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I always helped my mom crafting and sewing Christmas presents and stuff as a kid. Crafting and building things as a teenager lead me to art school where I happened into textiles. I thought the looms were really neat but soon got sick of threading them which lead me to basket weaving. Yes l know, haw haw- your jokes are hilarious. Then my mom got divorced and moved to a new little town. I decided I'd move with her for a bit to help her transition then move out to British Columbia where basket weaving is more of a thing and continue my life as a broke as hell artist dude. Looking to save a little money I took a job at the local upholstery shop. I figured it'd be a winter gig and I'd be off in the spring. But then I liked the job, liked workin on boats, married the bartender and made kids and stuff. Now 12 years later I'm a (not too) broke uphosterer dude.

Winter used to be like that for me too. We had work but also had time to fix up the shop a bit and not be so frantic. I miss that. I guess it's since the boss got into winter storage that brough us more winter work.

I started making patterns today, finish up the last interior tomorrow. 8 weeks left of the spring rush then the summer rush'll start.

Darren's got the right idea. Maybe he can come pick me up and we can join your sweatshop?

It's mostly for Sunbrella and it washes off that easy. You have to get it pretty wet to remove it so you wouldn't want to erase too much on a couch or something.

This is what I mean- https://www.jennisfabrics.com/jennis-web-core/productProfile.jef?prdCode=00024175&invType=REG

That's the kind of winter I've been having too mike. 5 interiors, a 38' headliner, and something like 12 convertible tops 4 on 40' searays. All due may 24th. Good thing the Great Lakes are rock solid I might have extra time to finish it all.

I love having work but winters supposed to be the slow season. I don't want to be burnt out by June.

Sounds like it may be time to raise prices.

*high five*

I use all of the above, but mostly white washout pencil. I found if you keep them damp while you're using them the lead breaks a lot less. I keep a used tea bag nearby and roll the lead in it periodically. And on a dust cloth pattern where I need to write a lot of stuff I'll squirt the pattern lightly with water in a squirt bottle and that let's you write without pressing hard.

I agree with everybody!! ;) Warp-faced fabrics stretch most in the direction of the warp ie up the roll. I see lots of tops like you're talking about Bobbin. Lots have big saggyness and the seams going front to back are tight. But bad design and water pooling are more to blame IMO.

We use pockets and straps on middle bars. The pockets keep the top from lofting and the straps provide adjustment. We always use bars front and back so that's the only real adjustment in our Biminis. We cut a little slit in the main bars pocket to let the strap through. It's a little chessie TBH but it works and its been done that way for 30 years and nobody cares. Well the ones that do care have more problems than a little slit anyway.

The vinyl I used was Spradling Soft Side with their new permagard treatment.  It's supposed to make the vinyl easier to clean, but evidently doesn't prevent things like the pink spots from happening.  I'll try the cures given, saving the complete re-do for the last resort.  Thanks.

Danny D.

This spring co-worker made cushions for her own boat out of that vinyl and its covered in pink spots. Never seen pink spots on Soft Side before now.

When you sew down your zipper pockets, do you lay everything flat around the curve? Pocket flat, flap flat?

My bet is you've got to move your pocket/main top seam towards the bar about 3/4" around the bend and 1/4" along the crown.

Try it. Open the zipper or pick the stitches around the bend when enclosure is, then see where it lays.

Well Mike and Darren already have you 'covered'. On little covers I just mark the post. I don't pattern it at all. Just measure up from the floor to the mark and cut a post that high. But as Mike says with the pontoon boats or open boats I will put the posts in and tag the paper to the posts.

We do the half pattern so we can lay the centerline on folded Sunbrella and cut both sides of the cloth with a hotknife at the same time.

Drill new holes? I've also stapled Velcro to both sides instead.

Gotcha. Didn't get it this mornin before the coffee. Wait, I still don't get it. You're making a pattern that doesn't lay flat and then trying to make flat vinyl "schwang" without seaming it?

I think if you don't want that seam on the inside arm you'll need two seams 'shoulder to elbow' as June says. You could try this- pattern on top of the upholstered seat to finish size, add a 1/4" seam allowance on your vinyl, sew a 1/2" seam and add 1/4" or 1/2" foam to the seat before you upholster it. (Strip the seat in the mean while) I've done that before with some success.

I don't really understand what you mean Rich. So I guess I don't use the baggy pattern method. When I pattern something I cut pattern material to finished size of each individual piece of vinyl. I pin it to the foam with staples and build the entire seat out of pattern material at the same time. The I can work both sides of the seam as I see fit. Then I mark all the reference marks, lay the pattern pieces on the vinyl and add for sewing.

On a seat like that I think you'll need a seam at least on the inside arm. Otherwise you'll need a border running down the top of the arm and the one piece inside arm and one piece outside back. You'll need to do something to allow the inside arm to curve around the top of the arm to meet the outside back.

I think some where we are going to come to the end of the road, the furniture is becoming so cheap, and consumers becoming so sick of it falling apart that something has to give.

I think that day is coming. People are sick of buying the same couch every two years. I'm sure it comes as no surprise to those who repair furniture, but I was astounded when I recently had to repair a couch for a boat customer.



Just incredible the level of cheapness in this thing. If you buy new furniture you're sitting on $500 worth of lies. The manufacturers are thieves and I think people are starting to realize they're being robbed.

I've done lots of these. You don't NEED all sport but it sure helps. You will need heat or steam though, if you dont have very stretchy stuff. You don't need those seams either, I think they were to save material in the factory. It'll be slow going on your first one. Lotta temper tacks.

.and, it had a "How To Fabricate a Bucket Seat" thread that should've been in the "How'd You Do That???" forum...

Touché. I guess I never read the rules l, but I figured the 'green room' was for things you were proud of and wanted to show off. I don't know why it should be limited to current projects. Anything I post is usually from a couple weeks prior because, unfortunately?, this board is not even close to the top of my priorities list. The thing I like about the Green room is stuff stays there for a long time, it's like a gallery. Whereas the 'how to' board seems like a mortuary.  To tell the truth I forgot it existed till the other day.

Personally, I don't think that we have enough daily traffic to warrant multiple boards. I guess Facebook is gradually rendering the old fashioned Yabb format obsolete.

Do you really think its facebook? It really does seem this place has slowed right down lately. Although I'm guilty of not coming here much. I imagine its places like reddit et al that are the big draw now. And is it YABB that's obsolete or this horrible black on yellow format? My guess is that this board is not very smart phone friendly is what's driving people away.