{"id":2461,"date":"2022-06-09T09:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T13:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/?p=2461"},"modified":"2023-02-03T10:31:54","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T15:31:54","slug":"dodger-ultrafeed-learning-to-sew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/dodger-ultrafeed-learning-to-sew\/","title":{"rendered":"A DIY a Day Keeps Boredom at Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

What happens when an avid sailor tears his Achilles tendon and is looking at six months of recovery time? If you\u2019re James Craig \u2014 you learn how to sew! Not letting his injury set him back, he devoted his downtime to sewing a new dodger for his 1983 Catalina 30 sailboat. With a new-to-him Ultrafeed\u00ae LSZ, plus Sailrite\u00ae materials and how-to videos, he embarked on his latest adventure. Let\u2019s learn more about this enterprising DIYer and how Sailrite helped him successfully complete his boat projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

James\u2019s father was an avid sailor, and he taught his young son to sail when he was four years old. Fifty years later, he\u2019s just as excited about the sport as he was back then. \u201cI learned to sail in Manitoba. We then moved to Nova Scotia where we were surrounded by water. I loved it, and I kept up sailing. I got my family into sailing (sneakily) by saying it was like camping on the water.\u201d It must have worked because James\u2019s son has the same passion for sailing as his father and grandfather before him.<\/span><\/p>\n

James was an engineering officer in the Canadian Navy, and his engineering skills have come in handy in his sailing life. \u201cAs an engineer, I like to figure things out. Sailing is about figuring out the wind, how to sail, when to sail, how to keep people safe, and maintaining and adding to the boat. I have learned every system on the boat with the exception of sewing, until now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"James
Here James enjoys time on his sailboat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since James had never sewn before \u2014 and he needed to get to know his Ultrafeed \u2014 he eased into his dodger project. \u201cMy first actual sewing project was a cover for my binnacle. I wanted to test my Sailrite machine (learn how to tension, how to thread the machine, etc.) and learn how to pattern and actually sew my first project with Sunbrella\u00ae Marine Grade material.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

James also watched a variety of Sailrite project and tutorial videos to get to know his machine and practice the basics of sewing. \u201cI went through all the \u2018Learning to Sew\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/span> videos and tried each of the things in each video: threading a machine, types of thread, zippers, piping. And yes, I made a pillow. I\u2019m proud of that pillow, too. I then went on to the \u2018Build a Dodger\u2019 video series followed by the \u2018Make Your Own Dodger\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/span> playlist. It was so rewarding to see it come together \u2014 leather, zippers, snaps, windows, piping, seams \u2014 so many things to learn. Again, the videos were indispensable in learning each thing I was doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. What was the motivation behind wanting to sew your own dodger?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A. As an engineer, it bugged me that I couldn\u2019t sew. I had just lost my dad and thought it would also bring me closer to my mom, who has sewn for over 60 years but never thought to teach me. I tore my Achilles tendon and had to stay off of my feet so it seemed like a great thing to do. After learning and practicing with the binnacle cover, I then did my dodger. Wow, that was such a daunting project, but the engineer in me watched the Sailrite dodger video many, many, many times. I then patterned the dodger (it was coming to winter so was windy) on my frame. I focused on the easier panels first and then figured out how to bring it all together. Again, so many Sailrite videos were so helpful in how to do everything. I would watch a video for a few hours and sew for one hour. I have a tablet and I would play the video as a reference while I sewed. And thinking back, I actually practiced on other fabric prior to using the Sunbrella, so I almost built two dodgers. I figured that I better practice and learn using less expensive material than Sunbrella Marine Grade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"dodger
James sketched out a design for his dodger, then relied on Sailrite how-to videos to help him tackle the project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. Did you run into any roadblocks or issues while working on the dodger? If so, what were they and how did you work through them?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A. Where to start. The biggest issue was assembling the panels together, especially as I was using my own design and it was different enough from the dodger design in the Sailrite video.\u00a0I just put my engineering hat on and figured it out. But the video helped, too. I started sewing the easier panels and then finished with the harder ones. The entire dodger took me over 100 hours to complete (and about 200 hours of videos) but it was worth it! In hindsight, I probably should have started with my second sewing project, my sail cover, as it was easier. But I now know how to sew! Bring on more boat and home projects!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kudos to the guidance in the videos as the hints and tips were indispensable in learning to sew and also gave great perspectives on understanding how things would go together, allowances to make (such as seams) and the tools that would make life much easier for sewing. I feel I could sit down with Eric and Matt and have a great conversation!\u00a0They explained things so well and were saviors for doing something so complex, along with many other Sailrite stars in the videos.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Q. What did you love most about the DIY and sewing experience?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A. The biggest joy I had was having something that my mom and I could share a passion for, seeing as we didn\u2019t have my dad around anymore \u2014 he passed away two years ago. He and I loved\u00a0sailboats, woodworking and dogs. It has filled a gap between my mom and me.\u00a0Additionally, I love the fact that I can sew! I think more about how something is put together, and the DIYer in me looks to see if it\u2019s something that I could make. And DIY sewing makes one proud to show off what they put the time and effort into completing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"james
Here’s James sitting at a wooden table he built for his boat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. What advice would you give to someone tackling their first major sewing project?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A. Break the project down into small pieces and learn how everything comes together.\u00a0Don\u2019t worry about not knowing everything; it is a learning\u00a0process. Plus, you have Sailrite videos to teach you, online forums and many other resources. The outcome is SO satisfying!\u00a0You will feel like you climbed your own mountain.\u00a0And tackling the first project successfully will give you the confidence for doing other projects in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. Is there anything else you\u2019d like our readers to know about you or your DIY experiences?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A. I think it is so nice to have skills that are ageless. We live in a disposable world right now where we will spend hours buying that perfect thing. It\u2019s so much more rewarding to create that perfect thing, with some little flaws, that only you will know about. Take a leap of faith, regardless of your age, and try something new \u2014 I never knew sewing could be so rewarding.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"sailboat<\/p>\n

