Back Drop Pattern or Not??

[Peppy]

That dart can be cut into the pattern too, if you know where the finished seam is going to be. We call it an STR (pattern shorthand for stretch) If you cut the pattern right it opens a gusset that you fill in with tape or what not, that when traced to the sunbrella isn't a gusset. Just material added to either side of the seam. Sorry, hard to explain.

I have some pictures from when I tried explaining it before....


See the spot just to the rear of the window? A big tape 'arrow' pointing at it.


filled in.


not the same tarp, but here's an STR on the cutting table. The seams if opened are parabola's not square if you get me.


Finished tarp. If you don't cut the STR then there ends up to much fabric from the corner of the windshield to the corner of the back and your posts have to be miles long to take up the slack. Do I make sense?

Now in your case it's a little different, you needed to suck the fabric in front to back. It could still be done though. I just wanted to point out that that is possible to achieve in the pattern since you were asking about patterning or not. But in the end it doesn't matter how it happened, thats a nice tarp!

[Highvelocity]

Peppy,
    I understand the pattern technique you are using there with the filling in.  The big problem for us was that there is nothing to pull the material around to get a good pattern, lots of slop around the truns going back. 

Like in that first picture, suppose you wanted to drop down over the windsheild.  Just leave it long, take out 2 darts and trim it.  I did one where I patterned the windsheild and pieced it on, it looked the same, just took more time.  I think patterns definatly have there time and place after this project...

Ed

[Peppy]

We all have a way of doing things that works for us. I find it funny that you poo-poo paternmaking. It's my favorite part of my job and what I spend almost half my time doing. Differ'nt strokes I guess.

Often I make patterns with nothing behind them, it's trickier but you can use the tape to lift the pattern stuff and restore tension to it. I like patterning way more than putting tarps on and off the boat 100's of times, and 10 minutes on a pattern can save you hours at the trim table. When it works it's great. When it doesn't work it's not great. But then your still left with a nice 'blanket' to pattern with.

[Mike8560]

I
might add try using 6 mill Shri kwrqp to pattern it would stre h as much and you. An pull it tight

K did a mooring cover o a 27 foot Grady w/a a d had to pattern I that tuck no material to add just take it out for the  slop.

[Highvelocity]

We all have a way of doing things that works for us. I find it funny that you poo-poo paternmaking. It's my favorite part of my job and what I spend almost half my time doing. Differ'nt strokes I guess.

Often I make patterns with nothing behind them, it's trickier but you can use the tape to lift the pattern stuff and restore tension to it. I like patterning way more than putting tarps on and off the boat 100's of times, and 10 minutes on a pattern can save you hours at the trim table. When it works it's great. When it doesn't work it's not great. But then your still left with a nice 'blanket' to pattern with.

Pep,
    It's not that I poo poo patterns, but with this particular project it was tough.  The wind, the pipe roll and snap, etc.  Hey, I look at it this way, at least the pattern I did make got me off and running.  And I would say that patterns made inside a shop can be directly transferable. 
Ed