I'd like to create a more luxurious quality of light in our tent on the Playa, as well as bring in some much needed color. The tent and sun shades are tried and true, but awfully plain. I'd like to drape fabric in the tent from the main supports and attach it to the side panels. I think it will look very desert chic, but don't know what I should keep in mind when selecting fabric.
Has anyone else done this with any success? My main concerns are that the fabric not add to the desert heat and that the lighting in the day is dimmed, but without having total darkness in the tent in the evening. We will have lights, but I don't want to inadvertently require my tent mates to wear head lamps to find their stuff at 8 in the evening!
Sumptuous fabric linings in the tent for color and luxury
-
AntiM
- Moderator
- Posts: 20301
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:23 am
- Burning Since: 2001
- Camp Name: Anti M's Home for Wayward Art
- Location: Wild, Wild West
I've used rolls of patterned mesh fabric, old 70s drapes, old bedspreads, lace curtain panels, and drapey polyester. Oh, and a tie dyed sheet. Just remember, even in the tent the fabric will acquire dust. If you can't machine wash it later, plan on tossing it out when you get home. Some of my banners shredded when washed, and the old drapes are rapidly becoming useless. Of course, I was using mystery material from mom's old sewing room, so I'm not quite certain what I had. The drapes were being thrown out, so no loss there.
Some fabrics will hang and breathe better than others, some will allow more light and air. Just try holding them up, put them over your head, whirl around with them. See how they look and feel to you. The fabric store ladies love this!
Raw fabrics may need hemming so they don't shed strings. Anything which will need ironing after washing ... yech. Velvets = dust magnet. SAme with flannels. Brocade = hot and wrinkled. Cottons are good, but don't always hang well. Silk? Haven't tried, but seems pricey for tent decor. Rayon? Rarely washes well.
Most of my finds have been at thrift shops, yard sales, and the clearance tables at fabric stores. I even bought 20 yards of mesh (polyester gauxe?) snakeskin one year! How could I resist a buck a yard?
That probably wasn't helpful, I used trial and error.
Some fabrics will hang and breathe better than others, some will allow more light and air. Just try holding them up, put them over your head, whirl around with them. See how they look and feel to you. The fabric store ladies love this!
Raw fabrics may need hemming so they don't shed strings. Anything which will need ironing after washing ... yech. Velvets = dust magnet. SAme with flannels. Brocade = hot and wrinkled. Cottons are good, but don't always hang well. Silk? Haven't tried, but seems pricey for tent decor. Rayon? Rarely washes well.
Most of my finds have been at thrift shops, yard sales, and the clearance tables at fabric stores. I even bought 20 yards of mesh (polyester gauxe?) snakeskin one year! How could I resist a buck a yard?
That probably wasn't helpful, I used trial and error.
-
midgetsonparade
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:13 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, Ca
- Contact:
Garment District!
Most big cities have a garment district. I usually go to the one in LA and get yards and yards of fabric for 99 cents a yard. When it only costs $15 for fabric you don't feel so bad throwing it away. I usually go with colored linen but anything really works minus the velvet.
Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm sending a friend to the LA Garment district at the end of June to junk for me.
I'm thinking of using curtin lining (I think the fabric is just called "lining"), which I suspect will reduce heat and provide color. I found swatches that were gold, burgundany, and forest green. Looks so very rich.
I'll let you know what I end up with!
I'm thinking of using curtin lining (I think the fabric is just called "lining"), which I suspect will reduce heat and provide color. I found swatches that were gold, burgundany, and forest green. Looks so very rich.
I'll let you know what I end up with!
i can show you pictures of Kathanika's first year. we were so very lush and colorful and will be again this year.
the fabrics actually kept everything COOLER.
when are yoou heading to the fabric district? my buddy and i might go tomorrow.
i live in silver lake.
ooooh off the top of my head, it'd be a great meet-up for LA burners: fabric hunting!
the fabrics actually kept everything COOLER.
when are yoou heading to the fabric district? my buddy and i might go tomorrow.
i live in silver lake.
ooooh off the top of my head, it'd be a great meet-up for LA burners: fabric hunting!
awesome oppossum
Aluminet-Yeeeees
Last year we covered our dome with the following and it was at least 15 degrees cooler (okay, at least it felt like it was)
Top of dome arch:Double ply silver tarps, cut in triangle pattern and attached around a center circle for top ventilation.
Skirt of aluminet: Aluminet can be kind of expensive, so we wanted to use it as ventilation only.
My only recommendations would be, if you are so anal and want to keep out as much dust as possible, add a sheet of cotton muslin or old bedsheets behind the aluminet to help act as a dust filter. You may think it's possible...
Top of dome arch:Double ply silver tarps, cut in triangle pattern and attached around a center circle for top ventilation.
Skirt of aluminet: Aluminet can be kind of expensive, so we wanted to use it as ventilation only.
My only recommendations would be, if you are so anal and want to keep out as much dust as possible, add a sheet of cotton muslin or old bedsheets behind the aluminet to help act as a dust filter. You may think it's possible...
My other vehicle is a mutant.
Are you finished with fabric runs? I live in West Los Angeles and still need to do some shopping.alienfry wrote:when are yoou heading to the fabric district? my buddy and i might go tomorrow.
i live in silver lake.
ooooh off the top of my head, it'd be a great meet-up for LA burners: fabric hunting!
Be the change you seek in the world.
ok, manly-ness -(or mess) aside,
chiffon is a cool textile to play with, with lights especially, inside your camp/dome.
it's etheral, and captures cool edges and organics of itself depending on how you use it. -(lit from both exterior and internally, mostly internally),
layering works cool too, as it has that transparent quality that creates volumetric lighting.
a lot of stores have it on-sale as well. -(not as popular as the "I dream of Genie" days, which is in your favor). - just an idea i have found to be a cool addition to your camp vibe, mixed with other textiles as well.
i have found that red coth projects a powerful color as well, with 100 watt floods. surprisingly bright.
panty hose makes cool lamp shades too. -(wrapped around wire).
-b
one other cool thing to do is have a "coned" light source for outside night time. since dust is a naturally occuring element there that's always a part of the mix, it allows directional light to create a cool ray of light that shoots up to the sky visible from the playa. -(also good for camp locating at night). an outsid couple of cloth wrapped directional lamps can be a cool addition to your camp entrance as well as a good becon to home.
-b
chiffon is a cool textile to play with, with lights especially, inside your camp/dome.
it's etheral, and captures cool edges and organics of itself depending on how you use it. -(lit from both exterior and internally, mostly internally),
layering works cool too, as it has that transparent quality that creates volumetric lighting.
a lot of stores have it on-sale as well. -(not as popular as the "I dream of Genie" days, which is in your favor). - just an idea i have found to be a cool addition to your camp vibe, mixed with other textiles as well.
i have found that red coth projects a powerful color as well, with 100 watt floods. surprisingly bright.
panty hose makes cool lamp shades too. -(wrapped around wire).
-b
one other cool thing to do is have a "coned" light source for outside night time. since dust is a naturally occuring element there that's always a part of the mix, it allows directional light to create a cool ray of light that shoots up to the sky visible from the playa. -(also good for camp locating at night). an outsid couple of cloth wrapped directional lamps can be a cool addition to your camp entrance as well as a good becon to home.
-b
=-=-= \<>/ =-=-=
