Spare Time Activities/An eskimo timiac
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An eskimo timiac
You know, of course, that what keeps you warm is not so much your woolly shirts and blankets as the air which is mixed up with the material. That’s why fluffy blankets keep you warmer than closely woven ones. It’s not the wool which keeps you warm. Now the Eskimo, living as he does in a very cold climate, seems somehow to have found this out, and finding that air not only keeps you warm, but has
also the additional advantages of being cheap and easily obtained almost everywhere, decided to use air instead of underwear, and thus combined warmth with economy. This is the whole principle of the timiac. It is a loosely fitting garment with drawstrings round the face, wrists and waist, so that it soon becomes filled with a layer of nice warm air, inside of which the Eskimo is quite happy, even with a thermometer at thirty below zero, and a north wind blowing. “Bit fuggy” did you say? Well, yes, perhaps, but Eskimos are used to fugs anyway, and prefer fugging to freezing. The timiac is just the thing for Scouting in cold weather. It is much better than wearing one’s mufti jacket, especially for snow-balling. Also it makes a fine camp garment to slip on after tea when it begins to get a bit chilly. Some Sea Scout Rovers have found that it is admirable for boating and cruising ; made in light waterproof material it will keep off rain, wind and sun, and when stuffed makes a fine pillow for sleeping when hiking.
- A) shows the length of blanket required for the body.
- B) the material folded and the cut for the head to go through,
- C) is the cloth required for the hood, which is folded at the dotted lines and sewn up for six inches from the bottom.
- D) shows the shape of the finished hood, and
- E) the cloth required for the sleeves.
Now to start making it. An army blanket – price 3s. 6d. – does very well, and contains sufficient material to make two timiacs. We will now proceed to make it.
- – Fold the blanket lengthways.
- – Cut off a piece 2 ft. wide from the folded end (diagram A). This gives you a piece of material 5 ft. long by 2 ft. wide.
- – Fold it across the middle, and in the centre of the fold cut out a small piece 6 in, deep and 3 in. wide (diagram B).
- – Cut out the sleeves which are two pieces of cloth 20 by 18 by 14 (diagram E). Stitch them on at XX (diagram A), but do not sew up the sides nor the seams of the sleeves. Leave that till last.
- – Make the hood from a piece of cloth 24 in. by 18 in. (diagram C). Fold at the dotted line, and stitch up about 6 in. at Z – Z. Then try it on inside out. Next cut out two pieces of cloth from the bottom of the hood, 8 in. by 4 in., allowing 2 in. at either side, as shown in diagram D. This is so shaped to fit the shoulders. The remaining shaded portions shown in diagram D are the parts to be cut away after the hood has been adjusted to suit the shape of your head and the size of your face. Now tack hood and body together. (Probably a little help from mother or some other expert will be necessary here.)
- – Now sew it all together, arranging for a hem round the face opening to take a drawstring.
Also round the wrists. And finally sew up the sides and the sleeves in one continuous seam, taking care that you get a good joint under the arms. Now turn it right side out and the job is done. There is no need for a drawstring round the waist as you will wear a belt outside. The foregoing instructions may appear a bit complicated at first sight, but you will find it quite easy when you begin. Two Scouts made one of these timiacs in less than an hour