Top tips for tipi making!

Tipi lifting triangles can have more than one function!

Hmmm… Ravenclaw or Griffindor?

Each time I sew a new tipi there’s something of a trip down memory lane. I sewed my first tipi in Wales about twenty years ago and since then I’ve made a range of tipis from a one foot high model for a shop in Totnes up to a thirty-three foot Big Lodge.

There’s always some small (or big!) detail that you notice can be improved upon. So here’s a couple of my favourite tips on how to do things easier or stronger that I’ve learned from friends or found out myself.

The Lifting Triangle – this is the section where you tie the canvas onto the lifting pole, so it needs to be sturdy! I make a shape more like a lifting mushroom than a triangle and sew extra reinforcement webbing once I’ve sewn it onto the front strip. There’s also webbing inside the loop for the smoke flap poles.

Lacing pin holes – unless you use ready made metal rings, this part basically takes a long time! I’ve started marking out the points where I’ll be stitching – twenty for each hole – and then making a small hole for each point using a thin nail. This makes it loads easier to pass the needle through. The holes close over again once the tipi is up and sees its first rain.

The definitive guide on tipi-making is still for me the classic ‘The Indian Tipi’ by Reginald and Gladys Laubin, a white couple who adopted the Native American way of life in the middle of the last century. I think just about every tipi-maker sees it as their bible!

But do get in touch if you fancy sewing your own tipi and need some guidance!

 

Facebook reviews

TripAdvisor reviews

Book your stay

Michael Bonser

Michael Bonser

Previous owner of Eco Retreats
Michael Bonser

Michael Bonser

Previous owner of Eco Retreats
PDF

Join our community

Please check your email to confirm subscription