DIY Top Quilts

A synthetic top quilt is one of the easiest pieces of outdoor gear to sew at home, and it can save you half the price of a cottage quilt. Start with the DIY top quilt overview.

All DIY guides

• DIY Top Quilt: How to Make Your Own Backpacking QuiltPlan and sew your own top quilt: synthetic vs down, sizing, yardage math, materials and the full construction process.
• DIY Down Quilt GuidePlan baffles, calculate down per chamber and sew a lightweight down top quilt, with a worked 20°F example.
• DIY Synthetic Quilt (Climashield APEX)Build a Climashield APEX quilt in a weekend: materials, insulation weights by temperature, and a step-by-step sewing plan.
• Quilt-Making Materials for Outdoor QuiltsEverything you need to build an outdoor quilt: shell fabrics, insulation, baffle material, thread, hardware and suppliers.
• DIY Quilt Kits for Backpacking and HammocksHow DIY backpacking quilt kits work, what they include, how hard they are, and when a kit beats sourcing your own materials.
• DIY Quilt Pad StrapsTwo simple pad strap designs that stop drafts on cold nights, with cut lengths for any pad and quilt loop instructions.
• Top Quilt Fabric DesignersWho's who in quilting cotton: signature styles of leading designers and fabric houses, and how to choose prints for a project.