How to Sew Marine Canvas
There are many reasons to sew your own canvas accessories for your boat, according to Karen Lipe, author of "The Big Book of Boat Canvas: A Complete Guide to Fabric Work on Boats," including the cost savings that come from doing it yourself as well as being able to create exactly the item you need. While many domestic sewing machines are able to sew heavy fabrics such as canvas, check with the manufacturer to make sure your machine can handle the load. Good sewing machine choices include older Singer machines from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as commercial and industrial machines, such as those made by Juki.
Things You'll Need
- Heavy-duty sewing machine
- No. 16 or No. 18 sewing machine needles
- Heavy duty thread, Size 40
- Marine canvas
- T-pins
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Change the sewing machine needle, thread the machine and fill the bobbin with heavy-duty thread.
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2
Change the stitch length selector to a longer stitch, which is suitable for heavy fabrics. Sew a test swatch on a scrap piece of canvas. Check the stitch length.
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3
Check the swatch for the stitch tension and adjust if necessary. Too much tension will cause the fabric to pucker. Not enough tension will cause loops to form in the seam. Sew another test swatch to check the tension. Adjust and sew a test swatch until the tension is satisfactory.
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4
Place the canvas to be sewn underneath the needle and lower the presser foot, which holds the fabric in place on the sewing machine while it is being stitched.
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5
Start the machine and begin to sew, guiding the canvas through the needle with your hands.
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6
Press the reverse-stitch button, which is usually found on the front of the machine, after sewing one inch of fabric, to sew in reverse, locking the seam in place. Depress the reverse-stitch button and continue sewing the rest of the canvas, guiding the canvas through the needle, removing T-pins as you sew.
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7
Depress the reverse-stitch button at the end of the seam to lock the stitches in place. Stop sewing.
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8
Lift the presser foot, the handle is on the back of the sewing machine, and remove the canvas from the machine.
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9
Cut the thread and bobbin thread with the scissors.
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