Products and techniques for custom cushions

September 1, 2021  |  Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

By Terri Madden and Alayna Wool What do you do when a customer requests something that is outside your realm of experience? How do you elevate your skills in order to work on the type of projects you love? How do you learn about new product offerings and materials from suppliers? By reading columns …
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Marine Fabricator wins publishing awards

November 12, 2019  |  Awards, How-To Articles, Industry News

The Minnesota Media and Publishing Association recognized Marine Fabricator magazine, led by senior editor Elisa Bernick, with a Bronze Award and a Silver Award in publishing excellence for how-to articles, “Seam finishing for marine cushions and covers” and “Zipper basics and helpful sewing t…
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Window Treatment Trends

July 1, 2017  |  Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

Interest in window coverings for marine applications has experienced a rebirth of sorts and more consumers, fabricators and designers are using innovative window treatment designs. When Krisha Plauché, owner of Onboard Interiors in Marblehead, Mass., is fabricating drapery for a stateroom, she ofte…
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Fresh updates for older vessels

January 1, 2017  |  In the Shop, Interiors & Upholstery, Projects, Resources

Most interior fabrication projects occur on fixer-uppers. The vessel might be vintage or it might be less than ten years old. While I always welcome the challenge of doing a better design than the original, there is a fine line between aesthetics and practicality. After all, the boat needs to be bot…
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Constructing snow flies for the Alaskan climate

January 1, 2017  |  How-To Articles, In the Shop, Projects, Resources

Our winters in Fairbanks, Alaska, can be cold or very cold with lots of snow or little snow; it all depends. One condition we don’t see often is wind. In my 26 years of living here, I can remember only one time when the wind blew and the snow flew. Most of our snow falls … <div><a href="htt…
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Meticulous prototyping leads to attractive cylinder cushions

September 1, 2016  |  How-To Articles, Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

Over the years I have been asked to fabricate several unusual items. I never know if that item will be a one-hit wonder or will become a customer favorite. In most cases, I create prototypes that help me creatively solve design challenges. I charge a prototype fee of a few hundred dollars to develop…
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Complex and compound frame bending

July 1, 2016  |  How-To Articles, Projects

Incorporating unconventional design into dodgers and biminis. I often suggest that my customers try to think out of the box when envisioning what their boats can look like. I tell them, “If I have done my job properly, the cover will become part of the boat.” Take a spray dodger, for example. I …
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