Sewing Cushions and Bimini

[Skipper J]

Hi,

I am considering going the Sail-Rite route to making my own bimini, cushions and other boat canvas. Currently have an old Singer home sewing machine and very little experience sewing. Have any of you beginners tried this route? Did you regret it? I have had no luck finding a boat canvas shop in my area (Carolinas). Thanks.

Skipper J

 

[dlochner]

We have not attempted a bimini or dodger, but have made many smaller projects on our Sailrite machine. The small Singer sewing machine you have will struggle with sewing through multiple layers of Sunbrella or similar fabric. On a Bimini you will sew through up to 8 layers. Even the Sailrite machines complain with 8 layers of fabric.

You don't need a boat canvass guy to sew cushions, any upholstery shop can make the cushions if they have the originals. Do replace the foam if you are changing the covers.

 

[Siamese]

I've never heard of anyone regretting the purchase of a Sailrite machine.

 

[rgranger]

I have had no luck finding a boat canvas shop in my area (Carolinas). Thanks.

That is definitely a 1st-world problem...
The next time you are planning a vacation on the coast, call ahead a few months, send dimensions and photos (or the old canvas) and pick up your new canvas while on vacation.

 

[Skipper J]

Thank you dlochner and Siamese. I appreciate this forum where sailors help each other out with technical problems. We don't know each others' circumstances, but we do try to pass along helpful information. I appreciate your info.

 

[dlochner]

I've never heard of anyone regretting the purchase of a Sailrite machine.

I don't regret buying the Sailrite machine. Since I bought mine nearly 20 years ago they have made improvements in the machine. Spending money on the upgrades was well worth it.

 

[Tally Ho]

I bought a Singer Heavy Duty to try sewing some boat projects…but not heavy canvas or webbing.

I can sew a few layer of sunbrella for a helm cover, I repaied my Mack Pack, etc. going to try to sew a patch on my “Top Gun” canvas boat cover soon…see if the old Singer can do it.

No one ever regrets buying a SailRite machine…but it is a lot of $$$, and I don’t use a sewing machine enough to justify the outlay.

Greg

 

[lehighsail]

The Sailrite LSZ machine with the walking foot and the monster wheel are well worth the investment . Soon after your boat canvas you can start with other items. I started with a 1949 Singer which I still use sometimes but realized its limits early on. Practice with smaller projects and then practice some more and find out what techniques work best for you. I have not made a dodger yet but have remade my bimini, made a new forward section to shade more of the cockpit, mesh covers for the skylights, covers for the hatches, covers for the rear rail seats, covers for my Taylor-made folding seats, cockpit cushions, vinyl cushions for home with and without piping, my own piping, added a section to my winter cover to convert from 29ft. to 33 ft., and the list goes on. I also like making small purses and character (i.e. Frozen and Little Pony) pillows for kids. I admit that on many of my items you can tell I made them but they are getting better. I watch a lot of YouTube videos made by "Old School Auto Upholstery" and "Chechaflo" to learn how to work with fabric vinyl. Can't wait to start my next project whatever it may be and encourage you to do so also.

 

[Ward H]

I started with a 50s Singer machine making simple covers to see if I had any sewing skills. I enjoyed it and did have some skill so I bought the LSZ1 sewing machine. Adding the Worker B motor, or buying the machine with it, greatly improves my sewing skills as it slows down the # of stitches per minute to just a crawl.
I’ve replaced my dodger windows, modified a used Bimini, made a few sail covers and a stack pack. I’ve also have done some sail repairs. My wife and I are looking into making leather bags.
While the LSZ is pricey they do hold their value very well.

 

[fred1diver]

A Bimini isn’t that hard to make, but spend more time than you think on patterning, a quarter of an inch isn’t much but it could mean it won’t fit properly.

 

[jviss]

The small Singer sewing machine you have will struggle

I don't think he said his singer was small, but he did say it's old.

I have three sewing machines. I do a lot of tailoring of suits and shirts, etc. A hobby I picked up a few years ago. I have my mother's 1951 machine, Model 15-91, which is a beast, very strong, but doesn't zig-zag. I have a gorgeous Singer 503a Slant-O-Matic, "the Rocketeer," which is, I think, the pinnacle of Singer home machines, 1960's vintage. It's all mechanical, all steel gears save one big one on the drive wheel, and goes through Sunbrella like nobody's business. And, I have an Alpha Sew walking foot machine, that is the same Chinese machine that is the basis of the Sail Rite machines; mine's a non zig-zag model, though.

I think the 503a can handle just about any sailmaking or canvas making project. I've made some test stitches on Sunbrella using the correct thread (Superior Threads® - Solar Guard #92 Bonded Polyester), and it works very well. It can do 22 different stitches, plus I have the buttonhole attachment.

