Quilt Construction

I will be trying my hand at quilt making during winter break as a Christmas present to myself. I have used a sleeping bag as a quilt for a while now and want to upgrade to a real one. This will be my first DYI project. I have no experience and still need my mom to teach me how to sew. I am planning to use climasheild synthetic insulation from Quest Outfitters. I figure synthetic insulation will be easier to work with than down for my first project. So, here are my questions.

I know a lot of people use 1.1 uncoated nylon, should I use this for the lining and shell or are there better options?

I am trying to figure out how I should stabilize the insulation. Has anyone used the Ray Way strategy, does it work well, if so, how do you do it?

Any other suggestions for a first timer would be greatly appreciated.

The 1.1 uncoated nylon is a great fabric for a quilt project. There are "better" but more expensive fabrics out there, i.e. .9 momemtum, but there is nothing wrong with the 1.1.

The Ray Way method is fine, if a little tedious. Basically, you use pieces of yarn that run from the top fabric surface through the insulation to the bottom fabric and back again and are tied in a loop. Space them about a foot apart all over the surface of the quilt in whatever pattern looks good to you.

Other suggestions:
Use different colored fabric for the top and bottom ... this makes it easier to tell them apart in the dark.

Don't make the quilt too small, a common mistake for first-time quilt makers who are trying to make it as light as possible. Too small means cold drafts which makes the quilt near useless. What ever size you decide on, make generous seam allowances so the final product doesn't "shrink" too much during sewing.

Let us know how it turns out ... pictures are mandatory.

I made one years ago with Primalot and 1.1 oz nylon. I did black on one side, white on the other. Still looks good, but It mostly lives on our sailboat as a blanket.

Chris

Thanks for the suggestions!

Here's one for comparison/idea stimulation, etc.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/cocoon_pro_90_quilt.html

I finally finished it! I used the 1.1 oz per sq. yrd. ripstop nylon from Quest outfitters. I also used the 4 oz. per sq. yrd. primaloft from quest.

This project was a lot easier and more fun than I thought it was going to be. I needed to learn how to sew first but after practicing on some fabric that would eventually be my pattern I was confident I could do it.

I cut all the pieces to the dimensions that I had come up with.



I then sewed the extra insulation into the lining.



I did this to add some warmth over the top of me. I am very glad I did. It adds a ton of warmth while adding very little weight.

I then sewed the outer seam and the footbox.











Unfortunately I do not have a small scale so I cannot get an accurate weight. The package weighed 2 pounds exactly when I got it so I am thinking it weighs about a pound and a half or less. I let about 2.5 inches of the blue shell fabric overhang the seem around the outside. I did this to help prevent cold drafts.
The quilt showcases my non existent sewing skills but I love it. I had SO!!! much fun making it. It also turned out to be the perfect size. Making gear is so much fun!
I posted this in more detail on my blog .
Happy trails!!!

Awesome dude. Congrats!

(and Kung Fu Panda for PS2? Really?)

Thats my brothers. I dont like it at all. This movie is good though.