Specialty Fabrics Review November 2023 - 24

[ PERSPECTIVE ]
" These people were just as hungry
as I was. They wanted to see something
different happen in the industry.
We became a coalition of people
who wanted to get out of the cottage
industry and make a livable wage.
And the only real way to do that was
to band together and do something
profound. " The group members felt
that the Master Fabric Craftsman
(MFC) certification programs would
help set them apart and give them
a benchmark for standardization,
lending credibility and ensuring trust
among customers.
" There were a lot of meetings about
the testing procedures for MFC, the
judging procedures for the photo
contest, the Time Standards Manual-
all came out of those early years of
work. But there was a core group of
people that were living it. The result
of that work is what we're doing today.
The people who are now coming into
this have the luxury that [our industry]
was elevated because of the work that
we did 30, 40 years ago. "
Roberts received the Lifetime MFC
designation, awarded after 25 years,
and credits that and her Industrial
Fabric Manager (IFC) credential (ATA's
business management training) as
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
A special project for a special boat
Along the Mississippi floats a one-of-a-kind luxury
cruising boat: a custom-built 30-foot Thames River
slipper launch.
Its owner, Kit Richardson, approached Faith
Roberts, owner of Banner Canvas, in 2021 to
fabricate an exacting and attractive custom
cover to protect it (with matching pillows). Made from Sunbrella®
benefiting her career in many ways.
" The MFC tells people that I've gone
through a board of my peers and
been judged and deemed proficient at
marine fabrication on anything from
a 16-foot boat all the way up to a Navy
ship anywhere in the world. "
fabric
in two colors to differentiate the front from the back, the cover had a dual
purpose: one for trailering with tie-downs to the trailer and one for being
moored on the water with ratcheting straps.
Mooring held another design challenge, with the chocks fore and aft
needing to be accessible while in the water-particularly complicated as
they are not symmetrical, unlike the mooring cleats on the boat. Roberts'
solution was to split the cover at each chock, two forward and two aft, so
the side buckle can be disconnected from the opposite side of the cover
while the Velcro®
fasteners can pull away for ease of access. This allows
the lines to travel at the bottom of the Velcro flaps when moored. She also
made the cover to ride right at the edge, with plenty of clearance for the
boat's short 8-inch rise at the back.
Banners to boats and beyond
Although Roberts' focus is on marine
interior and exterior fabrication
in vessels up to 100 feet, she has
a reputation for possessing agile
skills that are transferrable to other
industries. This often leads to referrals
to companies with unique projects,
like the ongoing work she does for
the defense industry. Part of a critical
safety design for the Tomahawk® cruise
missile, the fabric she works with is
a silicone-coated fiberglass wrapped
around a titanium frame that's 10
inches wide. It is so complicated and
so small that it takes her two and a
half hours to sew it.
24 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / November 2023
Specialty Fabrics Review November 2023

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