I figured if it was a DIY project, I needed to do something myself.

The only place that I deviated to any extent is at the foot end of the cover. Here I sewed an opening that the supports could fit out, but kept the top cover from moving on that end. I put an ~6" stitch here and left a 2" opening.

I also tried, as evidenced in the pic, to cut an opening at the tie out points and then stitch around it to keep the material from tearing. That did not work, so I reverted to HC4U's design. I cut slits on the sides and fed out some line. I then ran the tie outs from the tent through the loops (ties from the hammock are blue, the line in the top cover is pink-all Lowes had) If some one, or if you could help me HC4U, can tell me if that is the right way to do the tie lines, I would appreciate it, I'm still not sure of.

I also tied the top cover's lines to the "tree", a post I put in the ground, instead of the biners. I found that this helped keep the top cover with the shape of the hammock.

That brings me to my one REALLY frustrating point: Before getting into the hammock, the top cover and the hammock stay together. When I get into the hammock, they seperate (which I expected), but they leave a huge gap. I'm guessing, but I would say between three to six inches depending on how I am laying. If some one could PLEASE help me solve this.

[headchange4u]

I also tried, as evidenced in the pic, to cut an opening at the tie out points and then stitch around it to keep the material from tearing. That did not work, so I reverted to HC4U's design. I cut slits on the sides and fed out some line. I then ran the tie outs from the tent through the loops (ties from the hammock are blue, the line in the top cover is pink-all Lowes had) If some one, or if you could help me HC4U, can tell me if that is the right way to do the tie lines, I would appreciate it, I'm still not sure of.

The second method that you used is the way mine is setup.