Any advice on sewing my own teardrop cover from Sunbrella?

[Jerry Bleeg]

I have been reupholstering some outdoor bar stools and found I can buy Sunbrella fabric thru some Ebay sites for 8 to 10 dollars per yard. It commonly comes in rolls that are 54' or 60" wide, by as long as the roll. If I ordered 13 yards of the 60" material , I would get 39 feet. That should be enough to cover the top and the sides of my 5 x 10 trailer and would cost around 120.00 with shipping and tax.
Here is a example of a supplier selling a Marine grade Canvas
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUNBRELLA-TYPE- ... 56&vxp=mtr

It got me thinking I might like to try my hand as sewing my own teardrop cover. I figure I don't need any zippers for door openings. Just the basic egg shape with sides that hang down a little past the bottom of the the trailer to shed water. Has anyone (Doug) had experience with sewing this kind of canvas, and any advise on various grade's and weights of the various materials. ?

I know I could buy a custom made cover fro PahaQue or Little Guy, but where's the fun in that?

[doug hodder]

Sorry Jerry. I haven't had much experience to speak of on sewing on that material. I've made some Bimini tops for boats, but had access to a heavy commercial grade sewing machine at the time. If it were me, I'd mock it up in paper and use that for a pattern prior to cutting up the fabric. You'd probably also want to double stitch your hems, use a good quality UV resistant thread on it and maybe a pocket all around the bottom so that you could thread a rope through for a method to tie it around the bottom. Get a heavy duty needle and take your time...if you have a "home" duty type machine, take it easy on it and don't race through the stitching. FWIW. Doug

[Zollinger]

I have never sewn anything using Sunbrella Fabric, but I have looked into using it. No matter what weight of Sunbrella Fabric that you pick you MUST use a heavy duty reupholstering sewing machine along with UV Resistant thread. No home sewing machine will work. It will burn the motor out or strip the gears real quick. I would make a paper pattern first and allow for French type seams (doubled over). I would attempt it if I had the right kind of machine, but then again I am an advanced sewer (is that a word?). Grommets along the bottom would also be a nice touch. Good luck and if you do it post pics for the rest of us.

[KCStudly]

There was a thread on this not too long ago with a link to a demo video on the does and don't s of working with Sunbrella.

Quick google search found it.
Sailrite video