I haven’t even bought a needle yet....

[Gavin e]

Hello everyone.  I’m new here and a total novice when it comes to sewing - my previous experience consists solely of button repairs.

I’m here because I have a couple of major sewing projects which I need completed - both of which will cost a small fortune if I have to pay someone else to do the work - and I would like genuine opinions from people who know more than I about my prospects of doing the work myself.

I’m patient, quite skilled with my hands, willing to watch whatever I need on the internet, and a methodical worker who is willing to accept that the job will take months rather than days... 

However...

The work I’m looking to complete is a complete re upholstery of a boat seating area consisting of 19 removable sections, followed by cutting and creating a new rear canopy for the boat in marine grade canvas with heavy duty vinyl windows etc etc.

I would love advice re machine requirements for what I am sure will be heavy duty work, (Something simple to use with enough punch to do the job, but budget friendly), and also advice on whether I’m mad to even consider trying to do it myself - my wife certainly does so feel free to tell me she’s correct!

I would also appreciate guidance on what section on here would be best to post my questions about these things, as I’m not sure what category I should go for.  I could then post a few photos to give people a better idea of what I have in mind.

So that’s it.  I guess that if you tell me to give it a go I’ll be on here with a million questions about all sorts of things while I set about learning a new skill, so be warned....

Thanks. Gavin

[hernibs]

Evening Gavin - welcome to the forum and my best wishes for all your future sewing endeavours....and boy there will be lots of challenges coming your way.  There are folk on here who have done similar things so I will leave it up to them to encourage/discourage you as and when they arise in the morning, they are all mostly early risers.....I am not.

[Ellabella]

Welcome from me too Gavin.

I do like someone with ambition.

The seating sounds doable, there is lots of advice available both on here and on the internet.

The difficulty with the canopy as far as I can understand will be fitting large areas of thick fabric under a machine. Perhaps you need to look for something industrial.

There are lots of peeps on here that have a wide range of experience and I’m sure someone will be along later today with much better advice than I can give.

One important thing to remember is that we like lots of photos and progress reports.  We will cheer you on all the way.

[Lachica]

Welcome @Gavin e . We used to have a little cabin cruiser & I recovered the seats & made new curtains. A standard sewing machine will do this fine unless you choose particularly tough fabric or buy a cheap ricketty machine. The fabric on our boat had gone mouldy, probably because the underseat lockers were full of water. (No, we didn't look under there before buying ) I prised the fabric off, the wooden bases were fine & so, to my surprise, was the foam. I bought 100% polyester upholstery fabric recommended for caravans & boats for the new covers so it couldn't go mouldy. Used the old covers to make templates (brown paper) then made things more difficult for myself by making contrast piping. I'd recommend using plain fabric as pattern matching complicates things. Piping isn't difficult but takes more time. A lot more time in my case as I cut bias strips & covered piping cord. I think it was around 40m I made.

Re the waterproof cockpit cover: I replaced the 3 pvc windows and one zip in ours. I bought a second hand 40 year old Pfaff for £100 to do this as I have an expensive new Pfaff which has the punching power but I didn't want to risk damaging it and paying several hundred £ to have it repaired. The cover was very unwieldy & took DH helping to feed it through the machine. The heavy canvas takes up a lot of space, you need a big harp space on the machine & would need to work out the order of sewing to make sure the fabric to the right of the needle will pass through the harp. I also had to buy special thread, much thicker than standard, but the old Pfaff handled it in the bobbin fine. I don't know if all machines would handle this thick thread. I suppose you might be able to buy a sailmaking machine if you're really set on doing it this yourself.

[Renegade Sewist]

@Gavin e , welcome. Lovely to have you here.

I do believe you've married a very smart woman. 

A few photos would be a great idea as it'll show what you are wanting to replicate. When my OH (other half) bought his 2nd boat, there's a small fleet now, I politely declined from doing any of that. OK, probably not politely at all. You are talking a big project for an experienced Sewist. If the seating is flat panels or tuck and roll, if there is piping and how much or none at all, if there is significant sewing for each and a lot of odd shapes or heavy use of a staple gun will all make a difference.

