What shape/size do you make your DiY CS UQ and why?

[Hangs4Fun]

I'm making 2 sets of 3 season UQ's for my son and I this weekend (got a couple kits from thru-hiker coming, the kits include: 2.5 yards each of 2.5oz CS, 0.9oz M90MR shell and 0.9oz M90T liner) http://thru-hiker.com/kits/apex_quilt_kit.php

One kit will be cut in half, which should give me 2 sets of 45" by 60" which should be good enough for our 3/4 UQ. I see in Patricks instructions (KAQ),
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Q-Instructions that he does a specific shape and relief cuts to form a more hammock type shape. I had great success in folding over my 93"x60" Kifaru Doobie and running shock cord in the hems, which allow me to cinch it into a nice fitting form under my DiY WBBB clones. However, that was me making a rectangle fit a circular hole.

I understand the gist behind the shape, but you sure are removing a good bit of CS from around the perimeter. When you compare ClimaShield to higher quality down, no doubt the down gets better loft and "loft rules baby". So why loose a change to create some "artificial" loft through cinching? It would seem to me that as long as you can get the head and foot side of the UQ to ride as close as possible to the hammock, you would keep cold air from sneaking in (along the sides is not an issue at all). So with that said, My doubled Doobie lofts to over 3" on the ground, and when cinched under my hammock, the rolls basically double the "effective loft" (I kind of look at the rolls like wavelengths and if you measure the distance between the peaks, you get an increased "effective loft", again, as long as you can keep it close to the hammock.

Loft of the Doobie before cinching as an UQ:
[AIMG]Loft.jpg[/AIMG]

Cinched at the head of hammock:
Cinched2.JPG

Cinched at the foot of hammock:
IMG_20140521_133226.jpg

Along side conforms perfectly:
IMG_20140521_133325.jpg

As for the size, I was trying to be most efficient in the use of standard material sizes, kits, products that were out there. So far 3/4 UQ seems perfect for me. but I was curious what width you have gone with and why? My Kifaru Doobie is 47.5" wide due to the original 93" length (no other reason) and the ones I'm making this weekend could be 45" wide (minus seam allowances of course), again totally because I could make these 3 season UQ's for $35 each.

So, I was wondering what fellow DiY'ers have done for the shape/size of their UQ and why.

[Hangs4Fun]

Man this is a tough crowd. I thought for sure I would get some feedback from someone on this.

I've read a lot of posts on CS UQ's and I can't find where anyone answered this question (though this site has many more threads than I could ever read so I'm sure its out there).

Any insight on what shape you went with and why would be greatly appreciated.

[Hangs4Fun]

??

Any help, thoughts, opinions, feedback would be appreciated.

[Hangs4Fun]

Pretty please? I was wanting to finish the design today and start making them this afternoon...

[Jon Williams]

Im very shocked that no one has responded to your post. Im also curious to what the diy'ers that came before us have to say

[Hangs4Fun]

yep, me too? I only have a small window of time today and tomorrow to work on these (getting thread injecting time is very hard). I spent a couple of hours reading through post after post in search results. I think this site may have too much stuff in it, as it seems like the fastest search is when an ole timer (on HF) chimes in with a link to the specific thread. It's not due to being lazy, I have spent many hours searching on this, so I was just trying to drum up some feedback, which usually doesn't seem to be a problem on this site. Almost 200 views have seen this, so I'm at a loss for no responses?

I knew what the options were, I was more looking for the requirements behind why people were choosing one way versus the other.

Any way, I went on some "other forums", where I did find what I was looking for. So I just finished the design and cut the material. It seems to me, that I will be able to go with a rectangle and put a channel all the way around the perimeter so I can cinch things snug. I was dabbling with adding 2 darts to cup the UQ more in the shape of my WBBB clones. However, keeping it simple with cinching helping me to conform it I think I will be ok.

I can't remember who posted it, but I'm going to be doing the modified French seam method. Stitching the shell, channel and liner together (4 layers) right side out first, then turn inside out and sew on the CS (5 layers). Then turn inside out again, close the opening and finish with a triple top stitch.

At this point (depending on if I get any feedback shortly) I could still do the darts off the center. Which from what I can tell, you just find center and cut out a 7" by 9" deep triangle 13" towards the head (from center) on the front and 13" towards the foot (from center) on the back (kind of reminds me of pullout locations of a HH...)

On another note, I may have miscalculated the temps I will get with these, having held the material in my hands. I live in GA, so I figured this 2.5oz APEX would be 3 season. They may just be summer plus/minus a month or so. I may need to make another set of 5oz APEX UQs and TQs for my son and I to get the full 3 seasons in GA (which I was shooting for 40*F). we will see, I usually can be comfy much lower than the EN ratings, so it is possible.