3 Ways to Crease Marine Grade Fabric

Have you ever noticed that marine grade acrylic fabric can be difficult to fold over and crease? If you’ve ever tried to hem it, you’ve probably run into this problem. The stiffness of the fabric doesn’t take a crease well, so the hem wants to continually unfold. Today we’re sharing three quick tips for getting a nice crease on marine grade canvas to make it easier to work with.

1. Press the Fold

The easiest way to get a good crease on your marine canvas is to press the fold. To do this, you’ll want to fold your fabric over first. Then take the Sailrite^® Canvas Patterning Ruler (#107040) and run it over the folded edge. This will help flatten the fold and keep the crease secure.

Why the patterning ruler? The ruler's metal edge creates a nice, firm crease. And the ruler's size gives you good leverage without causing hand fatigue. Be careful not to press too hard and break your ruler! We really like this method because it is great for bigger projects and is pretty foolproof.

2. Score the Crease

For a different approach, score the area of the fabric that will become the crease before you fold it over to create your hem. To do this, use a straightedge and the Sailrite^® Scratch Awl (#123270) to score a line on your fabric where the crease of the fold should go. When you’re finished, your hem should nicely fold over at the location you scored. This method is great for larger projects and helps keep your fold neat and aligned.

3. Crease on a Table Edge

This method works really well, especially on boxing and other small areas of your projects. To do this, fold your hem into your fabric. Then, while holding the hem in place, pick up your fabric and run the fabric up and down against the edge of a table. This works best on tables or surfaces with sharp, 90-degree edges.

Hopefully one of these tips will help you on your next marine canvas project. You can find a full line of solution-dyed marine grade acrylic canvas in stock here at Sailrite.