Who has had positive or negative experiences with the ray way quilt kit? I am considering ordering/making one once things heat up too much for my 20 deg down bag.

Make it-- you will love it! Starting my third one for my 10 year old son. Quilts kept me warm at 29 degrees on the ground or in the hammoack.

ScottP, it's a great first insulated project. Took me about five hours from start to finish. I'm still using it and love it. I've had it well below freezing with no problem at all.

When I made mine, I added a few grosgrain loops on the perimeter. Very simple to pin in before sewing the perimeter, super light, and useful for a variety of things.

ScottP,

I'll echo Patrick here, I started with the quilt, which I love, before tackling the pack which I'm not totally sold on yet.
Did I say I love the quilt? oh, yeah.

I love the quilts. Very comfortable, warm up quickly, stand up to more casual treatment than anything made of down, dry quickly when they get wet... They're always my first choice these days when I'm packing to go out. I use my oldest one around the house, too.

I purchased a Ray Way quilt kit and have a problem with constuction. Ihave ask this question of Ray only to be forbidden access to his sites.

Question:
How do you mark the Polar Gard insulation with out damageing it?

Also I've been told not to use a compression bag with prima loft or polar gard insulation because it destroys its ability to restore its loft. Can someone tell me the safe maximun compression ratio per sq. yard for prima loft and polar gard insulation?

I used a magic marker with a large tip and sort of pulled it across the fibers. I held it nearly flat to avoid catching it in the fibers. Think of holding it like you would a steak knife and pulling it towards you.

I just ordered my kit. Any more tips on putting it together? I'll be renting a sewing machine for a week for the construciton.

I just ordered my kit. Any more tips on putting it together? I'll be renting a sewing machine for a week for the construciton.

As much as I like mine, I made some kind of bonehead mistake because there's a seam on inside and outside that runs across the shoulder area, and for some reason, the seams pulled out on both sides.

So, If I had to add a suggestion, it would be to make sure you have adequate fabric in the seam so it will be less likely to pull out...especially since you're renting a machine...by the way, I think I used mine about one evening. the first day was spent in laying out the fabrics and understanding the instructions. Not that they were hard, but it's hard to uncut it once it's cut.

Good luck!! I think you'll be pleased.

I've made three now. A 40 degree and a 28 degree for me and a 28 degree for my fiancé. The first one (40 degree) took me about 8 hrs total. That was my first time using a sewing machine. I finished the second quilt in about 6 hrs, and the third one took me only 5. They really are great kits. Ray's instructions are top-notch and very easy to follow. Be prepared for some headache at first. Sil-Nylon can be a pain to work with and adding the insulation can make it even more "fun", but you'll catch the hang of it pretty quick. If you want to keep it simple, I would recommend ordering the basic package. The last quilt I ordered was the deluxe model with the gorget and draftstopper, but I ended up omitting them and sticking with the normal design. If drafts are a problem you can always add the tie-downs that Ray suggests, or you can cut the quilt a little wider. I cut the 40 degree quilt a little more narrow than I should have, so I added an extra 1.5" on each side of my 28 degree quilt when I sewed it. To be honest, I'm still amazed at how well all three came out!

Have you sewn using a machine before? I don't know what Ray recommends, but the standard seam size is 5/8 inch. There should be a ruler of sorts etched onto the sewing machine near the presser foot so you can keep track of your seam width as you sew. If you are concerned about a seam giving way because it is near a stress point, go back and re-sew the seam in between the original seam and the edge.

so is it not advised to put these quilts in a compression bag?

I thought about making one on my own, but I can't find any good instructions. I found some good material, but i'm also unsure of how much primaloft to purchase....