One thing to ask yourself is if you'll be ok with functional but not necessarily professional looking results. If so, have at it. But if you're really fussy gain some sewing experience first. I'd suggest starting with some nice gear bags to haul things to and from the boat.


One tip: if you'll be using any staples use marine grade stainless steel and an electric staple gun. The beautiful red and white tuck and roll on Red Nelly, a lovely 1950s runabout  had just been redone when we bought her. Unfortunately the upholstery shop used regular galvanized staples and regular plywood, not marine grade. The front seat started disintegrating after a couple of years.

[BrendaP]

Welcome to TSP

It sounds as though the project you are wanting to do is just straight stitch sewing but heavyweight and maybe with a bit of stapling/tacking (nails) involved.

For that I suggest a vintage machine.  Singer 201 model is top with 66 or 99 close behind.  They take bog standard machine needles (not all vintage models do) and easy to obtain bobbins and will sew through multiple layers of denim or canvas.

My introduction to machine sewing was way back in the 1950s helping my dad to make a very large tent which provided many family holidays.  Dad was like you; had never sewn anything but was good with his hands and had a methodical brain.  To him it was 3-D geometry and working out the exact sizes of all the pieces which were needed and making the best use of the fabric, which was probably only 36" or maybe 42" wide.  There were plenty of long felled seams in it and that's where my help came in; turning the hand crank!  Electric models are easier to use, but do check the wiring if you go for a vintage machine, some of them can be lethal.

[Gavin e]

Thank you for some fantastic replies, and since they are rather positive I’m pretty sure I shall be having a go at this! 

It won’t be too soon as I think it will take me a while to get my head around all of the bits I will need - I’ve been researching this for a few weeks so already know I will need special threads and tapes etc to cope with the environment, I just don’t quite know which I should buy...

Here are a few photos to give an idea of what I need to replace.

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Assuming I can locate a suitable machine, I am considering making new dodgers ( the canvas surround above the canopy in pic 4) first, as a way of getting to know the machine.  They are all flat and straight to work on so will probably be the ‘easiest’ and least technical part of the project, but they are made of canvas. 

If the feeling here is that working with the more lightweight material for the seating would be a better starting off point then I will be guided by you.  Most of the seating is only sewn in a couple of places and then stapled to plywood backing, so it may well be easier.

Thanks for the machine advice, and the stainless steel staples idea - I hadn’t thought of that.  Whilst I have no great desire to rush out and spend hundreds of pounds on kit, I should possibly mention that the various quotes we have for this work add up to around £6000.00 plus - so I do realise that this project won’t come cheap and I’m prepared to get what I need to do a good job.

[Ploshkin]

I would definitely recommend starting with the seats because the fabric will be much easier to handle.  Use some old curtains to make a mock up or two to start.

[jintie]

Is this your boat? Looks ok as it is....

[Gavin e]

Yes that’s our boat, and while a lot of people do say the tartan looks ok my wife is not one of them....  so that is not an argument I am likely to win.

The canopy is still ok, but is starting to fray and has a few developing issues.  It’ll certainly do for at least one more season, but I am assuming it’s going to take me quite some time to complete a new one so want to get a head start and have it ready for when required...

[jintie]

As the tartan seems undamaged, you could leave it in place as an underlayer.

[Efemera]

As BrendaP said get yourself a vintage Singer 201.

[Sewingsue]

I can see why one might question the work as the current covers look in good condition, but if you don't like the fabric there is rather a lot of it.

At least it sounds as if you have come to the right place for advice (from others, not my area so I will just sit back and watch).

[BrendaP]

Definitely start with the cushion covers.  Sewing plastic on any machine is tricky!

Unpick each cushion (one at a time so as not to get muddled up) and use the existing fabric as a pattern.  It looks as though you would do well to get yourself a power staple gun as well as a sewing machine.

[Kenora]

Welcome from me too. Will be interesting to watch your project develop.