Using a sewing machine for big projects on a narrowboat?

[Heather22]

I'm new to the idea of living on a narrowboat, but the one thing that's worrying me is that I love to sew, and its what I plan to do for my career. I want to make costumes, whether for a theatre or company, or freelance. I'm not worried as much about the potential issues with powering the machine/s, but about physically being able to sew accurately while onboard a swaying boat. Does anyone here sew on their narrowboat and if so, do you find it more difficult than on land? 

[Graham Davis]

From my experience, narrow canal boats don't sway to any great degree.

[john.k]

If its rocking ,dont come knocking?

[LadyG]

Most of the time, you will be static, and if you are sitting at a table with a conventional sewing machine, ie domestic electric, there should be no problem, except maybe, the perpetual problem of generating power in the dark days of winter. 

[Alan de Enfield]

40 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Most of the time, you will be static, and if you are sitting at a table with a conventional sewing machine, ie domestic electric, there should be no problem, except maybe, the perpetual problem of generating power in the dark days of winter. 

 

Of course, unless you learn how to moor up correctly, any passing boat can move you about forwards, backwards and 'roll' you about. The faster they pass the greater the movement.

 

If you are planning on using dangerous machinery, learn how to correctly moor up first.

[OldGoat]

I think the major problem with machine sewing on a NB is one of space.

My management did all the soft furnishnings for out boat on the large dining table at home. Scale that down a bit for clothing and you need quite a good size table - mebe  4 ft x 1ft six inches and it needs to be solid in itself - and that's a tall order on boats that I've seen....

[BlueStringPudding]

I'm a costume designer / maker by trade. The movement of the boat is no problem at all because it's very minimal and you quickly get used to it. The listing of the boat when trying to mark a level hem can be problematic because the floor won't be precisely horizontal often from port to starboard, and never from bow to stern. And sheer space for cutting costumes containing many metres of skirt/cloak fabrics can also be a problem in a 6ft wide cabin.   Same goes for the height of the ceiling when needing to work on a raised tailors stand. 

 

My advice is, if you want to do costume making professionally, powering an industrial machine (not to mention ballasting for it) and a domestic machine and an overlocker will need some forethought regarding energy usage, power surges of the machines, and being able to work after dark in studio-quality lighting, and a good steam iron.   Also, professional makers often are expected to machine-wash the fabric before pattern-cutting to remove the dressing and to preshrink.  And think about suitable storage, so the costumes or the materials don't pick up smells of smoke/fuel/cooking/damp or any of the other things that boaters gradually become nose-blind to, but non-boaters very much notice. 

 

I found it easiest to have a costume studio on land with all the heavy electric usage stuff, storage, cutting tables, daylight bulb spotlights etc. And just take home to my studio on the boat, small items of hand-sewing, surface decoration, that kind of thing. 

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Heather22 said:

I'm not worried as much about the potential issues with powering the machine/s,

Well unless you have a mooring with a shore power connection, you should be. Generating enough electricity for ordinary domestic use  - lighting, fridge, water pump, shower pump, central heating circulation pump, phone and laptop charging etc. can be enough of a challenge, especially during the winter when solar power is all but useless. Additional power required for work or hobby activities that involve anything electrical will add to the difficulty.

[Pie Eater]

Have a look at the latest vlog from Cruising Crafts - "Busy in Burscough" it shows one of their friends using a sewing machine to make quilted cushions.

Edited February 26, 2022 by Pie Eater
Spelling

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, Pie Eater said:

Have a look at the latest vlog from Cruising Crafts - "Busy in Burscough" it shows one of their friends using a sewing machine to make quilted cushions.

Yes, I got the impression he would be making four cushion covers per day, not enough to cover daily costs, but I wonder how these traders manage, it seems very hard work. There used to be two girls did paintings, mostly selling online, they  seemed to be pretty busy, but not sure if they still have the boat. 

[PD1964]

  I hear they still have the boat, but just taking time out for family matters. I think they have various online art projects bringing in revenue not just selling paintings.

  I see a lot of Newbies coming on the canal at the minute, thinking they are going to be roving traders and make a living selling through online shops and canal side. Then I see what they are selling and charging and think they’re dreaming if they think they are going to survive, especially with the rising costs of living on the Canals and Ebay to contend with.

Edited February 26, 2022 by PD1964

[BlueStringPudding]

19 hours ago, PD1964 said:

  I hear they still have the boat, but just taking time out for family matters. I think they have various online art projects bringing in revenue not just selling paintings.

  I see a lot of Newbies coming on the canal at the minute, thinking they are going to be roving traders and make a living selling through online shops and canal side. Then I see what they are selling and charging and think they’re dreaming if they think they are going to survive, especially with the rising costs of living on the Canals and Ebay to contend with.

Fortunately, a freelance costume maker exploring the idea of creating a workroom on a boat, isn't going to be selling canalside or competing with EBay 🤔 Unless the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company have really missed a trick, and could have been purchasing their ruffs and codpieces from their local floating market instead of having them made to order 😉

 

*Note to self: gap in the market: roving canal codpiece merchant*

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, BlueStringPudding said:

*Note to self: gap in the market: roving canal codpiece merchant*

 

 

Do they come in other variants too? I've often wondered. 

 

E.g. perchpiece? Salmonpiece? Roachpiece? Guppypiece? Pikepiece, eelpiece etc etc??