Thank you for sharing your story with us, James! We’re thrilled that Sailrite materials and videos were able to help you learn how to sew and conquer your first successful and impressive marine project. We can\u2019t wait to see what you make next.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/h3>\n

Sailrite is your one-stop DIY shop! We are a passionate crew of do-it-yourselfers who strive to equip you with the supplies and how-to knowledge you need to tackle your next project. Do you want to learn upholstery, leatherwork, canvaswork, hobby sewing, bag making or more? We have the fabric, tools, hardware, sewing machines and notions you need to master any DIY. And even if you’ve never sewn before, our tutorials and how-to videos are designed for beginners and experienced crafters alike.<\/p>\n

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What happens when an avid sailor tears his Achilles tendon and is looking at six months of recovery time? If you\u2019re James Craig \u2014 you learn how to sew! Not letting his injury set him back, he devoted his downtime to sewing a new dodger for his 1983 Catalina 30 sailboat. With a new-to-him Ultrafeed\u00ae … Continue reading A DIY a Day Keeps Boredom at Bay<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[2],"tags":[27,29,26,19,20,37,70],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/James-sew7-dodger-sailcover-binnaclecover.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/padSoq-DH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":802,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/seeking-the-blue-tales-of-a-lifelong-sailor\/","url_meta":{"origin":2461,"position":0},"title":"Seeking the Blue: Tales of a Lifelong Sailor","date":"June 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sailing, sand and sun have been a part of Sailrite\u00ae customer Marina Batham\u2019s life from the very beginning. Born on Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, Marina grew up \u201cin the life\u201d \u2014 the sailing life, that is. Learn how Marina\u2019s two favorite hobbies, sailing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/seeking-the-blue-boat.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2824,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sewing-sailrite-sail-kit-ultrafeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":2461,"position":1},"title":"Sailing Adventures: Making a Sailrite Sail Kit","date":"March 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Patrick Fiega is no stranger to the water. He spent his summers as a child at his grandparents\u2019 cabin on an idyllic lake in Northern Wisconsin. It\u2019s there where his grandmother taught him how to sail and sew \u2014 two life skills that have served him well. 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As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/O-Day-sail-repaired.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1295,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sail-repair-sewing-sail-kit\/","url_meta":{"origin":2461,"position":4},"title":"Hawaii or Bust: Mike Raymond’s Story","date":"January 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"At Sailrite\u00ae, the words sailing and sewing are often grouped together. Our Ultrafeed\u00ae Sewing Machine has a long-standing reputation of helping sailors sew and repair sails no matter where they are around the world. 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