Great work on all of these quilt projects. Very industrious. I just finished a bulk hammock gear assembly project of four double-layer hammock and four matching underquilts. I've noticed when you build multiples of the same piece of gear, you learn little tricks to speed up the process, make things easier, and do things better. Sometimes it's hard for me to make four of the same item without learning something that makes the last one noticeably better than the first, forcing me to go back and retrofit the improvements.
My tricks for top quilt zippers are:
1) Mount the each side of zipper tape on a piece of matching grosgrain (usually 1") with a row or two of stitches; this gives you some room to work when sandwiching the zipper into the seam between the shell blanks.
2) Use masking tape to anchor the zipper halves in position while pinning and sewing the quilt stack; this guarantees they stay straight and flat when you stitch around the perimeter of the inside-out top quilt. I use the same tape technique to sew neat, consistent fabric side channels on underquilts.
For end channels, I'll admit to being a big fan of grosgrain ribbon for the end channels on both top quilts and underquilts, primarily for its nonprofit durability and ease of installation, as well as for the fact that it covers so nicely the stitched closure along the bottom edge of the quilt after inversion. I've used fabric (usually 1.9 ounce) and it cinches up very well, but I find it less pleasing aesthetically when wrapped around the bottom edge like ribbon; I prefer to fold and sandwich the end channel in the bottom edge seam if I am going to use fabric, but that forces me to use an alternate method for closing the quilt along the top edge. One thing I've noticed is that all grosgrain ribbon is not created equal; it can vary a great deal in thickness and stiffness. The same heavy grosgrain you might use of a tarp ridge line or tie-out loops makes a very poor end channel; I've had the best luck with inexpensive but sturdy craft grosgrain 2.25" wide purchased from big box or fabric stores. That stuff is super-strong for you to really crank down with the drawcord but still soft enough to gather down until only a tiny aperture remains at the bottom of a formed footbox.
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