Easier, simpler Top Quilt design

[Coffee]

No that does clear up a lot. I can see how that amounts to more pieces, but less total sewing. I'll have to admit I 4 quilts and a nice sleeping bag and no plans to make a hiking quilt soon. The engineer in me just needs to know all of the answers.

On a side note I spent a good amount of time trying to think up a good way to sew a closed box style quilt. I could never come up with anything that wasn't a nightmire in stuffing, sewing, and overall hassle. This seems like it could be a good alternative and give the same result. Nice work.

[TinaLouise]

that is one very very nice looking quilt!!!
your corners and the edges being lifted look fantastic!!!
do post here after you've used it a couple of times, and if you have to tweek anything later.

[guySmiley]

Wow! You've got some serious skills. That is something to be proud of, for sure!

Does it pack down as small or close to a quilt baffled in a more standard way?

[Downhill Trucker]

How does your stuffsack differ from a standard one?

[TeeDee]

that is one very very nice looking quilt!!!
your corners and the edges being lifted look fantastic!!!
do post here after you've used it a couple of times, and if you have to tweek anything later.

I haven't tried compressing it as much as possible, but I can see no reason it wouldn't compress down as small or smaller than any other down quilt.

We've used them a couple of times so far and see nothing that needs changing.

[TeeDee]

How does your stuffsack differ from a standard one?

We like the stuff sacks that Ray Jardine designed/adopted/whatever. The draw cord is about halfway down the body of the sack. That leaves part of the sack above the draw cord that you can do 2 things with:

1. compressing - if trying to use as little volume for the quilt, then stuff the quilt down past the draw cord, twist the extra material above the draw cord and stuff into the quilt, then tighten draw cord.
2. expanding - if you have the room to let the quilt expand, then leave the draw cord loose and let the quilt expand into the volume above the draw cord. It is still contained within the extra material of the sack.

There more information on Jardine's site here

[TeeDee]

Just got the roll of film back with the new pics of the top quilt.

First, here's the foot box formed. The photo technician at CVS wanted to know how I got an inflatable air mattress shaped like that ! For reference, the tiles are 12"x12".


Then in the Bridge with TiredFeet under the quilt:


He only weighs 165, so that is all loft of the quilt. Without the quilt, he's hidden about 4" below the arc.

Love those draft stoppers for holding the quilt close to the body. I highly recommend draft stoppers to anybody making a top quilt. They are worth designing into the quilt.

Then with nobody in the hammock under the quilt:


The last 2 pics are grainy because I bounced the flash off the speckled ceiling - I'm still learning how to use the flash. The previous flash died over 30 years back. I procrastinated on getting new one. I just got it at Ritz Camera - $56 marked down to $19.42. See - procrastinating can save you money! Went in looking for a new flash unit for my Leica M4, didn't even know they were closing the store and had deep discounts on a lot of stuff. The M4 has a flash shoe, but it's not hot and it took quite a while to find one with a patch cord . Looked at some digitals while I was there, but I'm still partial to the M4. I've been drooling over an M8. Now that is the way to go if going digital.

[Perkolady]

Very nice looking quilt! Great job!

That was funny about what the CVS guy said! LOL!!

[LostCause]

TeeDee -
Do you think the Karo step design would be effective as the traditional baffle in an underquilt?

[TeeDee]

TeeDee -
Do you think the Karo step design would be effective as the traditional baffle in an underquilt?

I have been using a Karo step on the bed for over 20 years. It was traditional baffles for 20+ years before that. Both worked equally well.

Have used the Karo step top quilt more than a few times since finished. It works just like you would expect a baffled quit to work. Also, the foot box draw cord works with the draft stoppers really well. No need to close the foot box further up, the draft stoppers keep it tucked under the legs.

I think there would only be a problem if the quilt was underfilled, i.e., designed for, say, 10 oz of down and less than 10 oz used. Then there would be a lot of excess room for the down to shift about.

I overfilled by 20% so the down doesn't have room to shift anyway. The step baffles in this case seem to work to keep the top and bottom shell halves from shifting and keep the shape of the quilt rather than keeping the down from shifting.

I have had the top and under quilts hanging from one end since approximately the middle of May next to my basement hammock stand and so have inspected them almost daily. Some days closer than others. Before that they were in the hammock. Since they have been hanging, approximately 70 days, the down has not shifted towards one end. The top end is still fully lofted.

I have changed my mind about the possibility of using Karo Steps for an under quilt. If overfilled, then the down really doesn't have a lot of room to shift. If overfilled by 20% and with an intelligent placement of the steps, then I think a Karo step design would work very well for an under quilt. And be a lot easier to design, make and fill.

I'd make one if I had any more of Ed's 900 fp down.

Many Thanks to Ed for the HF sale. We managed 4 quilts with your support.