patterning

[fragged8]

hi Lads n lassies

  I am patterning this in two weeks and want to change my patterning method
a little and need some input.


I will be using plastic sheet and the dot method.

What i want to change is the common sense fasteners holding the doors in
to zippers but i have found that the overlap I have been using is ok but not quite enough.
especially for this customer as he's a tad fussy.

Having said that i don't mind fussy customers as they push the boundaries and make me
improve, it's the downright awkward ones that annoy me :-)

Currently I sew 1 1/2 reinforcement to the top and also the door, and sew the zippers to the top edge
of the reinforcement as per normal.

Do you think 2" reinforcement is more appropriate for the overlap ?
and using the dot method this means I add an extra 1/2" to the doors right ?
so the zippers connect.

Also i place my dots on the frame 1" apart, if i want a bigger door to top overlap
do any of you make them farther apart ?

Rich

[Mike8560]

I just make one dot  the dot marks  where rhe top and side panel meet   
I'd tou up to 2" overlap for the zippers just add a 1/2"'to the top of you pieces on the side. 
On a rear zipper like  were the top and a back drop just make a wider flap. That's all.

[fragged8]

hiya

thanks Mike, i'll try one dot. I usually put 3 at each point
one in the centre and one each side 1/2" from the centre dot.

Did you notice the fitting of the common sense fasteners
around the door ? it what you were talking about a couple of
weeks ago.

Rich

[Mike8560]

 ya I see thoose that what I'm doing now a silverton bimni and all the wi Dow use turn utton instead of. Zippers. Tuesday I've got to gonput the top on and then I stall thebwindows   
I've got 6 more to do tomorow I hope I can do them all I noticed I e slowed down in speed. 
Dpi f some windows today the canvas is natural sunbrella (white)
and we have a outbreak of love bugs. There all over  and I bad to try and keep them out of the door
they call them love bugs cause the come out to mate and fly arount together. All over 

[JuneC]

Can I ask why you're using turnbuckles along that vertical edge?  I see it was done before, but I'd be tempted to do zips instead just to make it more waterproof.  Or is there a zip behind the turnbuckles?  I'm guessing that the aft cover will be off for running to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, or do the corners stay in place and the center panel zip and roll up?  As we all know, panel flaps need to be on the outside with the opening aft for most uses, but with this boat top's design that's just not possible - or at least no clean way to construct that. 

When faced with those covers that dictate an opening facing forward, I've often been tempted to try the method employed by manufacturers of foul-weather gear - a fold on the underneath panel that channels water down.  Next time you're in a marine supply store, look at the front zip of a high end jacket from Gill or Henri Lloyd and you'll see what I'm talking about. 

Oh, and I'd do a 2" overlap as well.

June

[fragged8]

hiya

thanks june, I always take advise from you and Mike.

the turnbuckles are going,  you're right, pram covers here are
mostly made that way but i'm using zippers and customers like them.
what distance from the frame do you sew yours ? I am using 3" either
side of the frame centreline but feel this could reduced ?

Do you mean a forward facing flap on the door June ? for the door opening to roll up neatly
the aft one of the two on the door really needs to be forward facing but the customer
goes out in all weathers and at sea too so It has to have the opening aft.

the rear curtain is part of the whole hood with a roll up so yes the outer
parts remain in place, i did try to get the customer to have a removeable
curtain but he wasn't interested.

I like the sound of love bugs mike :-) it's got to be better than the Mayflies
around Erie I saw last time i was there. They were ankle deep in places
Yuck !! 
I did like the fire flies though, only other time i'd seen fireflies was in the
jungle in Venezuela when i got married.

[Mike8560]

Rich when patterning  your top will come down to point ( a)
and tour window panel will come up
to point  (a) seam (a) let's call it.
If you sew your zipper o to the top with bolth halfs zipped together
and sew it right at seam ( a).  Then the zipper will be 1 1/2" above seam (a).
Remove the zipper half and sew it to your panel so the teeth extend above the window when zipped on this will place your window  top joint right at seam (a)  giving you  1/2" overlap covering the zipper. 
On bigger money jobs I will move the zipper up a bit a d add the same to the hight of the window panel givi g more overlap and also Velcro can be added  say a1/2" strip at the top of the panel holding down the overlap flap.
Understand   

[fragged8]

hiya

thats pretty much how i do it now Mike except....

I use the dots to mark my top edge then i sew 1 1/2 reinforcement to the top.
Using 1 1/2" reinforcement as a guide for the top edge of the zip alignment and not
using the zipper width itself from the edge a.

that way the zipper is sewn in at the same time as the reinforcement in one pass,
then like you i can sew the other half onto the window with the teeth showing.

What i want to do is sew in 2" reinforcement instead so my zippers are 1/2" higher
and add 1/2" to the windows to compensate for raising the zipper on the top..


the problem i have in doing it your way although the result is the same is Uk zippers are
metric width so slightly wider than US zippers

Rich

[Mike8560]

That's odd didn't know that. 
I'd think thenmakers would benhensame width    Domyounuse ykk and I'd so there metric   
Is your sunbrella 46 " and 60" vinyl wi Dow and mypholstery vinyl
is 54" is tour also?

[fragged8]

we have sunbrella but i don't use it much as it's so
expensive here, I buy Spanish Acrylic which is almost
exactly the same as sunbrella at half the cost. It comes
as 150cm width

And for vinyl I use nautolex at 137cm wide.

i'm always doing conversions in my head from cm to Inch
but i do prefer to work in imperial, it just messes me up
when zippers etc are metric :-)

Rich

[Can-Vas]

Hi Rich;
I pattern the dots same as you, but I use a "good one inch" between the dots and a 2" reinformcement to the top (actually 2 1/2, but the 1/2" is folded over on the inside....)
The one inch refers to where the top zip meets the sides zip, not the edge of the fabric - and I sew the tops zip edge along the inside seam of the re-inforcement, if that makes sense - actually seems to give about 1" - 1 1/4 overlap most times....
Cheers,
Howard

[fragged8]

hiya

thanks for that Howard, I'm actually thinking that putting multiple dots on when
patterning isn't needed ? But doing it like Mike with just the one dot makes more sense

the patterns get worked on the table anyway so do we need to put
them on at the patterning stage ??

I currently do a 1 1/2" overlap but am going to switch to 2".

Rich

[Mike8560]

I installed the white sunbrella top on the bridge of the silverton along with 5 window panels all pan attached to the top not with zippers like normal but with turnbuttons  I didn't lime it o e bit it was slow therefore only 5 and I calls it. With zipers you zip them onto the top zipp
all the vertical zips etween windows this way I had to measure and in stall one turnbutton to hang the window then adjust the angle and I stall the rest top first the the bottom
I tried to talk bi. Out of it but no go   

[fragged8]

y, it does take forever to do. i'm like you Mike
zippers is the way to go.


Hey i tried to make a motor cover today, i had some time
so used your method, it's a bit quick and dirty but it fits real good m8.
now you got your designs in English yacht clubs   :o  hehe

[fragged8]

BUGGER !! sorry Mike I deleted your last post by accident, i forgot i had
admin rights and hit the wrong button.. . me and my fat fingers hehe

theres no way that suckka is blowing off m8 :-) thanks for the
help making it mind you it takes time to make, it took me about 3hrs.

Too hot  Huh?  i'm back in jumpers this week, you'll have to do a night shift
Mike hehehe