this past summer I bought a new oversized sleeping bag to use as a blanket in the v-berth. due to its bulk, I cut it in an oversized "V" shape for a better fit to the space and trimmed the edges.
it is plenty big enough to cover over both of us and still keep the cold air out and sealed down at the edges, without having the unnecessary bulk of material at the foot end where the hull narrows down to the V.
I used a piece of webbing to make a loop at the foot of the blanket, which hooks to a connector at the foot of the v-berth, so to make the bed, you only have to pull the top up and align it side to side then let it go...the strap holds it in place at the foot of the bed and it settles and stays in place perfectly..
this past week, with the scraps I cut off and had laying on the floor of the sewing room, I made a padded tiller pilot storage cover, and a padded camera bag. (for when I want the camera handy, but dont want or need the big bag and all the accessories at hand).... the camera fits in and out nicely, yet has nice lofty padding.
I have realized that for making a padded bag or cover, its cheaper and quicker to buy a 35 dollar sleeping bag and use the material in it, than it is to buy the material, and padding and sew it all together from scratch....
one hint for anyone who plans to try this... ALWAYS, ALWAYS sew the loft down near the cut line on the material you are going to use before cutting it to the pattern (both side of the cut line if you will ever be using the cuttoff piece).... its easy to sew the edging trim on the edge afterward when the loft has been sewn down, but its impossible to get a neat close hem when the material is cut open with a full loft showing at the working edge...
it is plenty big enough to cover over both of us and still keep the cold air out and sealed down at the edges, without having the unnecessary bulk of material at the foot end where the hull narrows down to the V.
I used a piece of webbing to make a loop at the foot of the blanket, which hooks to a connector at the foot of the v-berth, so to make the bed, you only have to pull the top up and align it side to side then let it go...the strap holds it in place at the foot of the bed and it settles and stays in place perfectly..
this past week, with the scraps I cut off and had laying on the floor of the sewing room, I made a padded tiller pilot storage cover, and a padded camera bag. (for when I want the camera handy, but dont want or need the big bag and all the accessories at hand).... the camera fits in and out nicely, yet has nice lofty padding.
I have realized that for making a padded bag or cover, its cheaper and quicker to buy a 35 dollar sleeping bag and use the material in it, than it is to buy the material, and padding and sew it all together from scratch....
one hint for anyone who plans to try this... ALWAYS, ALWAYS sew the loft down near the cut line on the material you are going to use before cutting it to the pattern (both side of the cut line if you will ever be using the cuttoff piece).... its easy to sew the edging trim on the edge afterward when the loft has been sewn down, but its impossible to get a neat close hem when the material is cut open with a full loft showing at the working edge...
