Without a doubt the most daunting part of planning my tipi cover has been the lift pole/smoke flap assembly. This is were the real part of making a lodge is. The fact that my cover is made of lightweight canvas means I have to constantly think about reinforcing, reinforcing, reinforcing. The last thing I want to do is set up my lodge and have the first strong gust that catches the fabric to result in a catastrophy!
My tipi's lift flap will have 4 layers - 1 triangular piece on top the cover, with those sandwiched between two large half-circle patches above and below. The reinfored stitching over this area will be done in a criss-cross, or quilt-style pattern. Also, these patches extend over the adjoining corners of the smoke flaps which will be reinforced with a folded strip exteding up to the pole pockets. All along the edge, from pole pocket to lift flap to pole pocket will be adde a hem of 3" webbing tape.
I had to stop work for a few days until I could find a place that sold canvas sewing machine needles after the Sears Kenmore finally busted one after all this time. I learned that no matter how carefully I try, this machine will not zig-zag stitch through more than two-three layers of canvas fabric without catching the needle. Zig zags are stronger than straight stitches (ask sail-makers) but there's only so much that I can ask Grandma's old sewing machine to do.
I also had to run out and buy a third section of canvas now that I'll be extending the pin-hole flaps outward from the cover body due to adding gore panels to the bases of my smoke flaps. One little change can effect everything!
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