What Tools Do I Need For Sewing Canvas by TuffSew

Before you start diving into do-it-yourself canvas sewing work on your boat- you need to make sure you have all the right tools for the job. You are going to need a sewing machine, some thick needles, some thread, a good pair of scissors, and material. You don’t need to be alarmed and go buy a $1,200 dollar sewing machine. A simple walking foot sewing machine with a built in motor will do. We recommend our TuffSew Straight Stitch 9” heavy duty walking foot sewing machine for all of your sewing projects. There are two different size TuffSew Straight Stitch machines. One has a 7” gate the other has a 9” gate. The gate is essentially the amount of horizontal working space from the left edge of the sewing machine to middle base of the machine. We strongly encourage you to use a machine with a longer 9” base-it will certainly make things easier on your when sewing canvas. We will talk more about why this machine is important later.

Let’s get to material. You have primarily 2 choices at this point. You can go with the standard in the industry “Sunbrella” which is acrylic - or natural canvas. We do recommend using Sunbrella however the price is 2-3 times higher than natural canvas.

Next on to the recommended thread! If you are new to sewing it’s important to use the same color thread as your material. You certainly don’t want to show off your errors. Light colored thread on top of dark material does look fancy- if you are up for the challenge. The type of thread you want to use is polyester based 69 or 92 weight. A simple google search will place in on websites where you can order all different colored threads for your particular project.

Needles and the correct sewing machine are next and the most important topic on this article. The following hypothetical situation happens daily… So you are excited….let’s say you bought your Sunbrella material, bought a great pair of new scissors, and bought your brand new 69 colored thread. You wake up early one Saturday and take out your regular household sewing machine and needles. You start to sew…but the needle not only won’t penetrate ¼” thickness of material, and the needle starts bending and then they keeps breaking. DON’T PANIC! It’s not you.

You just need to realize you are not using the correct sewing machine and needle. You need to use a 135x17 needle size 22. These needles are like nails and will penetrate up to 3/8” thickness of canvas. You also need a walking foot industrial style sewing machine to hook these needles into. Once you have the right sewing machine and needles….your sewing project will come alive.

It’s important to find a heavy duty walking foot sewing machine for sewing canvas. There are other benefits for a <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com/straight-stitch-industrial-walking-foot-sewing-machine> walking foot sewing machine</a>. Follow the links for an <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com>industrial sewing machine</a>.

How to use a Heavy Duty Walking Foot Sewing Machine for Upholstery Fabric

The myth is over-right here and right now. Sewing upholstery is no different than sewing regular fabrics. The only difference is with the equipment and consumables you will use to tackle your thick upholstery projects. Thicker upholstery fabrics require you to use heavy duty thread such as 69 nylon bonded thread. Why? Heavier material needs to be held together by heavier thread. You will also need industrial grade sewing needles when working with upholstery. Normal needles will bend or break when trying to penetrate upholstery. Make sure and use sharp scissors to cut through your thick material.

 Also when sewing upholstery you will also need to include backing, which requires you to use a portable walking foot sewing machine to handle this weight. You can’t use a heavy duty thread and an industrial grade needle on a regular household sewing machine. Make sure and use the correct machine for your sewing needs-otherwise your project will look inconsistent. You need this type of sewing machine to create “tight” stitches-so your project lasts for 10+ years. There will be a link at the end of this article to an example walking foot sewing machine. Now on to how to sew upholstery:

1.       Inspection.  First examine your material. Take your sharp pair of 6-7 inch scissors and trim all the worn out or frayed edges of your material. Make sure and cut just enough. There is no reason to cut excess material that is in good shape.

2.       Sewing Machine Setup. Medium Stitch Length. Mid-Range Tension.

3.       Pattern Pile or Nap. You want to determine if your material pieces have a nap. Don’t know what a nap is? Imagine brushing your dog’s hair down, when it’s neat and shiny. And then imagine brushing it the other way and you’ll feel and see the resistance. Make sure all your upholstery pieces are facing the same way-nice and shiny. This will affect your end esthetic result.

