Attempting to make new curtains

So the other day I attempted to make a curtain for the first time (not counting the time where I attempted to by hand, cut myself and broke my phone by bleeding on it). Note the word ‘attempting’.

First attempt, I used the material I bought off sailrite. This turned to be designed for external material like a bimini or dodger so was really way to stiff to make good curtains. But it was all I had so I SUCKED IT UP. I used the video from Sailrite to do this, found here

First I cut the material to shape using a hot knife, which isn’t what you think it is. It’s actually a hot knife and not a delivery method for vast quantities of drugs

At this point I discovered that the central glass panel in my door wasn’t glass but acrylic of some kind, after I tried cutting on it. Whoops. No real harm done, except my door panel now looks like someone wailed on it with a machete. Makes the boat look tough, I keep telling myself. Don’t mess with tha’ boat with the machete scars.

Then I installed the rails on the cabin wall (they plug into those white things)

Next was to lay some basting tape (THIS STUFF RULES AND IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN PINS) and fold over the crease and lay the nobble tape (I can’t remember what its called) over the top

Then sew it. LOOK I’M SEWING

This appeared on first glance to be ok except that the thread mysteriously vanished at various points before reappearing again

No idea why.

Oh, also the other side looks like a spider got drunk with its friends and just started SHITTING OUT thread.

Not great!!!

I adjusted the thread tension and tried again

Better….

This is the ‘finished’ article

Notice all the threads hanging off the bottom like a jellyfish made out of cotton and failure.

SO, for my second attempt, I bought some actually soft, new material

Then I cut it to size and did the crease, basting tape etc

 

 

One thing I did was buy a ‘zipper foot’ for the sewing machine, this lets me get a lot closer to the buttons as it’s thinner

And then I sewed it

Not bad stitching! Though note again a mysterious gap. Weird.

Done

Next to attach the little plastic widgets

And done! Note I forgot to take a finished picture. Also the thing is too large for the window. Sigh. Fits the next one up though so that’s good!

I ran out of hangers, so I will have to finish the rest after I buy more supplies.