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So I lay the foam on the fabric and trace for the top plate and then flip the foam and trace the bottom plate. Am I adding seam allowance? The cushions are about 5.5 ft long and 3 ft wide at the widest point. Where am I making my hash marks, since the top and bottom plates are different sizes? Also. Is there anything special to know about the boxing, or am I just cutting the proper length?  Thanks in advance. I do these so infrequently that I'm unsure of myself.

So the customer knelt on his leather car seat in really freezing weather to get something out of the back seat. The seam of the insert panel came apart (the leather didn't rip, just the thread broke). That was a couple of months ago. I thought it would be easy to just sew the two panels together, and then re tack them at the side seams. Buuut, it seems that the panels shrunk, maybe about a half inch on each side. I tried just sewing them together anyway, but the stretching creates really bad wrinkles at the sides.
Is there any way to stretch the leather back to its orginal size?
Thanks in advance.
Jo

Is it wrong to use Sunbrella binding on a cover made from Top Gun? Opinions please! Thanks!

I have a customer who has an enclosure that's about 5 years old (I wasn't the original maker).  He called me to replace the side and windshield panels because they have turned brown. I've never seen clear vinyl deteriorate this fast. He said he cleans them with "plastic cleaner". I asked if he meant something specifically made for cleaning Vinyl windows, and he said no, that it's the same stuff he cleans the exterior of the boat with. My question is, would the wrong type of cleaner cause the vinyl to turn brown prematurely? Thanks!

Hi guys, got something to bounce off you. Customer had canvas enclosure mad a few years ago and never really used it. When he went to put it on last week it had shrunk about 1.5" all around, to where he can't snap the snaps. Question: instead of adding fabric around the bottom perimeter an reinstalling all of the snaps, would it work to extend the fore and aft zipper flaps and sides and simply move the zippers down? Thanks so much for any advice!

Hey guys,

Making a boat cover from Top Gun, which doesn't really breathe. Normally I'd put boat vents in where the poles go, but this boat uses the flexible battens going from side to side instead of poles.

Sooo... what to use for venting?

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys,

So this customer just bought a used boat which has four like-new enclosure panels, and a bimini frame, but no bimini.

He got his hands on a premade bimini top (mass produced, with no zippers on the pockets) which is too big for the frame.

He wants me to cut it down to fit (like that's realllly simple) and then sew zippers on it to match the enclosure panels. It just doesn't sound like a good idea to me; I'd love to start fresh instead. Seems like modifying an existing bimini is more work that making your own?

Have any of you ever done this?

So I was screwing snaps into the windshield, and didn't drill the hole big enough. So when I screwed the snap stud in the head broke off of the screw. There is a little bit sticking out. Anybody know how to get this out of the aluminum? Should I file it down? Drill it out? Move out of town?

The deck is on the second floor, and the hot tub is under the deck. The customer wants an enclosure, (Sunbrella, no windows) and wants the panels to slide on a track like this:


Questions:

Can you do this with Sunbrella marine/awning fabric, or is it too stiff?
Also, where can I get this track and what is it called?
Finally, How would I fasten the bottom track to concrete?
Thanks in advance for any answers!
Jo

For a bimini, another aft bimini, and enclosure for a 26 ft. boat? The frame already exists, so this is just a fabrication of canvas. Enclosure includes the windshield with rollup center, two side curtains, then the two side curtains that zip to the aft bimini (these have windows with screens), an aft curtain with a zippered door and a large smile window with screen.

Would appreciate any feedback. This is only my second one, and I feel like I grossly undercharged for it.

Thanks in advance.

Ever go through a period where it seems like every job you get is a major challenge?
This one is a captains chair - lots of stretchers. Here is the original:


So I sewed up a new one. The puckers aren't really that noticeable until the stretchers are stapled down. Here's what it looks like in the worst area:



Now once I get the foam up under it, you can pull some of the wrinkles out, but not all. What's going wrong...the sewing or the stapling??

