Quilting synthetic insulation

[WV]

Top quilts are a different matter, and benefit greatly from tying everything together. A top quilt is like a sleeping bag or a pair of pants, in that you sort of "wear" it. Lining that can't reach out and ensnare your feet as you "put it on" is all good.

I try have my posts add something new to a discussion and very seldom just say "+ 1", but this is just one more example of of OG's mind wrapping itself around the way things work. It's an aspect of top quilts that's not often mentioned, and it bears repeating. (In other words, +1. )

[fortran42]

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPjy99hAtMsI've made several Ray-Way style quilts over the years and use polyester yarn for the quilting tacks @ 12" intervals approximately. Make a cardboard rectangle 4" long by the thickness of your shell+insulation (for 2"loft= 4"x2" ). Use a small diameter quilting needle and yarn sections of 8-10". Pierce top shell layer, insulation and bottom shell layer and leave 4" of yarn on top side. At 1/8-3/16" away from where you exited bottom layer..poke needle back thru bottom shell,insulation and thru top shell layer..the yarn now is a U shape thru the quilt...place the cardboard template between the loose yarn ends so the 4" part is horizontal..make a simple half not and pulls the yarns together on the cardboard template gently..when snug..tie off again and pull ends tightly..remove cardboard and cut yarn ends off..leave them 3/16"...Now gently pull the shell layers apart to spread the tarn tack out fully. The yarns hold up well and helps keep shells together and insulation from shifting w/o "cold spots" created by sewing the insulation to one of the shell faces. check youtube for quilt construction vids as well. It is helpful to layout the quilting marks on the top shell with small pieces of masking tape befor starting the tacking process.

As some members have pointed out, the 4" is not important..could be 6 or 8"..just so there is no confusion on which dimension is the loft..adding some scotch tape across the long edges of the cardboard keeps the yarn from burying into the cardboard. Start your layout marking from the Centerlines of the quilt..Not the edges...Aslo make Sure you go thru the shell & insulation layers in a straight line, not at an angle. I always add an extra 1/4" to the loft dimension to account for any accidental angled tacks. Hope this helps. My quilting layouts marks are @ 12" for primaloft and 18-20" for climashield..regardless of the weight of insulation (2oz,5oz, etc).

[oldgringo]

^^^Sandpiper taught me how to do quilt loops...this is exactly how she did it. Good post, fortran.

[hasselhoff]

Took me a few times reading over that to get it. I'm definitely more of a visual learner but I think I got it now. The part that I found confusing was the whole 4" thing. It actually doesn't matter if its 4" right? I'm guessing that is to keep from getting confused to which side is your loft thickness? So in theory the cardboard template could be 6" by 2". Just as long as you have one side of it the size of your loft. Too bad there is not a video or at least one that I could find that actually shows how to do it for us visual learners.

[hasselhoff]

Maybe if i got it right I can be the first to post a "how to" video on quilting loops! Also, looking at the materials list in the DIY kick *** instructions, why does he say you need 5 yds of insulation when the ripstop is 2.5 yards?? Should be the same size as the shell and liner??

[gmcttr]

My usual poor quality video but I think you'll get the idea. Use a sharp needle (unlike the dull one I used). The 4" isn't important...you just need one dimension the thickness of the insulation.

[gmcttr]

...Also, looking at the materials list in the DIY kick *** instructions, why does he say you need 5 yds of insulation when the ripstop is 2.5 yards?? Should be the same size as the shell and liner??

From the tutorial..."Lay out your insulation one layer on top of the other and lined up."

He used two layers.

[vwgerald]

i used climashield 5.0 and just sewed the perimeter (loosely following the DIY kick-*** instruction) and i havent had any problems yet.

[FLRider]

Climashield (both APEX, the warmer stuff, and High Loft, the cheaper stuff) is wonderful stuff for a first-time DIYer; it doesn't require anything other than perimeter sewing. Primaloft One is softer and (slightly) warmer by weight, but requires quilting every 8" to 12".

I hope your project goes well!

[ibgary]

The Primaloft One @ Rockywood has an attached scrim, which should eliminate the need for quilting. That's what ill use. I'll post some pics, but it won't start for a couple of weeks.