DIY Lee Cloths - Dulcinea

After Owen and I circumnavigated the North Island of New Zealand over Christmas/ New Years and I fell off the couch in the saloon and nailed my legs on the mast a couple of times it became obvious we needed to sort ourselves out with Lee Cloths on board. I have tried the best I can to document my steps to make these, just encase its of any help to anyone else!

I have broken out the old Singer Simple sewing machine to try and test its limits. We bought the machine back in the USA at Walmart for about 100 bucks and while its really not great for the yacht sewing requirements it has done us quite well. We are currently considering making the big purchase and upgrading to the Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 but until we can get one shipped all the way out to little old New Zealand I will carry on with my Singer.

Disclaimer, I am no seamstress, but I tried my best!

Now it is damn near impossible to find vinyl mesh (like Phifertex) or anything that most of the blogs I found told me to use so I went to Spotlight and looked through all the fabrics and found something that looked breathable that wouldnt be horrible to lean up against, I found a loosish weave cotton that fit the bill. I got that, some 50mm webbing and some 1/2" eyelets and set to work.

I used a big needle (size 18) and some upholstery cotton on the machine to give it the best chance.

I cut the fabric into a big rectangle, about 550mm high and 1500mm wide

Folded the webbing in half and creased it along the length.

Next I sewed the webbing around the perimeter of the cotton. I tried to pin this, tape it down, I even tried clothing pegs to keep it in position, but turned out it was easier just to manhandle it and place it and sew down the length making sure the fold was right up against the edge of the fabric as I went. The problems I encountered here was mainly the machine bunging up on me, but I discovered after fiddling with the tension and the stitch length i eventually got somewhere, (it was either going to be that or there was going to be a sewing machine shaped hole in my window!)

If I had a stronger machine I would have gone right to the edge and overlapped the webbing but I was scared by little Singer would self destruct if I tried to punish it like that, so I just butted it against the edge of the piece running the other way

Next I decided to get fancy and put a little pocket fit for a phone, book or kindle so you could have your alarm on hand to wake you up for your next watch. Owen wanted to get involved so he got a bit of duck cotton and folded the edges over with some double sided tape into a pocket shape.

Sewed the top edge then placed it on the inside near the head and sewed two lines around.

Next Owen punched in some eyelets for me, one on either end of the top and 3 along the bottom. We are going to use a big washer and a screw to attach them under the squab and some rope and clips to attach at the top on the walls.

I'm pretty pleased with how they have come out, not too shabby for a novice sewer!!

Hopefully this helps someone, I tried my best to document as I went and try and explain myself. Ill put a picture up of them installed when we are at the boat next!