By Baroness Mira Silverlock (mka Tanya Guptill)

Level of Expertise: Beginner. Straight seams, no fitting. Walls is a single, long piece, hemmed at the selvage, and roof is made of only two pieces.

Materials needed:

· 12 and a half yards fabric, 60" wide. Try to get as waterproof as possible, or add waterproofing. I use canvas-type fabrics, or water proof fabrics like Ultrex, but you could also use silk, heavy poplin, ripstop, or other synthetic fabrics. If you want to flare out the bottom walls, instead of leaving them straight, buy more fabric to insert gussets. (if you flare your walls, also remember to make them longer and to curve the bottom hem, as the wall shape will need to be different to accomodate the new angle)

· 2 yards 45" wide contrasting fabric (for making bias tape) or use bought trim or ribbon. Also, you could just do dags of a totally different color fabric, by cutting two long 226" strips, about 8" wide, exactly alike, with the bottom edge of the strip the same shape as the dag. Stitch right sides together, turn right side out, topstitch dag edges. Use same color fabric for stake loops at bottom of tent

· steam iron and bias tape maker (check quilting supply area in fabric store) if making your own bias tape

· tailor’s chalk, pins, sewing machine · length of non-stretchy ribbon, string, or measuring tape

· two spools matching thread--I use Gutterman regular weight

· eight heavy duty grommets and hammer, and metal holders to set grommets

· four 25’ lengths of 3/8" rope (I use braided nylon, but hemp or sisal look good, too)

· 9’ tall center pole (two inch wood okay), section if you want

· For wood center pole--a nail to set in top for centering center ring with ropes

· For conduit center pole--a fitting conduit connector, with screw on the side and spoked ring on the top, threaded (this will keep the ring with the ropes from sliding down, or up and OFF the centerpole)...or, in a pinch, use duct tape wrapped around the top of the pole, a couple of inches below the top, big enough that the ring and ropes can’t get over the wad of tape

· approx 3" solid metal ring (like used for macramé)

· PVC tubing total of 223" in length--use thin, flexible tubing---it comes in 10’ poles, and I recommend you use as long of sections as you can transport.

· Two PVC connectors for tubing (or more if you have more sections of PVC)

· Sixteen tent stakes

OPTIONAL:

· 2’ X 2’ square of fiberglass screening--for OPTIONAL window

· 8 four-inch lengths of 2X1/2" wood, drilled with two 3/8" holes, for rope controls

· Velcro strips or dots--matching color for roof of tent, if possible.

· small plastic funnel

· approx 1’ x 1’ piece of fabric to cover funnel --use same color as dags or dags’ trim · long dowel, small enough to just fit into neck of funnel

· beads, paint, steamers, mini banner for decoration

TO MAKE PAVILION --Please read all instructions first
• 1. If fabric or optional trim is nonsynthetic (trigger, etc.) prewash to reduce later shrinkage.

• 2. Cut roof--measure 60" up one side of selvage of laid out fabric. Mark with chalk. Pin one end of the 60" ribbon/string to the chalk mark, and stretch ribbon over the fabric, marking the half circle it can reach. This will give you a half circle, 120" long on selvage edge. Cut out. To cut remaining fabric wedge of tent, figure about 1/10th of a circle, with the radius being 60" long. This will give you a wedge that has a curved edge surface of about 38". (If you've got a protractor, that's about 36 degrees of difference between on side of the wedge and the other, or you can cut a string 38" long, and lay it along the curve to estimate length). Mark and cut out. (NOTE:  I've had someone ask whether cutting the fabric this way will make the roof stretch because of the bias. I haven't had any trouble with my mini pavilion in the three years since it's been built, but if you are concerned you may want to cut wedges on the bias instead of just the two roof pieces, or you may want to reinforce the roof by sewing webbing or bias tape strips from the edge of the roof, pointing toward the peak of the cone.)

• 3. Put together right sides of fabric for roof, and sew straight edges of wedge to straight edges of large half circle, using a jeans-style seam (With right sides of fabric together, roll cut sides together and topstitch, then lay out fabric so seam is in center and fabric pieces are pulled apart/laid out flat. Then topstitch again, parallel to the first seam. Be sure to topstitch second stitchline so that seam where the fabric pieces meet is covered. The raised edges of the seam will be INSIDE the tent.) Near the top, the seams will get crowded and harder to sew. Fold the seams the same direction, and carefully sew as far toward the peak as possible. Stitch across top of peak by hand if necessary, and trim off extra points of fabric. Hem roof by rolling under seam and topstitching.

