This is my take on the Costco Double Black Diamond Down Throw Top Quilt.
While I have sewn two hammocks before this, this is my first real foray into doing actual sewing where stitch quality and appearance was important, whereas one hammock was a very simple whipped end hammock, and the other was Hennessy Hammock Clone. The stitching and thread tension was abysmal on both of these, but very functional.
I originally followed the DIY Costco Down Throw Top Quilt guide, and found that the hardest part was just sitting and doing all of the seam ripping. After completing all of this I was left with the sense that I really hadn't done much and that there was more left that I could do to polish this up and add additional functionality.
At first, I decided that I should trim out the edges of the top quilt. I was going to go with grosgrain, but I was worried about the comfort factor, and I decided to attempt to trim using left over nylon scraps. After trimming the top quilt, I still felt like there was more I could do. I began researching top quilts, and saw that the Warbonnet Mamba had a set of ties located 5" above the foot box to lengthen it, as well as a set at the top collar in order to secure it behind you. It also has a drawstring in the collar in order to tighten it around your neck in order to create a tighter seal for maximum warmth.
I decided that while the ties would be easy to add, and a good exercise in sewing, the collar drawstring would add an interesting twist that might help this lightweight two-season (late spring/summer/early fall) quilt get a few extra degrees of warmth out of it. Not to mention, this would allow me to add a splash of color to the top quilt, something that I found all of the other Costco DIY builds seem to lack.
Without further ado here is my take on the Warbonnet Mamba, or what I am calling, the Costco "Warbonnet Mamba Jr."
1006160602b_HDR.jpg The overall dimensions of my finished "Warbonnet Mamba Jr." measures 76 " long by 50" wide, and has a 25" deep foot box.
1006160605_HDR.jpg1006160605a_HDR.jpg I have two sets of ties. One set is located 5" above the foot box, to allow you to create a 30" overall foot box. The second set of ties is located at the collar. This allows you to tie the top quilt around your neck and shoulders if you need a snug fit.
1006160605b_HDR.jpg On those colder nights where the rating of the top quilt is put to the test, you can tie off the top collar ties, and then use the adjustable drawstring to really bring the top quilt in close to you. I used shock cord to create the drawstring so that the adjustable collar would have some give to it and allow for easy adjustment. I also offset the drawstring location so that it wasn't located directly under my chin, allowing for a better comfort factor.
1006160601_HDR.jpg Here is the back of the top quilt with both drawstrings tied off. I made sure to allow plenty of length in creating the drawstrings (just doubled over nylon stitched closed) so that I could tie a bow that was easy to undo.
1006160601a_HDR.jpg1006160602_HDR.jpg Here are closer pictures of the ties actually tied up.
1006160602a_HDR.jpg Here is a closer shot of the adjustable collar drawstring showing the slight offset from center.
09.jpg Last, but not least, here is the foot box. I wear a size 13 shoe, and I wanted to make sure that I had ample foot room, but I was unsure how to manage the height that I wanted with the width that I really knew that I wanted. Since the Costco down throw is sewn with 5" x 5" squares, I figured that 10" of height should be ample, especially since my feet naturally fall towards an open position as opposed to a perfectly vertical one. Doing basic math, I then measured the remaining distance on the width of the top quilt, and cut the width of the footbox to match while allowing just enough room to create a seam for the to close off the back of the foot box.
The only thing that I still need to do is to wash this bad boy in some Nikwax Down Proof Waterproofing and then tumble dry on low with some laundry balls to fluff it back up fully.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the results of this project. I have learned several things along the way, as well as gotten more confident when using my thread injector. My two mistakes were as follows: 1) I got a little confused on which side faced which way. Originally, I wanted the shiny silver side on the inside of the bag, with the darker grey side facing outwards. well, I goofed on that, but ended up with a happy accident instead. I now had a two toned quilt. Silver with a dark grey foot box area. Of course, you can see where I joined up the trimmed throw piece to the bottom of the rest of the throw, but it blends in pretty well. The other issue was adding in the trim itself. In a few areas the trim got uneven from where it was on the front versus where it was on the back, causing 4 small areas where I had to go back and add in additional stitching to close it off. I think this was of an issue with using Wonder Clips versus pins to hold the trim to the quilt.
While I haven't gotten to test this out yet to see what temperatures I can get it too, I am sure that the mid 40's shouldn't be an issue. I'm hoping that with the additions that I made, I can maybe get it to the low 40's, with even lower temps with proper clothing.
My next project that I will start working on is something that I asked about in this thread (Costco Underquilt Question/Idea - Faux Baffles?), and that GadgetUK437 has now shown as being possible in his own build (Costco Differential Cut 3/4 UQ with Faux Baffles).
I also learned that the thread injector that I am currently using (a Brother CS6000i) which I originally purchased for my wife, but now have joint custody of, is a little too light to do some of the tasks that I foresee future DIY projects needing. I'll definitely be on the lookout for a more heavy duty thread injector. Preferably, I would like to find one used and restore it is possible, so if you have any suggestions on either a new or used make/model to be on the lookout for, please let me know.
Hopefully this inspires some of you who are afraid to sit in front of a thread injector and create something that it is indeed possible, and that doing something as simple as transforming a premade item can be easy with a little time, inspiration, and forethought.
Feel free to ask questions or critique. I'm open to all suggestions and criticisms in an effort to better both myself, as well as my abilities.
Thanks!
-c0de-
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