My New DIY Underquilt

**HitchHiking** · 02-23-2009, 01:19

I was starting to get a bit chilly over the night down here in Australia so I decided to make a underquilt for my HammockBliss Hammock.

This isn't a tutorial or anything, its just my documented go at making something

Please forgive my horrid stitching.

Material:

Polyester thread
Cheap as Chips sleeping bag
sewing machine
scissors
something to smash when things do not come out as you want, I personally prefer glass but something durable and plastic can be used as well.

Right. So with my Cheap as sleeping bag I cut the hood off and stitched that to make the bag rectangular.

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1620.jpg

I then measure the corner bits and cut them so I could then sew them up and then re position them on the sleeping bag extending its length to my desired 3 meters as well as creating the tapered sides(all my measurements are for my hammock which is 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide)

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1621.jpg
http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1622.jpg

Then after sewing them all together I get this.(i hemmed where needed etc)

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1623.jpg

Here is what my stitches look like. again please forgive my all my sloppyness. I can out laze anyone

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1624.jpg
http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1625.jpg
I then attached little loops or eyelets whatever that I will later feed the suspension cord through

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1627.jpg
I did as many of them as I saw fit around the edge of it all.

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1628.jpg
I then cut some loose threads off and it was looking ready to go.
Now for the field test

Here is it just a little bit below my hammock. I wanted to see it like this just for the effect to see where the hammock will sit in it.

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1629.jpg
I have it attached with its own points to the trees but in reality I have two small clips that go just at the end of my hammock.

here is a couple of shot of the finished Job. I'm very satisfied with my first attempt. The way I have made it that was on purpose is that I can add more layers to it as the weather cools down even more. ( it can even snow in Australia

) Just have to cut the appropriate patter out and then most likely Velcro it in. Just like this it took me down to about 7 degrees Celsius the other night. I was still very snug.
any who, here it is

http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1631.jpg
http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMG_1634.jpg
Cheers
HH

EDIT: I think mac users cant see the pics so ive linked to them for you

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-23-2009, 01:24

Your pictures didn't exactly come out : (

**Mustardman** · 02-23-2009, 01:30

The pictures show up fine for me, and they look great! Nice work.

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-23-2009, 01:32

Weird I'm seeing nothing : /

**HitchHiking** · 02-23-2009, 01:49

Rushthezeppelin, just added some links for you

**angrysparrow** · 02-23-2009, 01:55

Originally Posted by HitchHiking

EDIT: I think mac users cant see the pics so ive linked to them for you

The images work fine for me on OSX.

Great job. I like seeing projects like this done on a budget...proves that hammocking need not be expensive.

How did your quilt suspension work for preventing compression of the bag? Would you do anything differently if repeating the process?

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-23-2009, 01:58

Ya I'm using XP so it's not mac users or anything. Thanks for posting the links though....sorry to be a bother.

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-23-2009, 01:58

Well that explains it.....my connection doesn't seem to like photobucket for some reason atm : / I think my ISP is being screwy....I noticed another site not loading earlier but ignored it as the site has a tendency to go down.

Edit: I can't even access Yahoo.....figures that my connection always acts up when its outside of business hours for my ISP : (

**HitchHiking** · 02-23-2009, 02:05

Angrysparrow,

The quilt suspension work the treat, its shock cord, or maybe bungie cord for you guys. 4mm thick. lots of strech to avoid compression of the bag when its under my weight in the hammock. the cord also make its sort of "snap shut" around me when im in the hammock keeping it snug but not to tight

.
The sleeping bag was 15 bucks and the thread 2.50 bucks australian so that about 98 cents USD.

I think its just over 10 bucks UDS. Very happy with that. The sewmaching is my girlfriends and the cord I had lying around but its like 50 cents a meter ( sorry metric boy down here

)

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-23-2009, 02:08

Don't apologize for metric. All us USers should be apologizing for being the only country in the world that uses this god awful standard measuring system.