Tag Archives: sewing projects

Shades of Canvas

We bring Kim from Masterpieces in Canvas back to finish up a few more sewing projects.  We ran out of time and could not finish these two big projects last season.  Kim met us in the Norsand Boatyard where she worked with Matt to determine exactly what he wants before making a pattern.

She brings a huge roll of pattern material and custom designs each window covering.  Some windows get 2 patterns.  We are making sauleda covers for storage (they will be solid gray fabric that are not see through).  We are also making black phifertex window covers that will be our “everyday” window shades.  They will let in a little light, allow us to see outside, but will block 80% of the sun.

We also asked Kim to make us (2) side phifertex canvas sun shades for our cockpit enclousure.   These will zip on to the outside of our existing side panels and can be rolled up for storage when not in use.  So we can alternate between using the sun shade (phifertex) or the rain shade (sauleda/Isinglass) without having to change them out.

In the bottom photo, Kim is marking the snaps on the sauleda canvas window covers.  We will use these when we put the boat up for storage or when we are feeling particularly shy.  The yellow tape around the foward window is from a paint job that Matt was working on and will be removed.

And the final phifertex window covers.  We decided to go with two different grades.  The two side windows on both port and starboard are 90% opacity and the three forward windows are 80% opacity.  This will allow us to better see out the windows while the shades are on.

Sewing Projects By Us

In 2018, Matt and I made blue fender covers for our big round A4s and pencil type F4s.  See blog post dressing up our Fenders. 

Over the years the blue faded and frayed so it was time to replace them again.  Last season, March 2023 I replaced the A4 fender covers with black covers.  But that left the F4 (pencil) fenders ugly and blue.

So, it was time to replace them with beautiful black polar felt.  They should match better to our new gray color scheme and be soft on the boat.

New Line

We also purchased new line for the boat.  We bought 34m of a beautiful gray (with black/white flecks) in double braid heavy duty line for our main sheets, and 100m green mottled line with a dynema core for our spin halyard and reefing line.  While we were at it we replaced our red “oh $hit” line that we use to hold on while under way and bought 100m of 5mm dynema line for future projects.  Everything came from Nautilus Braids which provides the best customer service, quality lines, at reasonable pricess.  They custom made our lines for us!

By the way, there are no ropes on board a boat.  You will find lines, sheets, halyards, vangs, tricing lines, warps, whips, and jackstays, but not ropes.  

We will have Kim come back in early March to help us finish some really small projects:

  • Stern seat cushions over the line holders
  • (2) Line bags for our main sheets
  • (2) Recycling bags
  • (1) Remote wench holder
  • (2) Sets of 3 pockets for cockpit
  • (1) Table cover

Don’t worry, there still are a dozen other sewing projects for us to tackle with our Sailrite machine.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occured in mid-November.  We attack some beastly boat projects while on the hard at Norsand Boatyard.

Sunshades

Hiding in Plain Sight: Sunshades

Living on a boat is amazing but we often find ourselves hiding from the sun to escape the heat.  September and October are HOT, when  the wind dies down, humidity is high, and the sun is sizzling.  Sunshades become a necessity.  Where I once used to be a deck-spider, I no longer find the need, desire, patience, or capacity to lay out in the sun.

With that said, it is a bit challenging to be “out of the sun” when you live on a boat (especially a boat without air conditioning).  We tend to hang out in our cock pit which has the best breeze, but it is in the direct sunlight.  We use our sunshades a lot, but the ones that came with the boat are old, dirty, and small.  New sunshades became a priority on our project list.

Material:
  • 13 yards of phifortex fabric
  • Webbing (hems, corners, connection points)
  • Bolt rope (to run through the track on the Bimini)
  • Straps, snaps, basting tape, and thread (black and white).
The Project: Sunshades

We both wanted to work on smaller sewing projects before we jumped into this one as it was bound to be complicated – and it was.

The existing sunshades could not be used as a pattern since we wanted more coverage.  We started with the back shade, measured across the bimini, and added 36″.  We wanted the back shade to have 3 panels: main center panel and two smaller panels.  Each side would have a small panel that extended to the helm seats or could be folded over.

Sunshade side panel

New side panel fully extended.

To determine the overall width of the back panel, we sewed in the bolt rope which allowed us to hang the material up.  Measure, repeat, measure, repeat.  We added webbing along all of the hems to provide more structure and strength to the panels.  We also added webbing on the seam where we wanted the side panels to fold over.

Sunshade panel

Sunshade webbing for the side panel fold over.

Adding the straps and connecting points were next so that we could hook the shade to the life line and roll the shade up neatly.

Sunshade

Sunshade connecting points. Check out that neat little box we sewed.

SunShade

Sunshade clips to secure the shade when it is rolled up.

Sunshade

Sunshade all rolled up

Finally, we added snaps to the side panels (to stay folded when not in use) and to the exterior straps that held the shade to the Bimini poles.

With the back sunshade done, we were able to start on the two side panels.  We pretty much followed the same routine, but tweaked them a bit as they had angles as opposed to straight lines.

Keep in mind that this entire process was completed using a Baby Lock sewing machine which has to be as old as the boat (2001).  I am sure it would have been a LOT easier using a Sailrite sewing machine which is one specifically used for thicker fabrics like canvas.

For the most part, sewing the phifortex was ok.  But when it came to the corners or the straps which had phifortex folded over, bolt rope, and two pieces of webbing it was really challenging to get the little machine up that hill.  We coached her, babied her, petted her, let her rest, cursed, and put her away when she started smoking.  Matt had to tear her apart and put her back together a few times but all in all she did good!

Babylock repair

Sewing machine surgery.

Sunshade.

Sunshade completed back panels.

Sunshade

Sunshade side panel – Starboard.

Sunshade

Sunshade Completed Port Panel

This was certainly a good learning experience. It was a joint effort as  it took 4 hands just to get the fabric through – and don’t get me started on reverse!

All in all the Babylock held strong, finished the sunshade project and is resting until we get her out again for the next sewing project.