 

 

 

 

[36national]

i know someone who takes on sewing work from a boat, got a card somewhere, industrial sewing machine in the cratch. Takes on all sorts lots of cratch cover repairs obviously

 

I  sew  on mine with a hand cranked singer the boat swaying is not a problem but having nowhere to spread and accurately measure material is. 

 

so im going to clear out the engine room of all that noisy greasy heavy smelly cast iron junk and fit an 10 by 5 baize covered table, adjustable tilt with a brass ruler along the bottom. After all you can paddle with a ruler

 

[PD1964]

2 hours ago, BlueStringPudding said:

Fortunately, a freelance costume maker exploring the idea of creating a workroom on a boat, isn't going to be selling canalside or competing with EBay 🤔 Unless the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company have really missed a trick, and could have been purchasing their ruffs and codpieces from their local floating market instead of having them made to order 😉

 

*Note to self: gap in the market: roving canal codpiece merchant*

I was talking more about New Traders generally, that think they’re going to make a living trying to sell Tat on the Canal side to passerby’s. 

Edited February 27, 2022 by PD1964

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, BlueStringPudding said:

Fortunately, a freelance costume maker exploring the idea of creating a workroom on a boat, isn't going to be selling canalside or competing with EBay 🤔 Unless the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company have really missed a trick, and could have been purchasing their ruffs and codpieces from their local floating market instead of having them made to order 😉

 

*Note to self: gap in the market: roving canal codpiece merchant*

Chip Shop in Fazeley sells Cod Pieces. 

[john.k]

If that was here,theyd be set up in a remote but leafy location,and be selling home grown leaf product to the other denizens of the stagnant waters.......And doing quite well out of it .........

[BlueStringPudding]

21 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Do they come in other variants too? I've often wondered. 

 

E.g. perchpiece? Salmonpiece? Roachpiece? Guppypiece? Pikepiece, eelpiece etc etc??

 

 

 

 

 

That's just showing off now, MTB 😃😉

[Tim Lewis]

On 26/02/2022 at 13:31, Heather22 said:

I'm new to the idea of living on a narrowboat, but the one thing that's worrying me is that I love to sew, and its what I plan to do for my career. I want to make costumes, whether for a theatre or company, or freelance. I'm not worried as much about the potential issues with powering the machine/s, but about physically being able to sew accurately while onboard a swaying boat. Does anyone here sew on their narrowboat and if so, do you find it more difficult than on land? 

not the kind of subject that I would normally reply to but by co-incidence last night I was talking to a narrowboat owning friend who owns a successful business making costumes for West End    and international shows. She said that you will probably struggle with using a machine for large flowing costumes but that it would be possible for small costumes. She did say that there is a demand for out workers especially for hand sewing work.

[Heather22]

2 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

not the kind of subject that I would normally reply to but by co-incidence last night I was talking to a narrowboat owning friend who owns a successful business making costumes for West End    and international shows. She said that you will probably struggle with using a machine for large flowing costumes but that it would be possible for small costumes. She did say that there is a demand for out workers especially for hand sewing work.

Thats really helpful, thank you!! 

On 27/02/2022 at 19:24, 36national said:

i know someone who takes on sewing work from a boat, got a card somewhere, industrial sewing machine in the cratch. Takes on all sorts lots of cratch cover repairs obviously

 

I  sew  on mine with a hand cranked singer the boat swaying is not a problem but having nowhere to spread and accurately measure material is. 

 

so im going to clear out the engine room of all that noisy greasy heavy smelly cast iron junk and fit an 10 by 5 baize covered table, adjustable tilt with a brass ruler along the bottom. After all you can paddle with a ruler

 

Yeah who needs an "engine" anyway lol 

[Heather22]

On 26/02/2022 at 16:18, David Mack said:

Well unless you have a mooring with a shore power connection, you should be. Generating enough electricity for ordinary domestic use  - lighting, fridge, water pump, shower pump, central heating circulation pump, phone and laptop charging etc. can be enough of a challenge, especially during the winter when solar power is all but useless. Additional power required for work or hobby activities that involve anything electrical will add to the difficulty.

I'm planning on getting a permanent mooring. Location will largely depend on the cost since I live in London, but I may leave London altogether despite being raised here and having family here, because I'm sick of being charged for breathing and I think boat living would be much nicer out of the city anyway. I could be wrong there but it would definitely be cheaper. Anyway that was my rant about London that you didn't ask for. Thank you for your response!  

[David Mack]

9 minutes ago, Heather22 said:

I'm planning on getting a permanent mooring. Location will largely depend on the cost since I live in London, but I may leave London altogether despite being raised here and having family here, because I'm sick of being charged for breathing and I think boat living would be much nicer out of the city anyway. I could be wrong there but it would definitely be cheaper. Anyway that was my rant about London that you didn't ask for. Thank you for your response!  

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but running out of electricity and wrecking batteries by failing to charge them adequately is a repetitive theme among newbie liveaboards. There's a couple of recent threads on here which appear to show just that. So I hope forewarned is forearmed.

Best of luck to you!

[Tacet]

There are reliable stories of boatwoman both steering a butty and running-up curtains on a hand-cranked sewing machine positioned on the slide. 

 

But having checked, I am advised that the rocking of a narrowboat will not cause any significant issues.  Space in which to spread out larger items could be more of a problem