4.       Double Check Equipment. Make sure you are using a portable walking foot machine. Make sure and use a size 18,20, or 22 needle depending on thickness of fabric and sewing machine recommendation. Make sure you are using nylon bonded 69 thread.

5.       Upholstery Placement. Most built-in walking foot sewing machines have a 3/8” lift which allows you to put more material under the presser foot. You always want to leave a little seam allowance. Make sure and place the raw edges right on top of eachother while the right sides together.  

6.       Sewing. Start sewing normally as you would with a regular household sewing machine. If you have some loosely woven fabric that might unravel, finish the raw edges with a serger. If your project doesn’t have backing, you’ll need an extra seem so it doesn’t unravel.

It’s important to find a heavy duty walking foot sewing machine for upholstery sewing. There are many benefits for a <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com/straight-stitch-industrial-walking-foot-sewing-machine> walking foot sewing machine</a>. Follow the links for an <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com>upholstery sewing machine</a>.

Using a Heavy Duty Walking Foot Sewing Machine for Thick Fabrics

Whether you are a sailor, upholster, or leather shop owner- it’s important that you understand the importance of using the right sewing machine for your heavy duty projects. One example is a sailor and understanding most new boats are going to need a ton of canvas or brightwork done initially and also throughout many years of boating. It’s important for you to use a quality walking foot sewing machine that is easy to use, reasonably priced, durable, rugged, dependable, and has years of success. Here are the most important benefits to a walking foot sewing machine when sewing heavy duty fabrics such as leather, canvas, sailcloth, upholstery materials, strapping and more:

1.       The Walking Foot.  When you use a heavy duty industrial walking foot sewing machine- it comes with a built-in walking foot mechanism. This is very different that most walking foot attachments that only snap-on regular household sewing machines. This built-in walking foot will evenly feed your material as it grabs (with its traction like grip) the top of your material. This built in walking foot works in conjunction with the feed dogs which pull the bottom piece of the material through the sewing process

2.       Higher Foot Lift. Most built-in walking foot sewing machines have a 3/8” lift which allows you to put more material under the presser foot. You can comfortably sew most heavy duty materials under the presser foot because of the walking foot assembly.

3.       DVD. Who actually reads instruction manuals? Maybe 10% of folks. You want to order a walking foot sewing machine that comes with a DVD. Learning visually is much easier for the majority of the population. You can pop this DVD in while you open up the sewing machine and feel more comfortable with your purchase.

4.       Portability. This is a huge concept for sailors or anyone who needs to transfer their sewing machine from place to place. Most walking foot machines are roughly 35-40 pounds, depending on the size (7” or 9” gate) of the machine. Feel free to take your walking foot sewing machine anywhere as it’s easy to grip underneath the head of the machine. There are many cases available for this type of sewing machine as well.

5.       Cast Iron Body and Metal Parts. All walking foot sewing machines come with a cast iron finish and all metal working parts. Metal gears and parts will last much longer than any sewing machine with plastic gears and parts. Plastic gears and parts crack and break down quickly. Having a cast iron body proves to be much more durable than plastic bodies. If the machine drops, it will not shatter into 100 pieces. Durability is much higher with a walking foot sewing machine.

6.       Electronic Foot Control. All walking foot sewing machines come with an electronic foot controller. You can control your speed better with this type of foot controller. You want to use a long foot controller cord, if possible. Most walking foot sewing machines come with a longer cord.

7.       Warranty. You want to make sure you are buying your walking foot sewing machine from a trusted source. You want to buy from a company who has been in business for several years. Usually a warranty or a store credit is what you should be looking for. You want to find a machine with a 1 year parts warranty in case you drop your machine. You want to look for a supplier with a 3 month labor warranty. You also want to find a warranty with a credit in case you accidently needed a household sewing machine.

It’s important to find a heavy duty walking foot sewing machine with all 7 of the above bullets check-marked. There are other benefits for a <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com/straight-stitch-industrial-walking-foot-sewing-machine> walking foot sewing machine</a>. Follow the links for an <a href=http://www.tuffsew.com>industrial sewing machine</a>.