Climate change and your sewing project

Ever wondered why that sewing project, that is exposed to the elements, might not be lasting as long as you would like? Talking to canvas and sail makers as we cruise from Europe to Morocco and then to the Caribbean, I am hearing a couple of consistent themes.

Firstly, the sun is more intense. Predictably, climate change is meaning warmer temperatures and higher UV intensity. The Sunbrella fabric that I used to make a cockpit table cover, started showing signs of extreme wear after 18 months – far shorter time than manufacturers expected or advertise. Its rapid deterioration had me searching for alternatives – ending up with Austrian made Sattler UV resistant fabric instead. Only six months in, but so far it is holding up well to the Atlantic/Caribbean sun. I will test Sattler’s marine grade fabric for the next project.

Secondly, after noticing stitching on a year-old project falling apart, while in Martinique I went in search of UV stable thread – to have a canvas and sail maker re-iterate that ‘the sun is more intense and the thread less resilient’. He added that what used to last five to six years, now lasts two to three; meaning more frequent repairs. I went in search of stable thread and ended up with Sailrite’s PTFE – which they claim lasts a lifetime, but like anything, there are some environmental impacts, so the thread waste needs to be handled carefully. I put off making dinghy chaps until I had some of this threaded into my machine – but only time will tell