I had a friend come and help me take out a couple big trees leaning over the house this spring, and I offered to make him some gear as a thank-you. He was looking for a new tarp: for primarily hammocking, and I had him choose colors/materials/and features for a totally bespoke piece of gear. This is the third tarp I’ve made, and I thought I’d take some pics to bring the forum along for the ride.

As most of my projects these days, I started with a scratch design in Sketchup. Tarps are easy, because unfolded they are pretty much 2D objects. This is a 12’ ridgeline Hex, but with attached doors. A design feature is that if not hammocking, it can also be hung as a rectangle tarp or a diamond and still be pulled tight from the four corners. Plans can be simply printed on paper and folded up to prototype a model. NOTE: while corner reinforcements are shown, I didn’t build these to plan. On the actual tarp I just used a folded piece of cardboard to make symmetric patterns and freehanded the reinforcement pieces to what I thought were appropriate sizes.






This is 1.1oz silnylon from RSBTR in 58” width. First, I cut (2) roughly 13’ pieces, laid them on top of each other, and cut the door ends as well as the side catenary cuts. Then, sew the ridgeline along its length. A flat felled/French seam isn’t that hard, and is super strong. Thread is orange gutterman mara70 to match my friend’s underquilt.

Next, cut the tie-out reinforcements. The material is a 300 denier ripstop polyester. Three different shapes here: the ridgeline ends, the hex tieouts, and the corner tieouts. I folded the edges under and finished them nicely with black thread. Then, onto the tarp with the orange thread, leaving a 1” edge for the next step.









I jumped ahead a bit and put on the ridgeline tieouts with black grosgrain. Another feature of the tarp is the extra set of triangle tieouts 6” in from each end. These can be used to hang the tarp shortened if trees aren’t quite far enough apart to support a 12’ ridgeline. Or, if you wanted to hang gear or a clothesline or something inside the tarp.

Next, a simple roll seam around the entire perimeter is also pretty strong, and lighter than a grosgrain edge. You need to be careful to keep it pretty straight when using contrasting thread!

For the tieouts, my friend wanted lineloc3’s on the major Hex tieouts. These are great for adjusting tension easily. Beastee Drings on the outer corners. A Pro tip is to melt the cut edge of the polyester grosgrain with a flame so it doesn’t unravel. My bar tacks turned out kind-of squirrely looking with the orange mara70, but they’re plenty strong.









Next, I put on some panel pull-outs on both sides in case it gets really windy. Reinforcement is a piece of ripstop on the backside with the grosgrain bartacked in the middle. To make these, I tightly clamp both layers of fabric in a 5” embroidery hoop. This keeps it nice and flat while sewing them on, and you just cut the excess off the edge of the circle when you’re done.

Then it’s hung in the basement and seams are sealed with permatex flowable silicone from the auto parts store.

I designed a stuffsack with an integrated pouch of double-layer 300D ripstop to hold the stakes where they wont poke holes in anything. Lift the flap and they’re underneath. Friend prefers MSR groundhog stakes, and I sized it appropriately to hold 8. Weight with snakeskins and lines is 20oz exactly, and with stakes is 24.2oz. Coffee mug shows size.








My friend is headed to Crooked lake next week to break it in. Of course hoping for good weather, but I secretly hope he gets just a little rain :)

Nice job on the tarp. Your step by step explanation through the project was great too.
I'm interested in the French flat felled seam for a couple of projects I have in mind. Can you put up a link on how to make this seam.

Must be very satisfying making quality gear like that. Envious!

Great Job!

quote wingnut: "Nice job on the tarp. Your step by step explanation through the project was great too.
I'm interested in the French flat felled seam for a couple of projects I have in mind. Can you put up a link on how to make this seam. "

Thanks. The seam isn't technically too hard to make: the trouble is in guiding yards of slippery silnylon under the arm of the machine while sewing it straight. You can't iron sil to make a flat seam. Don't use pins as you'll put holes in the sil that need to be sealed later. The best thing ever is clover wonder clips: I'd consider them almost essential for a project like this. Time is well spent practicing on scrap first.

Thanks for the link. It does look like It would be strong and not too hard to do.