Two TQ's in the making. Looking for Helpful hints.

[Burning_Daylight]

I have the material in hand to make a pair of down TQ's for my wife and I. I have read the threads, and consulted the spreadsheet calculator, and am just looking for any last minute helpful hints or thing to remember that you may have. I have Argon67 and HyperD 1.0 for the shell fabric, NS50 for the baffle material, and I am recycling the down out of an old SnowLion sleeping bag. We are shooting for around a 40* TQ, but without knowing the power of the down I have on hand it is just going to be a guess.

Fuchsia HyperD1.0 for one side of my wife's from Ripstop By The Roll.
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Black Argon67 for the other side of my wife's, Moss Green(looks less like OD in person) and Charcoal Argon67 for mine from Dutchware.
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[boulderv7]

Change needles more frequently than you would think, use a straight stitch plate, measure twice, cut once, use lots of pins or wonder clips. Use scraps to set your tension before starting the project. Have fun. Don't sew when your tired or not feeling it. Use a light underneath your fabric just before your machine to line up markings. Use markings at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 the total lengths of your shells to make sure everything lines up perfect. Post pictures when you're done. We love pictures here!!

With all those really nice materials, I wonder why not just spend the dough on nice, high fill power down? Then you know what you have.

[MAD777]

With all those really nice materials, I wonder why not just spend the dough on nice, high fill power down? Then you know what you have.

I got to say that I agree! Those are premium fabrics. Stuffing them with dead Blue Jay feathers just doesn't seem right. Sounds like a better match for bargain bin nylon from Wallyworld or Jo-Ann 's. But it's your quilt.

[EndOfRope]

I use chicken feathers. Stuff chicken in baffle. grab by feet and give it a good tug. Shaboom!!
Stuffed and dinner to boot!

.. and now for a more serious feather tip...

FYI.. You can buy 2 lbs of feathers 800 loft Hutterite white duck for about 150 dollars. (no WR).
(that's Canadian dollars). 850 loft is about 250 dollars for 2lbs.
2 lbs is the minimum sized order and you can only buy by the lb.

I figure I can make underquilt, top quilt, pillow, and a hoodie all rated from 0 to 20F. (2/3 underquilt) with all these feathers. A down vest only needs about 3 ozs. too.


They also sell EiderDown for 850 a lb. I think the loft is about 700 for that, however due to the nature of the down.. a sticky gooey mess that doesn't actually blow around has an equivalent thermal property of about 1100 loft.
17 nests are robbed off of Iceland or eastern Canada to get a lb worth of down. Could probably make a 1lb 20F sleeping bag with that stuff. (google EiderDown videos..pretty cool). (Best down on the planet).

http://www.featherind.com/