Vridar

You guys are serious about the upside down picture? It's right side up viewing on my iPad. I'll have to check my computer's view.

As to thread and fabric, I get a lot of my stuff from Sailrite.com. They have an abundance of fabrics, work with a person, and have videos. They even have free videos on awnings and a canopy would be the same. Sunbrella seems to be the choice by our local KC Awning and Tent company and that is what Sailrite uses. It's not cheap. There may be generic equivalents or a different composite fabric. I have not looked into that. I get the thread in cones from Sailrite. I notice JoAnns hase small cones of v-69 but local selection is limited.

Btw, I used a lesser expensive canvas for my last boat cover. It faded and probably won't last 4 years. Sunbrella is almost indestructible.

J Miller

Ron,

Yes your pic is upside down ... here. That's why I flipped it.

Thanks for the information on the canvas and thread. I have the Sailrite site bookmarked. ( My wife wants one of those walking foot machines badly. )

Check out Top Value Fabrics: { http://www.topvaluefabrics.com/ } they sell canvas and other fabrics too. We haven't bought from there but have heard good reports about them.

Oh, could you post a pic of that v-69 thread so we'd know what to look for?

Joe

Vridar

[ATTACH=CONFIG]446881[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]446882[/ATTACH]Joe, See my post on "Only This Group Understands..." I wouldn't buy another walking foot, unless your wife has dexterity problems. If one can keep the material feeding without pull or push pressure, one doesn't need the walking foot - says the man who just replaced a bent pressure bar. I try to do the canvas out on a picnic table so as to keep pressure off the needle by maneuvering the material around on the table. Granted it's a little cumbersome and time consuming, but, hey, I'm retired and only sewing as a hobby.

Pictures are attached, hopefully right side up. The first should be my unorganized stash, the second a couple cones, the smaller from JoAnns. The third should be a label on the bottom of JoAnns cone.

Edit: I see my pictures are top and bottom. Hopefully right side up. Hey, I'm a seamstress not an IT manager.

miriam

There are lots of places to get the thread and Sunbrella - I have dealt with Top Value for years - good company. I don't know if John Clark is retired yet or not. Sunbrella is fairly light weight and strong. It is used for awnings and boat covers. You do need the right thread. Top Value may be able to recommend the thread for the fabric. Or you may go to a place that sells Naugahyde or what ever for car upholstery. I had a ramp system - I prefer a walking foot. The heavy stuff will go much better and you are less likely to bend a needle bar. But it may be cheaper to replace a needle bar than buy a walking foot machine. I think it really depends on how BIG your project will be when you are done.

J Miller

Ron,
Thanks for the pics of the v-69 thread. Now I'll have an idea what to look for.

Miriam,
The project will be a 10'x10' canopy Elaine uses for her craft shows. We plan on using the original as a pattern.
I doubt we'll buy a WF machine, but from my limited experience with WF attachments they do help with the heavy stuff.

Joe

ThayerRags

The wind tore up the cover of a local art show vendor’s Eze-Up canopy and she sold it to me cheap. I sewed it back together with my 1914 Singer 66-1 and Coats Outdoor Thread. We’ve set it up several times, and the stitches are still good.

The photo shows a treadle, but my 66-1 is a portable handcrank. The treadle stand once supported an electric grinder that has since been removed. I picked it up at a farm auction and use it for a utility table, like as a place to set my portable handcrank.

CD in Oklahoma

MadCow333

Yeah. It can double for the boat anchor, or so I have read. LOL (People have joked about that for years.)

I put a handcrank on a 1920s Singer 27 that had the decals all worn off. I've used it for all kinds of jobs, like stitching up ripped horse blankets. I like the full-size head because of the longer arm.