• Shop tips to increase efficiency and reduce stress

    Published On: September 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles, In the Shop

    I would like to share some tips Trevor and I have found useful in our shop in order to work more efficiently and reduce unnecessary stress. All of our systems have evolved from one principle: Don’t reinvent the wheel! Enough thought and planning goes into each custom job that you need to keep the number [...]

  • Enclosure fabrication details

    Published On: September 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles, Projects

    Interior shot of a recent Hood Bimini Enclosure. Notice the clean uncluttered look and maximum visibility made possible by our large binder. At Hood Canvas, we have a unique method of fabrication that we teach to our students. Many shops around the world are now using our specialized large binder in their shops [...]

  • Selling the vision with rendering techniques

    Published On: July 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles

    I zoomed in on the mezzanine seating area in this photo for the basis of my drawing. We will never know the true total, but sometimes I wonder how many jobs are lost just because a customer couldn’t envision a project? I think fabricators and designers take their own visualization skills for granted [...]

  • Sewing machine technology and tips

    Published On: July 1, 2013Categories: Features, How-To Articles

    Sam Sloan, Ron Russell and Rich Ludwig in the Sloan Machinery booth at the MFA National Convention at Cape Coral, Fla., earlier this year. At Hood Canvas, as with all fabrication shops, the single-needle walking-foot sewing machine is the backbone of our business. Every shop has its favorite brand of machine and has [...]

  • Cushion reupholstery: Making the old new again

    Published On: May 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles, Interiors & Upholstery

    Photo 1 In our first how-to article, we demonstrated Trevor’s method for fabricating cushions from scratch by making new patterns. We discussed how this strategy gives the fabricator total control over the quality of the finished product; however, it is labor intensive and also requires all new materials, which can make it cost-prohibitive [...]

  • Tips for better fitting tops

    Published On: May 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles, Projects

    At Hood Canvas, as with any marine canvas shop, we like our tops to be tight and wrinkle-free. To accomplish this, certain rules must be followed in order to get consistent results, regardless of fabrication style. Fabric terminology Getting tops to fit correctly with the proper tension requires an even pull of the fabric fore [...]

  • Little white lies at work

    Published On: March 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles

    Do you lie? “Of course not,” you’d probably respond to a question like this. You likely consider yourself a person of honesty and candor, someone who would never speak a falsehood. But what about those innocent “little white lies?” Those slight mistruths you proclaim in an effort to be polite or wiggle your way out [...]

  • Design techniques for interior fabrication

    Published On: March 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles, Interiors & Upholstery

    Before In our last article (Jan/Feb 2013 issue), we tackled cushion patterning. This story focuses on the design side of what Trevor and I do at Kennedy Custom Upholstery. There will always be those extremely straightforward jobs where plain white vinyl or gray canvas is the only choice. But for more complex jobs [...]

  • Fabricating small side curtains

    Published On: March 1, 2013Categories: Features, How-To Articles, Projects

    Our customer's Pursuit with the side curtain we just fabricated installed. At Hood Canvas we fabricate our small side curtains with overlays of fabric along the bottom edges. The reason we do this is twofold. First, to minimize stretch and to facilitate folding, we cut our bottom attachments along the width of the [...]

  • First contact with customers

    Published On: January 1, 2013Categories: How-To Articles

    That first transaction with a new customer is all-important. It can cement the new relationship and lead to a lifetime of mutually profitable sales—if it’s managed right. That first transaction might be big or small, in-person or online. It might involve a purchase or it might center on a freebie. Happy young business people [...]