Some canvas fabricators get excited when a customer asks for seat covers, helm covers and bolster covers, while others begin to get anxious. 

Those that welcome these types of jobs find them to be manageable in size—having less fitting time, less equipment to haul around, less sewing time and quick turnaround. So why does it make some people anxious?

In my early days, I would pattern seat covers in plastic, afraid to make a bad cut. I was never too good at wrapping Christmas presents either. It made me anxious patterning seat and helm covers because when the job was all done, the finished product never looked as good as my pattern. 

I dreaded getting a job for these covers. One day, I thought to myself “I fit everything in fabric: tops, windows, enclosures, cockpit covers, etc. So why am I using patterning plastic for seat covers?” There was no reason other than fear of a bad cut. 

Once I got over it, I found these types of covers to be easy to do—and fun! Today I welcome these types of jobs. They make great rainy-day projects or fill-in jobs when you are in between the big jobs waiting on supplies.

Types of covers

Seat covers and helm covers come in three versions. The first is a drawstring cover with a loose-bag style, which you can buy at any marine store. We call them Bag-Cover-In-A-Box. The issue with this style is that many customers want a custom-fitting cover versus a one-size-fits-all style. We won’t address the drawstring cover today, as fabricating it is more along the lines of bag-making than a custom cover.

The second style is all-weather type—we’ll call it a suspended cover—that repels water instantly and prevents ducks and other waterfowl from lounging around on your boat seats. The fabric is suspended from the backrest to the front edge of the seat, which creates perfect watershed. Installation is fast and the finished look is a smooth, non-wrinkle appearance. 

Like all curved or rounded surfaces, darts will be necessary on the corners. With a little knowledge of T-Darts, you can reduce the number of darts-per-corner for a much cleaner look. T-Darts are a combination of a horizontal dart and a vertical dart. We use T-Darts in many applications of canvas-making, but especially for seat covers. The only downside to a suspended cover is that the seat is not functional when the cover is installed. However, this style of cover is the most popular in most regions.

A third style, which we’ll call a fully functional cover, is used when a customer wants to use their seat, even when the cover is installed, and all bolster covers must be made this way as well. For those of you who do upholstery, this third style is much more involved than the first two styles. In fact, it is almost the same process as making new vinyl skins for seat or bolster. 

This functional type of cover must be tight-fitting and often indistinguishable from the seat’s vinyl skin. This method requires a greater number of hours to complete and should be reflected in your estimate.

How-to steps for suspended covers

Let’s take look at the step-by-step for a suspended cover: 

• Because we have this wonderful force in nature called gravity, begin by connecting the cover to your choice of fastener at the top of the seat near center. This allows the material to hang in place while you fit the cover. 
• To create a smooth surface, square-up the material and attach it at the bottom near center. 
• Now we can work on the pressure points. In canvas-making, pressure points are typically the fasteners. In upholstery, or upholstery covers, the pressure points are the corners of the seat or cushion.
• If you are using a “coated” material and do not want to pin or staple the darts, simply fold the darts and mark them. 
• Try to eliminate multiple vertical darts on a corner by using a T-Dart. A T-Dart allows the front, top and side faces of the cover to lay flat without the need for multiple darts.
• Corner-to-corner edges can be left rounded or darted for a crisp-edge look. Corner darts can be sewn as blind-stitch from the backside or top-stitched.
• Once all of your darts and fastener locations have been marked, sew the darts, add a little reinforcement where needed and sew on the binding. Add fasteners and you are finished!

How fully functional covers differ

Fully functional covers are more form-fitted. You will rely on fasteners to create pressure points on the corners of cushions, backrests and bolsters. Engine shroud covers are made the same way, almost identically to creating vinyl skins in upholstery. Helm station covers are a combination of both suspended and fully functional covers. While portions of the cover are suspended for watershed, other portions are form-fitted.

One of the most frequently asked question I receive is “What material should I use for a seat cover?” This question is determined by the boat’s design, location of the seat to be covered and the function of the cover. 

For example, many owners of fly-bridge boats want seat covers. If the bridge has a full enclosure, the seat covers are merely to keep the sun from drying out the vinyl. In this example, I would use an acrylic woven product like Sunbrella’s^® furniture line. 

However, when there is no enclosure and the seat is exposed to the raw elements, I prefer a coated product such as Stamoid. If there is any concern that the vinyl finish of the seat cushion could be worn off by the cover, I’ll use a backed product like Aqualon^® Edge Soft to protect the vinyl finish.

Jump into making seat covers!  From boats to cars to golf carts, the opportunities are endless. 

Russ Griffin is co-owner of Northcoast Marine Specialties LLC, which operates a training facility in the art of canvas making in Port Clinton, Ohio.