bikini top for brunnhilde

Sure, Brunnhilde loves to lounge around topless. But with increase awareness of harmful sun ray I gifted her a bikini top. That was three years ago and she worn it a lot.

After three season of use the silk-like synthetic fabric in some spots has deteriorated so much that it begins to rip. Of all the measures I devised to combat solar gain, this exterior sun shade for the windshield and front windows has to be the most effective. It works by blocking he sun ray from entering through the window glaze.

I spent some time making a replacement. Instead of just make one, I bought enough fabric to make two. Most of the work is the setup, measurements, and cutting, so the incremental time to make more diminishes the more you make.

i didn't keep good record of the dimensions (i might have but i just too lazy to go look for it); i measure the old one and this time, i decided to make a paper pattern for the sides as there is where the complexities are at

 the pockets on each side slip over the door frame and keep the cover taut

 this last baby sparrow is ready to take flight; she is now gone

 steak, king crab legs, and napa cabbage

 this tiny plums from my tree are not so good for eating, so i decide to make a plum syrup out of them

here is the rough sketch of the design; 40" (marked W in the sketch) nominal width fabric is perfect for the height windshield and side windows - you actually get about 42" with the edge so you don't have to sew along them

here is one of the two pockets formed by the two folds in the sketch above; due to the significant less height of the side windows, the excess fabric is used to create the top fold so the design is very material efficient

it takes less than a minute to set up the shade; the wiper blades help to keep the sun shade from being lifted by light breezes

 cutting out the paper pattern and penciled in the dimensions

 the silk-like synthetic fabric is very light and makes a lot of static electricity so is a nuisance to handle

 the circular cutter and the self-healing cutting mat make the cutting easy

 to minimize waste, it is best to make even number of the sun shapes

hamming with the serger; i rarely use this machine so it take a bit of time to remember how; threading the 3 or 4 threads can be very challenging so it is best not to break them; i had broken one of the two needles and the needle is expensive

 i have to dial back the tensions due to the lightness of the fabric

 another easy to make meal

 the stitching is done with my cheapo toy sewing machine

in the version 2.0 design i enhance it with tie downs at the mirrors for better performance in very windy places i camp

the next two days are going to be scorchers

Update 27.06.2015:
I have written this before, albeit not clearly. This is the performance of the solar gain mitigation measures that I implemented. White painted skylights, foil backed bubble insulation's behind the cabin windows, low power circulation fan for one high top awning wing windows, and this sunshade for the front.

In a 95-degree F sunny day without cloud, I waited until 15:00 which is about the peak solar gain for Brunnhilde where she is parked all day. This is with all the windows and door closed, with only the bath roof vent, the small kitchen roof vent open, and the shade side high top wing window open. The low power circulation fan is place at this open wing window to draw air in.

the 4W low power (340mA) circulation fan

 the external probe located under the kitchen vent reads 114 F due to high temperature on the roof

the interior sensor is built into the digital thermometer and it reads just 102 F with the outdoor ambient temperature of 95 F - only 7-degree F gain in direct sun light