I was at Wally world last weekend and was surprised how cheap fleece is by the yard. A warm weather top quilt could be made for about 15 dollars.
For those who have done this how did you pick through the available fabric to at least get an idea what the final product will weigh? They have dozens of choices and its tough to tell what you're buying as far as weight, warmth and bulk goes. Also, What dimensions did you end up using?
I thought about making one, but took the easy way of buying one from JacksRBetter. It's $30, but it is a really nice product.
Microfiber fleece is generally the lightest. Which one of the weights of fleeces you choose will depend on what you want in the way of warmth...just like quilts. I need extra warmth except in the hottest of summer nights so I have one of the warmer fleeces. I use it in cooler weather to supplement my quilt and can use it alone.
I also made up a silk fabric liner thinking I'd use it for cooler weather but now it's turning into my 'hot nights' cover with the fleece as a supplementary cover that I can toss on and off as needed.
I made mine the same size as my top quilt. If I had a 'do-over' I'd make the fleece and the silk just a little longer than the quilt so that I could fold either of them over the top of the quilt like I do a sheet at home. It would keep me from getting breath moisture on the top quilt.
I bought a 20 degree top quilt that is big enough for sleeping on the ground if I want to use it for that. Its a little big for a hammock but it it works well. If I make a fleece top quilt I'll make it as small as I can get away with. I was going to buy a 50 degree down top quilt until I realized how much it would weigh and how much it would cost. Its really warm here in Georgia in the summer and I think fleece will do. Its definitely worth a try considering the very low cost. I'm not one to dive in and learn from my mistakes. I'd rather learn from someone else's learning curve....!Originally Posted by The Old Boot
Fleece can work. It just doesn't pack well. Home or car camp use is a good rec.
Some fleece shrinks a lot. So wash and dry first. Then sew.
~60" wide x your heigth plus a couple extra inches. Sew the entire perimeter with a rolled hem and then sew in a footbox.
You can get creative with the footbox and do a round circle or taper the footend down? But its all up to you...
Ambulo tua ambulo.
I'm just trying to get a handle on the rolled up size and weight of a fleece quilt. The different options at wally world have no information to help you figure out the finished weight and warmth. The only info on the bolt is the price.
A down quilt will be about 12 oz and will stuff to a really small size, but it will set me back around 200 dollars. A coleman fleece blanket is fairly light and it rolls up pretty small, but I'm wondering what actual figures people who have DIY have to share.
For years I have been using one of these:
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/mili.../0000000071889
Your experimentation will be the only way to know. Too many different fleeces out there.
The best I can do for you is to say that the Jacks R Better fleece quilt liner is made out of a very nice micro-fleece and the site lists it at 18 oz. I just put one of mine on a scale and it weighed 14 oz with the minimal packaging it came with. I usually buy them during their sales.
I also have a fleece top quilt I made for my nightly indoor sleeper which has a generously sized foot box and is made from fleece from Joann Fabrics. It weighs 28 oz. and packs about twice the size of the J'r'B quilt. It is ~ 56" wide (no taper) x 74" long with a 18" wide x 10" tall end panel on the footbox. Like I said, it's a generously sized nightly use quilt.
In the photos...2 liter Coke bottle, J'r'B fleece quilt liner, DIY "Joann Fabric" fleece quilt.
IMG_4554 (Medium).JPGIMG_4556 (Medium).JPG
Last edited by gmcttr; 07-04-2014 at 19:18.
There is a huge range in weight, insulation rating, and no-pill quality in all the hundred or more fleece fabrics available (not including pattern and colors). Even though you may be set on buying from Wal-Mart, just checkout the specs on a few available fleece fabrics here to get a basic idea:
http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/Fleece-Fabrics
If you can find a good deal on a ready made sleeping bag liner (fleece or not) which does NOT have a zipper that would probably be the best. Otherwise what I have done is buy enough fabric by the yard to be taller than I am (i.e. 3 yards or 9', or 6.5' may do if it does not shrink too much). Fold it over lengthwise and then sew up the bottom and continue up the side about 12-18" at the most to form a "foot-box". DO NOT ADD A ZIPPER. Use Velcro Omnitape if you must, a cheaper version of this called Union Tape is available at:
http://diygearsupply.com/product/union-tape/
You can also use this "Union-tape" or Omnitape to temporarily fasten the bottom of this fleece liner to the inside of you sleep bag or top quilt when it gets warmer. Same with a silk or polyester liner.
There is also some "tape" that you can place between layers of fleece and iron over it and it will bond it together instead of sewing but this does not hold as well as thread stitching. Also most of these tapes do not work with fleece so talk to the people working at fabric shops, and read labels carefully. I forgot the name and could not find it but not recommended, these heat bonding tapes are fine for hemming the bottom of pants but not much else.
I have an American Red Cross fleece blanket (Hurricane Sandy souvenir) that works just fine. I never really thought about making a top quilt out of it. If I'm using a fleece blanket (with UQ) then it's so hot I doubt I'm worried about being cold.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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