I think making plans available is the right thing to do for a variety of reasons. If you're here just to save money though, I honestly don't think it's worth it. I offer my products at a very reasonable price and, unless you already have materials, I think you'll find that the amount you save by making one from scratch isn't worth the time and effort. This section is more for making your own for the pure satisfaction of it or as a starting point for a more personal custom project. I also think it's a useful way of showing you what you're buying from the inside out.

Note: This section is a work in progress. I'm sure there is a lot of room for improvement and clarity. If you see anything that's vague or you're unsure of something, please let me know. This also goes for when it's in a more final form. My contact information is at the bottom of every page and I'm always happy to help. Thanks.

I'm going to give instructions on how to make mine exactly. I highly encourage you to embellish on the design and/or materials to suit your own needs, though. Here are some possible variations:

Ultra-light
You could use 0.8 oz. ripstop instead of 1.1 oz. You could use less insulation, maybe have it only double-layered in key areas, like around the torso and shoulders. You could leave off the reinforcing patches and side tie-out loops. For the corner loops, you could use 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon instead of 3/4" and leave off the cordlocks and just use knots instead. The 0.8 oz. will save you several ounces and the insulation skimping should save at least that much.

Heavy duty
You could use 1.9 oz. ripstop breathable and 330 denier reinforcing patches. You could use nylon straps instead of the Grosgrain ribbon. You could reinforce all seams with Grosgrain. You could replace the 3/16" attachment shock cord with something thicker.

Temperature variation
I currently use two layers of 3/4"-1" Polarguard 3D. Adding another layer should get you between ten and twenty degrees of extra warmth. Alternatively, you could use only one layer, which would probably be good to around 50 degrees if you know it's not going to be colder than that or if you're using the quilt in addition to something else like a pad.

Okay, back to making one by the book. If you've made a synthetic top quilt, you'll be in great shape for this project. The underquilt is basically the same with a few additions. We're pretty much going to make a sandwich with nylon on the outside and Polarguard on the inside. We're going to make it inside out, then turn it right side out at the end. We're also going to add perimeter drawcord housing and attachment loops. They'll be on the inside until the end, too.

Let's check out the materials and supplies you're going to need to make your own Potomac...