sewing vinyl

[drem312]

very new please be kind,,,lol,,,Im making some coaming bolsters for my boat , sewed in some vertical stripes  but the extra material on the back of the vinyl between the seams is about  1/2 on each piece do I trim this  off on the back side  close to the stitch, tape it down, it doesnt seem to fold down so I can bend it over the cushion or leaves a bump if i tape it thought this would be the quickest way   to hear from you guys

[MinUph]

drem312,
  Taping it down might last awhile in the sun but not long. Trimming it will not help. There are two stitches that could be used. A top stitch where you fold the seam over and sew one line on top. This will make the vinyl lay flat. Or #2 a double top stitch. Not easy but effective. Fold back both seam allowances and sew two seams one on each side of the main seam with a binding underneath. This is best done with a good sewer or a double needle machine. It's hard to make them parallel on a single needle machine.
  Of course this all needs to be done before the next piece of vinyl is sewn onto this one so you can get to the edge.
  If all is sewn up you can open the seams or live with it.

[drem312]

thanks for replying   I dont know what im going to do now there 16 inches wide by 72 inches and have many sewed seems,,   when I went to the fabric store i asked about thread she gave me two types nylon and polyester  she siad the nylon was for exterior and was stronger now I have read that  the nylon really isnt uv resistant  so do  I try and do a double stich but use the poly?  or say the hell with it and use one piece of nice white vinyl over the new foam and call the fancy nice stitch one a learning experiment

[Mojo]

If your sewing vinyl for outdoor use I would order some 92 or 138 poly bonded thread from one of the sources on here. Actually I suggest spending an extra $ 10 and getting Sunguard 138. It is an awesome thread and very strong.

To my knowledge fabric stores do not make a good poly thread and nylon is the last thing you want to use for fabrics that will be outdoors.

Chris

[drem312]

damn I doomed,,,, I used nylon   I do have the poly uv stuff  but she said the nylon was tougher   the thread isnt really exposed directly like a bimini top but they are in  the cockpit  so do i resew over what i did with the poly thread  or just put it on the board and foam and wait a few years to re do

[JuneC]

I trim it.  Don't worry about the bumps.  It'll depress the foam along the seams eventually and the bumps will diminish, though if your vinyl is very heavy, may never disappear if your foam is very firm.  If the vinyl is very thick, sometimes I'll "layer" the trimming - one selvedge edge shorter than the other. so it's less noticeable on the surface.   Also, using 1/4" sew foam will help, but it sounds like you're already past the sewing part.  Remember, you're you own worst critic.  I bet they look just fine.  

I used nylon   I do have the poly uv stuff  but she said the nylon was tougher

Nylon IS tougher..... till the sun hits it  ???  Like Chris says, use bonded poly for outdoor use.  A few years to re-do?  More like a few months - at least if you're in the south.  Sorry....  that's a real bummer.

June

[MinUph]

As Chris said only Poly for marine. Sewing stores like JoAnnes is not the best source of information. They only deal with what they sell.
  Your kinda stuck now. Use this as a learning experience and hopefully your not in Florida :)

[drem312]

nope Im in NH,,,can I re sew over the other thread or try a double stitch with the poly? my vinyl  is the 32 oz stuff

[Mojo]

Seriously, like Paul and June said, the nylon is going to fall apart very quickly so I would do something.

Myself I would probably pull the nylon out and re-stitch it completely. You can re-stitch it with Poly using the holes from the nylon as your guide. Otherwise your left with starting over or re-stitching over the top of the nylon. The problem with that is that once the nylon falls apart your going to have pieces of thread sticking out all over. :)

Contact Miami Mike and order some proper thread ( I suggest Sunguard ) :

Mike Weunski

www.miamicorp.com

Phone>800.543.0448

Direct> 513-298-5519

Direct Fax>513-298-5519

E-mail> mweunski@miamicorp.com


Tell him your a member here.

Chris

[Mike8560]

You will
probly have to pull the seams and start over. If I resew a seat for someone most time seams intersect ans they have to be opened  I'd bite the bullet and do it over   One top stitch is fastest on The seams

[seamsperfect]

So basically you have only sewn the panels together so far? I bet you your tolerances are as such that you could refold the sections and sew a 1/16" just inside your nylon stitch.  If you are not going to do a french seam to finish it off,  I would suggest this then taking the entire thing apart and trying to match the holes.  I bet even it you took it all apart the new stitching would be just inside where your current holes are now.
Kevin

[Highvelocity]

Drem312,
     Just curious to see what size needle you are working with??  We were talking about it on another thread and I heard some guys using smaller needles with 92 and 138 thread.  I use 138 and went to a #18 needle from #21 to see how is would work.  Turns out it works pretty good, that's just vinyl though.

 Ed

[drem312]

I will look again at what needle I ended up getting to work properly,, Kevin I was thinking of that sewing about a 1/16th away from the other one and trim the tab on the inside,,,i havent stapeled it yet or even cut the marine foam I really dont want to take it all apart but  the holes are small and even if i took it apart I shouldnt sew in the same holes anyway right? I tried to post but it still wont let me even after i re sized the pic... is there another way

[drem312]

will sunguard 138 fit in a regular household kennmore sewing machine ?

[drem312]

ok just looked at what I bought and used it says

Coats And Clark
Extra Strong And Upholstery Thread

Extra strong 100 percent bonded nylon for machine and hand sewing of upholstery, outdoor, and heavy weight fabrics.
Weather Resistant

can i use this stuff? ......16oz CONE OF #V92 BLACK BONDED POLY THREAD 4500Y T90 UV