ID 339327683 © Yuri Arcurs| Dreamstime.com. I have been sewing for the better part of 52 years. My dad started a custom canvas company in 1963, when I was a teenager, and I eventually went to work with him. That is where I really started learning about sewing machines. Over time I learned how to use [...]

A newly installed three-piece custom AquaMat® set that was made from Teak II Slate AquaWeave™ on a 2008 Formula 27PC. In our second year of business at River Custom Canvas LLC, we were looking for an add-on product to offer customers and recognized a demand for marine flooring. We met with vendors at the Miami [...]

There are still some clients who love classic canvas awnings. The frames and skins of these unique awnings were fabricated for Boozer’s Brew in Gulfport, Miss. Remember that old saying “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life?” Well, when too many days in a row end with [...]

A picture of the finished product. Making a choice can be hard when there are endless options, and that’s exactly how it can feel for customers trying to select fabrics and materials for an upholstery project, including proper colors, textures and materials. It’s best for a marine shop to have an established plan for helping [...]

The design inspiration for how to shape and build the new aft bench was taken from the boat’s existing front bucket seats. Using the angles and shapes from those cushions helped the team visualize the shape of a new aft bench. Where do you begin when you have a blank slate? We recently had a [...]

This 32-foot Fountain project completed in 2010 remains one of the author's favorite designs to date. How does a company go from simple box cushions to complex designs? It is not as hard as you might think. Our shop, Paul’s Custom Canvas Inc., was opened in 1979 by my father, Paul Charpentier. Like most fabricators, [...]

It’s possible to create canvas covers that appear almost seamless. Fitting with one piece of fabric and without vertical darts achieves an elegant look and saves time. Every canvas maker has a “thing” that bugs them. For me, it’s vertical darts. Whether they are on a cockpit cover along the curved windshield or around the [...]

Small, unflashy and even invisible techniques can create “aha” moments that help you achieve your desired results, such as how to find the corners on a cushion. Sewing has always been a part of my life. It’s second nature to me, much like playing music or singing is for others. And as with playing music [...]

You’ve undoubtedly heard someone say, “Just let the next guys worry about it,” which usually means the product they’re sending out will be nearly impossible for the “next guys” to work on or repair. Boatman Marine Canvas works on all sorts of lake boats that are 38 feet and smaller. Time after time we find [...]

Once the shop acquired enough tools for each sewing station to have a complete set, a color-coding system was implemented to keep track. Every shop is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for growing your business. Yet you can facilitate positive change at any stage by following some basic principles and taking some simple [...]