Is there a formula for sewing down bimini sleeves? I've tried keeping the bimini and pocket flat, then folding the flap towards the center, but once I get to the curves, there is a lot of extra fabric on the sleeve. A lot. How do you guys do it? Thanks!

Jo

The customer is asking about Heritage fabric. Anyone ever heard of it? I did a google search, and I can find where chiro upholsterers use it in their business, but I can't figure out where to get the fabric.
The claim is that this is not a type of vinyl, but a fabric in it's own class. I've been using Naugahyde Sta-Soft, but the customer is requesting this. It seems to hold up well, as he brought me a table from the 90's and there are no rips or tears; it's just a little old looking.
I did read that it's more permeable than vinyl.

Hey guys, I'm miserable and I need help. Business slowed down so much for the winter that I had to take a 9-5 job. As you all can imagine, it's so hard to work for someone else after you've been your own boss.
My niche (determined by my customers, not me) is boat covers and marine upholstery. I live in Northeastern PA, and we have cold snowy winters. Everybody shrink wraps their boats at the end of October.
I've tried to offer discount incentives to anybody who thinks to take their seats out before they shrink wrap their boats. I sent out mailers to restaurants and doctor's offices offering my services. I got a few bites, but certainly not enough to sustain myself.
I've gotta get out of this job! What else can I do to drum up business?
Thanks in advance for any help.

So business got really slow for the winter. So slow that I had to get a job. At an office. From 9-5.
It was hard to adjust to someone else's schedule, rules, etc., but it's actually kinda nice to get a consistent paycheck every two weeks.
Anyway, I'm doing the few winter jobs I have on the weekends. My current project is a chiropractor table. One of the bigger pieces has two strips of a gripper type of material (maybe 10"x2") stapled to the underside. Does anyone know what this stuff is and where can I get it?
Thanks guys. I've missed it here. Gonna go catch up on past posts.
Jo

Customer has side, fore and aft panels for a large fishing boats. He wants the rigid plastic (cloudy and in bad shape) replaced with a 30 or 40 gauge clear vinyl so he can store the panels rolled up.
In the past, when replacing clear vinyl, I would sew the new stuff on top of the old and cut out the old. But it seems like this rigid plastic is too stiff. Can I do it this way, or do I have to rip the stitches and take it out?
Thanks,
Jo

I got a thread jam in the bobbin area and the safety clutch engaged. As a result I can't move the handwheel. How do you disengage the safety clutch?
My machine is a Highlead GC-0618. Nothing fancy, just a standard mechanical bottom loader machine. I've had machines in the past where there's a button on the bed to disengage the clutch, but my machine only has one button for the stitch length.
Any ideas?

So I'm doing a captains chair, and used the old cover as a pattern. The old chair had no welt, but the customer wants welt where there are seams (which would be both sides of the long, thin center strip).
I sewed it all together, but the inside of the chair, specifically where the arm bends (where your elbow would rest if you were sitting in the chair) is really baggy.
I deconstruct again and check my pieces against the pattern pieces. They are 100% accurate.
So, is it the welt that's hanging me up here? The seam allowance is the same, but maybe the stacking of two extra layers of vinyl are making a difference?
How do you allow for welt if you are patterning?
Thanks in advance. This thing is killing me. I'll post a pic later.

So I finished this guy's boat seats over a month ago. Called him right away, but his voice mailbox was full and couldn't leave a message. So I emailed him. He emailed back and said he'd come pick them up that weekend. That was a month ago. Another email, no response. Voice mailbox still full.
What's the next step? I could probably sell the seats, as they are from a common boat. I don't have any policy in writing about this.

Hi guys,
Small bowrider with rounded (as opposed to sharp corners) windshield. As weird as it sounds, I've never done this before. How do you pattern the windshield?
Also, informal poll: do you guys use the fabric to pattern or paper/plastic?