The old singers are great. And there are industrial ones easily available, too.

On a Bimini you will sew through up to 8 layers.

Thinking about my bimini and dodger I can't imagine anywhere where there are eight layers of fabric stitched. Maybe I should look more closely? Can you give an example of where this might occur?

I think any of my machines would struggle with eight layers of Sunbrella.

 

[BigEasy]

Purchased a Sailrite machine many years ago. Made new sail cover, binnacle cover, hatch covers, etc. Big thing was that I had existing canvas to use as patterns. Very time consuming process as a novice. After completing aforementioned items, I opted to have a professional re-skin the Bimini. As luck would have it, the pros made a beautiful Bimini; however, it retained water like a pond! They had to remake it at no cost to me. Bimini projects are difficult; definitely a learning curve and an art.

 

[dlochner]

Thinking about my bimini and dodger I can't imagine anywhere where there are eight layers of fabric stitched. Maybe I should look more closely? Can you give an example of where this might occur?

Depends on how you do the edge hems. Two hems in a corner will get you 6 layers of fabric if the hems have buried edges. Add reinforcing webbing or a webbing loop to secure the corner and you have 8 layers of fabric and webbing.

 

[jviss]

Bimini projects are difficult; definitely a learning curve and an art.

Yes, indeed. Sometimes we tend to trivialize or ignore the skill and experience part of these things, and think the machine will enable us to make these things. It's like that saying "If you buy a pro camera, you're a pro photographer. If you buy a clarinet, you own a clarinet."

I had a bad bimini made once. And I had a great one made by Thurston in Rhode Island. He's a pro with decades of experience.

I am also tempted to copy a piece of canvas by ripping the stitches and flattening it to use as a pattern, but I've heard this often doesn't work out.

 

[jviss]

Depends on how you do the edge hems. Two hems in a corner will get you 6 layers of fabric if the hems have buried edges. Add reinforcing webbing or a webbing loop to secure the corner and you have 8 layers of fabric and webbing.

Ah, gotcha! Thanks.

 

[BigEasy]

I am also tempted to copy a piece of canvas by ripping the stitches and flattening it to use as a pattern, but I've heard this often doesn't work out.

Pattern making from existing items works well on simple covers; however, biminis & dodgers are different matters. Any sagging due to loose fitting will result in water accumulation, leaks, & premature failure.

 

[Skipper J]

Thank you all for this information. How nice it must be to make things with a sewing machine. I look forward to that. I do have access to my mother's SInger 500 machine, and it is built like a tank. I think I need to see what it can do, but also keep an eye on the Sailrite website and see how much they tend to mark the models down for the holiday season.

What has been really puzzling to me is that Sailrite offers a bimini kit for over $600. Yet you can get a ready-made bimini from other companies for much less.

I bought a Sunbrella patio umbrella a couple of months ago and am disappointed to find that Sunbrella isn't immune to mildew. But I would still probably go with it or Sun-Dura for the fade resistance.

 

[jviss]

But I would still probably go with it or Sun-Dura for the fade resistance.

Sunbrella fades, too. If I get a new bimini and dodger I will get or make covers for them, sacrificial covers, to prevent fading as the boat sits at the mooring all week.

 

[jviss]

I do have access to my mother's SInger 500 machine, and it is built like a tank.

That's a great machine! Yes, like a tank, very strong and tough. The pinnacle of home sewing machines, in my opinion. I have the 503a. Love it.

 

[JBP-PA]

Hi,

I am considering going the Sail-Rite route to making my own bimini, cushions and other boat canvas. Currently have an old Singer home sewing machine and very little experience sewing. Have any of you beginners tried this route? Did you regret it? I have had no luck finding a boat canvas shop in my area (Carolinas). Thanks.

Skipper J

All discussion about machines aside, learning to sew marine projects certainly adds a whole new realm to your ability to enhance your sailing enjoyment. Soon you'll be creating all sorts of convenient projects for storage and comfort such as pockets, ditty bags, curtains, hatch covers, etc. in addition to big projects like biminis and cushions. It does take a lot of time though. Whatever machine you use, the Sail-Rite videos are great learning tools. Canvas and upholstery are different than clothing skills, my wife was a professional seamstress for clothing and poo-poo'd such things as pre-creasing seams or basting tape which is the cats meow for canvas. The Sail-Rite kits are great for getting started and learning the skills, techniques, and common materials, but I find the designs somewhat spartan and as you said, expensive. If you want a more elegant look, you'll have to do more design work, noticing what other people have, and decide what features you want.
A Bimini kit might be a great first project with the understanding it is a learning kit and you'll probably want to redo it better. For example, do you want extension panel between the Bimini and dodger? side curtains? full enclosure? Sail windows?