Sew-manship

One quiet morning down at the boat harbour, I was installing some curtains I had sewn for my boat's cabin windows.  "Hello, anyone there?" a voice called from the dock.  I poked my head up and found a well dressed man with silver hair and a trim silver moustache standing there.

"Mind if I have a look inside your boat?" he asked, "I've always admired Bruce King designs, but have never been aboard one."
"Of course," I said, "Please come aboard.  I'm just seeing if these curtains fit."
"Where did you get the curtains?" he wanted to know after he found his way down into the boat's saloon.
"I sewed them myself, out of some scrap acrylic canvas..."
"Oh," was all the man said, but he went part way up the stairs and looked up and down the docks.  Not another person was to been seen.  He returned back down the companion way and told me "I sew, too!!"

I guess some guys are shy about stitching things together with thread!  It's true I started sewing heavy canvas, webbing and leather into manly things like sails, backpacks and dog harnesses.  However, since learning to sew, I've found I can also alter my own pants, replace zippers and patch all kinds of things.  It's rather nice to be able to make or modify gear to my own satisfaction.  It has been liberating.

After my visitor confessed his ability to sew, we had a rather nice conversation about how to wind bobbins, adjust thread tension and other manly subjects!

Here is a canvas dorade vent cover with sewn Ericson viking helmet logo stitched to the side.

Copyright 2013 Paul Larsen

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