Goodbye Tipi, Hello Laavu?

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
I'm patterning some of the detail areas now and its a fun challenge to get it neat- I'm from a background of dressmaking although I've done the tipi, any input from experience is welcome, folk! I'm wondering if I'm putting too much into the seaming and finish by concealing cut edges eg on facings. My fabric is slightly extensible on the hypoterthingy but rigid warp & weft which is affecting some design and patterning choices.

Here's some more scissory loveliness for my fabric saviour ;)
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Ah no, I mean pattern pieces :) So the door opening and fastenings are detailed in scale, just gotta work out how to add on the porch when required. I have a choice of flyouts, one uses existing webbing loops rather than punched 'tarp' holes which weaken the fibre so I'd prefer to go with that.

The door will fasten from the top at the apex point (I've called it, though its on the tent body so thats a bit misleading...) with paracord attached to 1" webbing for strength and rigidity.
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This is the opposite opening (patterned the wrong way round so its a mirror image, it was easier on the brain cells at the time ;))- theres a 'grown on' facing to cover the front lacing.
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(Thats my usual fabric cutters, Bilmo, but the shears make light work of feet at a time ;) )
I'm looking for input on the flyouts, they're such an important factor in its space, rigidity and quietness- they'll have shockcord loops to the rest of the 'rigging'. I might put the shockcord between each upper and lower flyout too so I can set it up well in either woodland or open areas.... the one thing I've sussed is to make sure the stretchy side doesnt go in the seam because it pulls it into waves, or that could be the flyouts are too big?
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I'm sorry for all the questions, they do say 'the devil is in the detail' :) Not at all sure about the vents- a winter set up and looks says use them on edge so I can protect the opening with a 'roof' seam attaching the vent cover which would be functional but limit its opening, making it more suitable for winter use. I figure that I can always open a gap in summer use upwind like I did on the tipi.... is there a reason it HAS to go one horizontally? I'd be attaching a matching vent with connector tube with the liner (whenever that happens but its always easiest to plan a design ahead)
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I apologise for the weight of pics but I'm hoping for input/ guidance and pics do it better than words :)
 

bilmo-p5

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 5, 2010
8,168
10
west yorkshire
If you take your door opening all the way up to the peak, it means that your porch is going to have to be that high too, but if the top of your door is about 6'-ish you could rig your porch to a d-ring fitted directly above the door ope. You could sew another d-ring on the inside of the canopy to set a guy to the pole so that it, and not the canopy, supports the tent end of the porch. I have done a similar thing with Mrs Bilmo's Vango Peace 500.
 

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
If you take your door opening all the way up to the peak, it means that your porch is going to have to be that high too, but if the top of your door is about 6'-ish you could rig your porch to a d-ring fitted directly above the door ope. You could sew another d-ring on the inside of the canopy to set a guy to the pole so that it, and not the canopy, supports the tent end of the porch. I have done a similar thing with Mrs Bilmo's Vango Peace 500.
Now that sounds the way forward with the D ring! The door opens in 20cm loops throughs (dutch lacing, links to a facebook video) and the top would usually be secured down to the 6' mark so it could be pitched opened out as a communal windbreak, loue-style, so I can use the d ring on the grown-on facing if I reinforce that area a bit. Does it help to secure it back to the central pole too then? I was hoping the front would be strong enough with 1" webbing around the top and down both front openings... its such a strong fabric but I can always add a ring inside too, bet it'll find other uses like a drying string, I might end up adding them front, rear and sides too :)
 
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TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
Hello, travelling lads! I hope to have it at the feb meet, unfinished so I can work out lastminute.com adaptions, just the outer and porch. Cliff, I can't wait to see your varanger! I'll be all over it (probably with tape measure to compare size, will I be an honorary camp brutha if I do? ;) ), got lots of unanswered questions that pouring over yours will really help out with :) Those Helsports look the epitome of what I like about the modern laavu and I can't wait to see the porch up. Your communal parashelter looked absolutely excellent, btw, lads!!

I don't think it will be 'finished' until next winter tbh, bushson! But Eldest and his squeeze and possibly my cyberniece might come down for Apr meet if its near my birthday so I'd like at least the outer and fire/ chimney adaptions done for that :)
 

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
I'm well on the way to getting the main outer seams finished now, just metres and metres of sewing to do :)

One seam and all the flyouts are done so its mass production time... I'm making the vents, all the flyouts (40 of, 20 out and 20 inside in 2 rings so I can support an inner, reduced size from the patterning)...
The sewing is atrocious on some :eek:

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Cutting it out was frankly scary, I'm doing each piece individually to maximize fabric usage so I can do the porch with minimal seaming. I've got a plan of which pieces go where and getting the doors and venting ones done. It's gonna be a big bundle under the machine on the final seams but I managed with plenty of swearing and caffine on the tipi which was third again in height :)
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All stealth has gone out of the project at this point :)
 

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
Cheers lads! I'm hoping to get to white rose next weekend with it so I can string it up during a visit with you all, Karl :) And I'll yell if I need ya, bushson, thanks very much :)

I'd love to know the distance between the outer and inner, if you'll be using one in your varanger, BRB.... and would you take a picture of its rigging for me? I'm interested in both roof apex and side attachments :)
 

bigroomboy

Nomad
Jan 24, 2010
443
0
West Midlands
I'll take some pictures and try to get a measurement in. I think the inner is an area that could be improved on, there is no mid hight attachment point which means a lot of space is lost. However it does make the lavuu feel drier and less breezy.
 

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
I'll take some pictures and try to get a measurement in.... I think the inner is an area that could be improved on, there is no mid height attachment point....
I took your previous comments on board at the design stage and have 2heights of attachment, the top being at roughly shoulder height to make head room and the lower to create room at sleeping height, but you never know how it'll work until its up, eh?!

The pics will be a huuuuge help, BRB, thanks very much for any you get :)

RIGHT. Off sledging, snowballing and sock knitting infront of a pub fire afterwards! Laavu day off for meeee :)
 

TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
I've been having a whale of a time beaching myself on snow dunes so been a wee bit distracted (knackered!) of late... but I have done the first vent panel, I had to swear copiously at points but the outcome is good :) There are 2, fit underneath the level of the lower flyouts, midway between the edges of a panel to avoid weakening the fabric panel.

Here it is closed- it won't be exactly stealth to undo as the lower edges are velcro'd for a close fit....
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I'll stick a shockcord loop through the lower web loop so it can be secured up with a twig. Ohhh, I'm sooooo cheap ;)

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There's a collar with velcro loop on the inside for attaching the liners vent duct extensions... easier to put them on now on the panel rather than trying to retrofit later :)
 
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TurboGirl

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2011
2,326
1
Leicestershire
www.king4wd.co.uk
I've done 5 of the long flat felled seams so the next job is door panel pairs, I'll do the closures first then seam them on but am having a break and a rethink to check I'm not missing a trick to use up the metres of webbing I have left over from hammock making rather than have to punch holes through the faced fabric which will be seamed on to the panel seperately.

There's 6 panels of 10 together now and all the rest are cut out... just the porch to pattern and cut but there should be enough fabric which is a huuuuuge relief!.... I'm getting excited now but gutted theres rain forecast, I was hoping to visit at White Rose this weekend for a rough tryout so I can start working out the apex and hem seams.

It's MUCH bigger now!
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