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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Has anyone sewed Sunbrella?

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/21/2002 : 11:43:55

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a small amount of Sunbrella fabric on eBay. I haven't received it yet, but I'm planning a few little projects to see what it's like to work with that kind of fabric. I don't know much about sewing, but I've got an old Singer sewing machine that belonged to my mother, and I'm going to give it a try.

Does anyone know what sort of thread I should use? I'm assuming it needs to be UV-resistant, but I don't know about size/strength, and I don't know where to buy it ... any suggestions?

Thanks, and happy holidays!

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

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Earl Landers
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2002 : 11:54:49

Buzz,
I am not a sewing person, but here is a page of tips (sewing canvas on a home machine) from Sailrite http://www.sailrite.com/Tips/homemachine.htm .

Earl Landers

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2002 : 12:29:55

Thanks Earl!

There are some good sewing tips on that site that will really come in handy.

'Still need to know about the thread ... 'anyone?

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5937 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2002 : 13:30:54

Buzz,

I have made quite a few sailcovers, winch covers, tiller covers and boat covers out of sunbrella, and it isn't particularly difficult to sew. However, using a standard duty home sewing machine (which is what I use), you can't sew through too many layers at one time.

You can buy sailmaker's thread in white and colors from the sailmaker's supply houses on the internet, but it's fairly expensive, and some places only want to sell you large quantities. I buy the most heavy duty thread I can find in local fabric stores, and it has withstood the sun and rain o.k. for my purposes. (My Ohio boat is only in the water for about half a year.) If my boat was in the water year around, and in the hotter southern climates, I think I would pay extra and buy real sailmaker's thread.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

rclift
Navigator

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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2002 : 15:50:52

I've made a sail cover and a cabin cover using sunbrella which I purchased through a local awning shop. Great price and lots of advice. My machine handles the bulk of the fabric well but the 4 oz poly thread causes problems with my machine's tension. Sailrite has a lighter weight thread that I think will take care of the problem.

Ray Clift
1361 SK/TR
Oregon

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2984 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2002 : 00:26:23

One issue is the gears within the sewing machine. If they are plastic... don't press your luck with such a machine on heavy fabrics like sunbrella, unfortunately I'm speaking from experience. New gears cost about $25 bucks... and there not hard to put in... but retiming the machine is likely impossible without a knowledgable person outlining how its done.

<img src="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/images/helming.jpg" border=0>
Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
R&R N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

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tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2002 : 02:55:39

I'd agree with everything above. We get our fabric and thread from a local upholstry supply store. Just make sure to get good weather resistant thread, not cotton. Sunbrella lasts forever. Usually it is the stitching that rots out first - even on professional work.

I have conceeded the sewing projects to my wife. She has invested so much more time in the skills and knows all kinds of tricks to get the fabric to turn corners etc. Also she can think inside out better than I can. I am an architect and used to visualizing the things unbuilt, that is what I do. But trying to think inside out undoes me. <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>

Todd Hansen
San Luis Obispo, CA

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coldducks
Captain

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USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2002 : 09:36:38

i have made a few things out of sunbrella. a grill cover, because the one i bought rotted in one season. and a sun awning for the cockpit. it is not difficult to sew and i just used regular thread. so far so good.

COLDDUCKS
FANTASY #409 C250WK

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2002 : 11:22:53

Hi everybody,

THANKS for all the excellent tips! I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. BTW Arlyn, my sewing machine is old and built like a tank ... I'm hoping it was built before Corporate America started to build "planned obsolescence" into everything ... maybe the gears are something besides plastic or nylon.

Thanks again, and happy holidays to all!

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

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Terry Annis
1st Mate

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USA
35 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2002 : 17:36:45

I just got my issue of GOOD OLD BOAT magazine and they have
a very informative article on machines needles, thread to use
and set up tips. They are recommending older Kenmore and White
machines, inlue of the real thing Sailrite depending on the boat
units available.

Terry and Kathie "LEMATIKE" #789

Edited by - on

Daniel
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2002 : 19:51:29

I made a sailcover with Sunbrella - quite easy - and I have never sewed a thing before. It came out much better than the previous one, which was professionally done. I got the material, grommets, thread, needles, zipper, hardware etc. from Sailrite. I have a 1952 Singer that works great with the canvas - goes thru 4 layers without much trouble. I cut the material with a fine soldering iron and used the old cover for a pattern adding some ideas from Sailrite's pattern. It was rather fun too. It is also much better than my friend's cover, which he bought stock from Catalina and is already wearing out after three years (not bragging - it is just that you can sew the seams better, make stronger reinforcements, etc.). It was also somewhat less expensive and I have some material, parts, etc. for the next project.

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2002 : 21:07:49

<font color=blue>I cut the material with a fine soldering iron and used the old cover for a pattern adding some ideas from Sailrite's pattern. - Daniel</font id=blue>

Really? I didn't know you could cut Sunbrella with a soldering iron ... how does that work? Does it help keep the edges of the material from fraying?

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

Edited by - on

Daniel
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2003 : 22:40:15

Cutting Sunbrella with a soldering iron is a cinch. Just mark your pattern with a chalk line, place the material on a board or other heat-resistant surface (I did on plywood on the floor) and slowly run the iron on the pattern line. I use a Weller soldering iron with a thin edge on the tip - works great and stops the material from unraveling. I used a flame-heated knife tip to cut the holes for the fasteners, which also worked well.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2003 : 22:51:32

<b>"Cutting Sunbrella with a soldering iron is a cinch...I use a Weller soldering iron with a thin edge on the tip." - Daniel</b>

How many watts is your soldering iron? My Weller is adjustable to a tip temperature just shy of 900 degrees F.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
On the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

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