ong the edge and draw a line to
the other corner. {171} From this corner layoff 7 ft. 8 in. along the
edge and on the opposite side, layoff 5 ft. 9 in. beginning at the end
of your 8-in. measurement. Now take a ruler and draw another diagonal
across the canvas at the ends of these measurements and you have the
first gore of your tent. Cut it across, turn the gore over, lay it
down on the strip so as to measure off another one exactly like it.
This is the corresponding gore for the other side of the tent. To make
the second pair of gores, layoff 5 ft. 9 in. along one side of the
remaining strip of canvas beginning at the pointed end, and 3 ft. 10
in. on the other side. Join these points with a diagonal and you have
a second gore, a duplicate of which is then cut by using it as a
pattern, reversing and laying it down on the strip of canvas. To make
the third gore, layoff 3 ft. 10 in, on one edge of your strip
beginning at the point, and 1 ft. 11 in. on the other side. Draw a
diagonal across and you have the third gore.

[Illustration: How to cut up your strip of canvas.]

[Illustration: Forester tent pattern.]

[Illustration: Forester tent with hood.]

You have now used up all but two yards of your canvas, plus a little
left-over piece of about two feet long. Out of this little left-over
piece make a triangle 1 ft. 11 in. on the side, which will form the
back triangle of your tent. Now pin your three gores together to make
the side of your tent, just as in the illustrations, and pin the two
sides together along the ridge. Then sew this tent up. Sew in the
little back triangle and hem all around the edges. Leave a hole at the
peak of the little triangle through which the ridge pole must go.

{172}

To set it up, cut three small saplings, one of which should be twelve
feet long and the other two, ten feet long. Tie these two together at
the ends making what the sailors call a "shears." Take the twelve-foot
pole and run it down the ridge inside the tent, and out through the
hole in the back. Now raise the ridge pole with one end stuck in the
ground and the front end resting on the two shear poles and tie all
three of them together. At the end of each seam along the hem you must
work in a little eyelet hole for a short piece of twine to tie to the
tent pegs. Stretch out the back triangle, pegging it down at the two
corners on the ground, and then peg out each hole along the foot until
the entire tent stretches