• 4. WALLS--Cut fabric to make non-selvage edge perpendicular to the selvage (nice and square). Mark 230" down one side of selvage. Cut across from selvage to selvage. If you have extra fabric to flare out the wall, stitch them in now. Hem cut edges (these will be your overlapping door edges). This is your wall piece.

• 5. Cut and stitch together strips of fabric to make a 230" x 6" strip. This will be your casing for the PVC tubing.

• 6. OPTIONAL--Mark window with chalk. Cut out shape of window. Fold cut edges back to wrong side of fabric and press. Pin fiberglass screening to wrong side of fabric and topstitch screen to fabric. Trim off extra screen. Hem a piece of fabric 6" wider and longer than the screened area for a window cover. Pin top of window cover several inches above the top of the window on the right side of the tent, right side of window cover facing out. Sew across top. Sew several 8" strips of fabric (the contrasting dag fabric, if that is what you are using) so they are a narrow, stitch-reinforced tie. Sew these strips to the window cover and wall of the tent, where you want your window ties to be.

• 7. Hem bottom of walls, putting bias tape or fabric loop sewn into the hem seam every 18" for tent stakes (or hem last, after you've fit the center pole to the tent)

• 8. OPTIONAL--Make dags, doing either a 230" strip of the same fabric with contrasting trim, or a strip of contrasting material, turned and topstitched (see materials lists for instructions)

• 9. Hem top of dags, bottom of roof, casing strip, and top of walls

• 10. CAREFULLY stitch together dags, wall, roof, and casing. You may want to pin or clamp them first (I use office clamps on fabric that shouldn't be pinned--like tent roofs!) to be sure that the dag strip doesn't end over the doorway, where the seams will be very visible. Put them in this order on your machine---From the bottom of the stack, all fabric hanging out of machine to the left---Roof, dags, wall, casing doubled over (to make tube). Align hems and stitch fabric to the side of the stacked hems (much less bulky). Overlap doors. You can also either sew on the ties for your doors now, or wait until the hoop and pole are fitted, to be sure the ties are in the correct place.

• 11. Bend main seam toward the roof peak. Press, or stitch seam toward the roof peak. (even handsewing the seam toward the roof in spots will do)

• 12. Set grommets every 28" right under roof line, at the top of the walls. You may have to grommet through your overhang strip.

• 13. Loop rope over ring with half knot, leaving equal length of rope on either side of the knot ·This will leave you with eight rope 'tails'.

• 14. Run ropes through the grommets in the wall.

• 15. Hammer nail into top of wooden centerpole, or put conduit connector on top of conduit pole

• 16. Lay out tent, right side up. Flip walls onto the roof, exposing the casing. Insert PVC into casing and connect until hoop is formed.

• 17. Set ring over top of pole

• 18. OPTIONAL--Trim plastic hanging loop, if any, off of funnel. Cover with fabric (sew or superglue) and decorate. OR, make cone out of metal or leather, and repeat process. Put Velcro inside funnel, and sew corresponding Velcro on top of pavilion where funnel will sit. Cut dowel into two pieces--one about 2’, one about 1’. Insert dowel, Glue. Using cord, lash cross piece of doweling onto upright dowel. This will be your cross brace for your mini-banner.Make mini banner and hang on funnel apparatus. Velcro funnel onto peak of tent.

• 19. Raise tent by raising center pole, setting top of pole into peak of tent, and temporarily staking out ropes. Go inside the tent, and put a knot in each rope, right when it butts up against the grommet. This will help keep your roof from riding up your rope line, and will keep a nice, round shape, even under wind.If center pole is too long, saw a few inches off of bottom, until correct length. Set block of wood on exterior ropes, and stake out ropes for real. Stake out bottom of tent. Sew on ties for door.

• 20. Seal seams and spray with waterproofing spray, if necessary, or use one coat of Thompson’s Water Seal (yes, the stuff they use on decks), put on with a brush or roller. I normally use Can-Vac, available through Panther Pavilions. Let it air out before you use the tent.

Copyright-- This article is copyright 1997 by Tanya Guptill. It may be freely distributed within historical re-creation groups so long as no profit is made, no alterations are made, and this notice remains. For other uses please contact the author (who will quite likely say "sure, go ahead" but wants to know about it first). Comments or critiques can be directed to tguptill@teleport.com

Email me at tguptill@teleport.com