Newb to MYOG – Want to build a quilt!

[JT Croteau]

So I am a complete newbie to MYOG but would like to attempt to build a quilt for use on the AT here in Georgia. We’ve been getting frost here already so I’d like to design it for 30 degree comfort.

I don’t have a whole lot of math or sewing skills, will I have a difficult time learning how to do all of this?

I want to MMOG for a couple reasons; save money I don’t have, tailor fit it for my use, and an added sense of accomplishment.

Would appreciate any tips.

Thanks

– JT

[E. A.]

Look for “12 oz summer quilt”… below

[David Wills]

I would recommend a Ray Way quilt, but they close their order form in about 20 minutes for three weeks. There are many resources to find insructions for quilt dimensions and shapes. 5 yds of 1.1oz nylon will do you well, as will 5 yds of 3 oz primaloft. therainshed.com has p-loft cheapest on the net, although everything else is expensive there. Go to walmart and get some $1/ yd material to practice patterns. For a new quilt user, I would have a 80″ long, 53″ at the head, tapering to 47″ at the foot pattern, if 6′ tall and 180 lbs. Find offset quilting explanations for the primaloft construction.

[JT Croteau]

Thanks David

I’m 6’2″ tall and 280 so I’m going to need a big quilt. *grin*

I was thinking of the following for materials:

Outer: 1.1 oz Nylon Ripstop with DWR
Inner: Momentum90 0.9 oz Downproof Ultralite Taffeta
Insultation: CliamShield XP

The sewing seems simple enough but I’m not certain on how to make the foot pocket.

– JT

[Christopher Plesko]

What about using the stuff sack style box bottom for the pocket? Follow the directions on the thru-hiker info page and scale up for the quilt?

How do the rest of you sew your footboxes?

[Benjamin Smith]

I made a convertible footbox like the JRB No Sniveler quilt. It’s a flat quilt with a couple feet of velcro (Omni-tape in my case and with the JRB) down each side at the foot end. You can close this up, then, like an open tube. To close the footbox, I installed a drawcord at the very end – so it closes like the opening of a stuff sack. This gives great ventilation options at about a 1 oz penalty.

As I recall, Ray Jardine’s quilts are basically just sewn together around the bottom – there’s no magic to it! Just fold the quilt in half length-wise and sew the bottom and however far up the side you want.

Ben

[Jim Colten]

Some folks make a simple foot box by just folding the quilt in half (the fold runs from foot end to head end) and sewing the edges together on the foot end. I have not used a quilt built that way but I am pretty sure that’s what Ray-Way kits suggests doing and lots of folks seem happy with his kits. You can do similar with a zipper and have the ability to have it also work as a flat quilt (bedspread?)

If you want a real box for the foot:

1. make the end of the box as a shell_fabric-insulation-liner_fabric sandwich with exposed unfinished edges
2. for the rest of the quilt, sew the liner to the insulation along the edges.
3. sew the foot end of shell+liner to the exposed shell+liner of the box end
4. sew the edges of the main part of the quilt together from the foot box towards the head end about 18″
5. sew the same 18″ section of the shell fabric together
6. turn the shell inside out and sew the foot end of the shell to the shell fabric of the box end.

   At this point you will have something about 13ft long, half of it is liner-insulation (insulation out) and the other half is shell … with their head ends at opposite ends

7. turn shell right side out so that it lays over the insulation, fold it over the unfinished edges of the liner-insulation and sew
8. use yarn loops to quilt ala ray-way

[Peter Mumford]

I started with Ray Jardine’s Beyond Backpacking and got my wife’s sewing machine out of the closet. I had never sewed before. I used 1.9 ounce nylon and 2 layers of fiberfill. I ended up with a slightly too small quilt that weighed 1 pound 4 ounces. I still have this quilt and usually loan it to my son, or other hiking companion if they like the idea. Since then I have made 3 more quilts. I have some advice and improvements. In the first place, it is worth it to find 1.1 ounce nylon. If I were to make another quilt, I would buy a Ray Jardine kit. His price is very reasonable compared to buying materials retail at fabric stores. Plus you get Jardine’s pattern. This will give you much better odds that the quilt will fit you!
In use I found that I was usually chilly due to drafts under my quilt. My solution, which I have not seen anywhere else, was to sew a single layer of nylon under the quilt. This basically turns the quilt into a sleeping bag. It adds very little weight but much warmth. I do not put in a zipper. I simply wriggle into the bag and do not find it to be inconvenient. Since I never get too hot in these bags, I don’t need a zipper for temperature control.
It is good to sleep warm at night but not carry too much weight of course. I find that a quilt with 2 layers of fiberfil is adequate for July and August hiking in the Washington Cascades. But for early and late hiking I take a warmer bag with 3 layers of insulation. This will keep me very comfy to about zero degrees.
I take a few other cold-night precautions. For an exceptionally cold night I will put on a vapor barrier. This is simply a kitchen size garbage bag that I wear as an undershirt. Yes, it is uncomfortable. But it adds considerable warmth, weighs little, and keeps moisture out of my bag. Lightweight women’s tights keep the legs warm.
I have also slept in bivy sacks over my bag and found them to add much warmth. But this is heavier than the vapor barrier.

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