Advice on first attempt at UQ and TQ.

[anglachel]

I'm getting ready to place an order to Outdoor Wilderness Fabric for mine and my wifes first attempt at an under quilt/top quilt.

We've previously made a pair of "pea pod" style bags (maybe ultra light pea pod bags?) with 2oz climashield apex (from thru hiker), we need to use synthetic because of my wifes down allergy.

I've our first bags are probably good to about 40F (maybe a little cooler) but they won't work with one of our hammocks because of the bug net, so we are going the UQ/TQ method this time.

I'm left with some questions... First time around we just got the measuring tape and measured where we were laying in the hammock and built out patterns off that information, which lead to my wife complaining that her bag is to short, This time I want to make sure to be on target for the UQ and probably go a little long for the TQ (something she can pull over her head if she wants)
Top quilt is easy, she is 5'4" so at least 5'6" and she'll have plenty of left over, but the UQ I'm concerned about... Patterns I've looked at suggest starting with fabric at a length of 60 inches (makes sense because it's that wide from the bails) and ending with a product slightly smaller than that (seam allowances and drawstring tunnels and such) which concerns my wife it will be too short for her...
My plan was to start with something shooting for an end product that was closer to 6' long, and see if that worked for me (I'm 6'4") if not let her use it (should be plenty long for her) but I'm looking to buy fabric and don't want to end up with way too much (not that it wouldn't find a home in some project eventually)
So what size should I be shooting for in an UQ for my wife 5'4" and for me 6'4"?

We are thinking that this will be our winter time setup, so we are going to be using 2 layers of 4oz apex (my math suggests that should be good to roughly -8F though I'll be pleased if it gets us to 0F). I'm trying to figure out if we should try to cut the climashield/shell material to cup the hammock (like the IX quilt pattern) or if we should just do a rectangle the whole way around, or if we need to have the outer shell boxed out so as to give the climashield somewhere to expand too or something else that I'm not considering, thoughts?

Last question for anyone who has ordered from wilderness outdoor fabric, I see on their site that if you order 20 yards of a fabric you can get wholesale prices, right now with two layers of climashield on two UQ and two TQ I'm thinking we'll that much at least, but then on the order form I see something about ordering in even bulk increments, does anyone know what it takes to get the wholesale price? (because I'm thinking that'd save us about $100 over the retail prices, and I'm all about that.)

Feel free to shout out any other advice, I'm a bit nervous about this undertaking not because I question mine or my wife's sewing skills but more because the cost of the materials for a 0F setup is kinda high. Worse still this was my proposed alternative to thicker sleeping pads and bigger sleeping bags to use in the tent, so botching it up might just send her back down the path of sleeping on the ground (I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP ON THE GROUND, IT'S DIRTY AND COVERED IN BACK PAIN!


p.s. I kinda wrote a dissertation here, so I went back and bolded my particular questions.

[FLScouthanger]

I'm getting ready to place an order to Outdoor Wilderness Fabric for mine and my wifes first attempt at an under quilt/top quilt.

We've previously made a pair of "pea pod" style bags (maybe ultra light pea pod bags?) with 2oz climashield apex (from thru hiker), we need to use synthetic because of my wifes down allergy.

I've our first bags are probably good to about 40F (maybe a little cooler) but they won't work with one of our hammocks because of the bug net, so we are going the UQ/TQ method this time.

I'm left with some questions... First time around we just got the measuring tape and measured where we were laying in the hammock and built out patterns off that information, which lead to my wife complaining that her bag is to short, This time I want to make sure to be on target for the UQ and probably go a little long for the TQ (something she can pull over her head if she wants)
Top quilt is easy, she is 5'4" so at least 5'6" and she'll have plenty of left over, but the UQ I'm concerned about... Patterns I've looked at suggest starting with fabric at a length of 60 inches (makes sense because it's that wide from the bails) and ending with a product slightly smaller than that (seam allowances and drawstring tunnels and such) which concerns my wife it will be too short for her...
My plan was to start with something shooting for an end product that was closer to 6' long, and see if that worked for me (I'm 6'4") if not let her use it (should be plenty long for her) but I'm looking to buy fabric and don't want to end up with way too much (not that it wouldn't find a home in some project eventually)
So what size should I be shooting for in an UQ for my wife 5'4" and for me 6'4"?

We are thinking that this will be our winter time setup, so we are going to be using 2 layers of 4oz apex (my math suggests that should be good to roughly -8F though I'll be pleased if it gets us to 0F). I'm trying to figure out if we should try to cut the climashield/shell material to cup the hammock (like the IX quilt pattern) or if we should just do a rectangle the whole way around, or if we need to have the outer shell boxed out so as to give the climashield somewhere to expand too or something else that I'm not considering, thoughts?

Last question for anyone who has ordered from wilderness outdoor fabric, I see on their site that if you order 20 yards of a fabric you can get wholesale prices, right now with two layers of climashield on two UQ and two TQ I'm thinking we'll that much at least, but then on the order form I see something about ordering in even bulk increments, does anyone know what it takes to get the wholesale price? (because I'm thinking that'd save us about $100 over the retail prices, and I'm all about that.)

Feel free to shout out any other advice, I'm a bit nervous about this undertaking not because I question mine or my wife's sewing skills but more because the cost of the materials for a 0F setup is kinda high. Worse still this was my proposed alternative to thicker sleeping pads and bigger sleeping bags to use in the tent, so botching it up might just send her back down the path of sleeping on the ground (I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP ON THE GROUND, IT'S DIRTY AND COVERED IN BACK PAIN!


p.s. I kinda wrote a dissertation here, so I went back and bolded my particular questions.

Wow! Lots to consider. I'll throw my .02 cents your way...

First, I have zero experience with owf so I am unable to provide any insight there.

As far as the UQ & TQ measurements are concerned, I would say, "It depends." By that, I'm referring to what your preferences are; only you can answer that. That said, my recommendation to you for UQ finished size would be 72" long x 44" wide. Again, this is finished size recommendation--of course you'd have to factor in seam allowances, cinch cord channels, draft tubes, etc., as applicable. A UQ with these dimensions would definitely cover "she who must be obeyed" and be only 4" shy of total length coverage for your height. My experience is that those 4" aren't that critical. YMMV.

Next, for the construction and whether or not to put darts in the shell... With 2 layers of 4.0 apex that'll give you approx 1.5" of loft. Knowing loft = dead air space = warmth, my suggestion would be darts in the shell to help align the shells together and also allow the apex to loft. Keeping in mind you'll need to, as a minimum, stitch around the perimeter of everything to hold the apex in place between the shells.

Whatever you decide on I highly recommend putting it all on paper first, step-by-step, and basting (pinning) it together before putting it under the foot of the thread injector. This way you can make any needed changes to the plan. Plus, when it comes time to do the second one you'll have a good plan to follow.

Again, just my .02 cents. HYOH and keep us posted on how everything turns out.

[Rain Man]

Last question for anyone who has ordered from wilderness outdoor fabric ... does anyone know what it takes to get the wholesale price?

I've ordered from OWF several times and have found them very helpful on the phone. So, my advice is to simply call them and ask. I.e., go straight to the horse's mouth.

Rain Man

.

[Alan Burd]

This is from their website.

Retail Buyers quantity price breaks:

Buy 20 yds of any type of fabric and receive wholesale prices for that entire order.
Buy Hardware alone in bulk increments to receive regular wholesale pricing for that item.
Ask about Full roll fabric prices

[jwright]

Why not take your planned quilt size and make a simple mock using an old bed sheet . You can hang this under your hammocks and give it a trial run. It will go a long way to alleviating your concerns and you can really dial on your size

[chickenwing]

OWF is great to deal with. I suggest calling them if you have any questions or concerns. They are great to deal with. I've placed several orders with them and would recommend them any time.

As for your wife's underquilt; if your wife uses a pillow, 60" should be long enough to cover from shoulders to well past her feet.

Darts are definitely doable with the synthetic, but they may result in cold spots due to gaps or thin spots if cutting and sewing or big bulges if folding and sewing the darts. I would definitely cut the outer shell larger than the inner shell to allow the the differetial and give the insulation some breathing room.

[e_2]

if you want to get some of the size questions dealt with cheaply, I recommend:

Get a couple sheets or blankets from the local thrift shop. Get some yarn and a needle that to fit the yarn (or embroidery thread or whatever you are comfortable with). Make a top quilt out of the sheet/blanket that is a foot longer than you think you need. Stitch some basting stitches through the top/bottom to simulate the draw cord (you can also add some quick stitches to make a quick foot box). The cinched up ends will take up a lot more of the overall length than you might think. If you start out too short, it's hard to make it longer... if you make it too long, she and you may like it long (that didn't come out right).