Sewing a Shade Sail
Fabric, Hems, Eyelets and Allowances
A shade sail you sew yourself lasts if the fabric, edges and corners are built for the tension. Here you can read which outdoor fabric is suitable, how hems, corners and eyelets are constructed and which allowances our sewing workshop uses. If you would rather not sew it yourself, you will find at the end what we need from you for a made-to-measure sail.
You can sew a shade sail yourself if three things are right: a tightly woven outdoor fabric, reinforced edges and corners that take the tension. These points also apply to the sails from our sewing workshop.
- Fabric: tightly woven outdoor fabric, not shade netting. Dralon Acrisol and Agora Liso in 320 cm width make a large sail without a seam across the surface, and both are available from us by the metre.
- Cutting: the finished sail is 30 to 50 cm smaller per corner than the distance between the fixing points. Cut the edges slightly concave, then the fabric tensions without wrinkles.
- Hem: sew webbing into the hems and corners, using a thread that swells when wet and seals the stitches.
- Corner: set a stainless steel fixing ring into the webbing, not an eyelet that only sits in the fabric.
- Long edges: eyelets with a 2 cm inner diameter at intervals of about 30 cm, or closed loops of about 40 cm.
- Folding shade sail: panels no wider than 150 cm, and our workshop calculates the allowances for the hem and the wavy look.
- Prefer to have it sewn: we make the sail to measure or to your drawing in Westoverledingen.
Which Fabric Is Suitable for Sewing
A shade sail stands in sun, wind and rain all season. So choose tightly woven outdoor fabric and not HDPE shade netting. The netting is breathable and cheap, but it neither keeps out rain nor holds its colour for years. Fabric swatches are worth having before you order.
320 cm Width Without a Centre Seam
With the standard 160 cm width you have to sew two panels together for a large sail, and the seam is then visible in the fabric. Dralon Acrisol and Agora Liso are available in 320 cm width, Agora Air in 300 cm.
Agora Liso
100 % solution-dyed acrylic at 260 g/m². The colour sits in the fibre core, and the lightfastness is 7 to 8 out of 8. The fabric is water-repellent, with 180 mm water column to UNE EN ISO 20811 for our sails. Normal rain beads off, but in continuous or heavy rain water gets through.
Dralon Acrisol
100 % acrylic at 220 g/m², lighter than Agora Liso and cheaper. The lightfastness is 4 to 6 out of 8 depending on the colour, and the UV protection is UPF 50 to AS/NZS 4399. That suits use from spring to autumn with winter storage.
Olefin
Polypropylene at 260 g/m², finished to be hydrophobic, so the fibre absorbs no water. Olefin is light-resistant and our standard for permanently installed sails made to a drawing.
Waterproof Needs Sealed Seams
A waterproof sail needs coated fabric. Our waterproof version is PU-coated and withstands over 1,500 mm water column. That water column ends at every seam, so we sew them with special threads that keep water ingress at the seams low.
Fabric by the Metre for Your Project
You can get our outdoor fabrics by the metre. Please state the width so that your sail needs no seam across the surface.
Step by Step to Your Own Sail
Measure the Points
Measure the distances between your fixing points. Subtract 30 to 50 cm per corner for the carabiner and turnbuckle. The sail is always smaller than the distance between the points.
Plan the Slope
One corner hangs lower: 25 to 30 cm height difference per metre along the diagonal. Without a slope, water stands in the fabric after a thunderstorm and pulls on the seam.
Choose the Fabric
Tightly woven outdoor fabric, in 320 cm width for large sails. That way you need no seam across the surface.
Cut the Edges Slightly Concave
On our sails the edges are cut curved slightly inwards. That way the fabric tensions between the corners without wrinkles.
Reinforce the Hem and Corners
Sew webbing into the hems and corners and set a stainless steel fixing ring into it at each corner. The pull is then spread over a wide area.
Fit Eyelets or Loops
If the sail is also to be held along the long edges, fit eyelets with a 2 cm inner diameter at intervals of about 30 cm, or sew on closed loops of about 40 cm.
Building Hems, Corners and Eyelets Properly
A shade sail rarely tears in the middle of the surface, but at the corner or the hem. That is where all the tension sits. This is how we build our sails.
Webbing in Hem and Corner
Hems and corners are reinforced with sewn-in webbing. That spreads the pull from the corner over a wide area, instead of tearing the weave at a single point.
Ring Instead of Eyelet in the Corner
Each corner has a stainless steel fixing ring set into the webbing. An eyelet that only sits in the fabric can tear out. The ring takes a carabiner, turnbuckle or rope and does not rust solid.
Thread That Swells When Wet
We sew with a thread that swells when wet and so seals the stitches. That way the corner holds the tension through the season.
Eyelets on the Long Edges
For sails made to a drawing we fit eyelets with a 2 cm inner diameter at intervals of about 30 cm, on the left and right of the long edges. You tension the sail at the eyelets.
Loops to Slip Over
Closed loops of about 40 cm in length slip over the fixing points, for example over a beam or post. They sit on the left and right of the sail.
Right-Angled or Concave
A sail can be sewn with straight edges and right angles or with curved-in edges. The choice affects the look and the effort involved.
Allowances for the Folding Shade Sail
The folding shade sail is not a freely tensioned sail, but consists of panels that hang from ropes on runner hooks. This design has its own dimensions. Our workshop uses the following rules, and they apply only to the folding shade sail.
Finished Size from the Order Size
The order size is the whole field including the rope tensioners. The finished panel is 1 cm narrower and 10 cm shorter. We deduct these 10 cm automatically in production.
Taut or Wavy
With the taut look, the panel lies flat between the ropes. For the wavy look we add extra fabric in the length, and our workshop calculates the allowance.
Rows for the Runner Hooks
A panel is no more than 150 cm wide. We sew on 2 rows of curtain tape, and a guide rope runs along each row.
Tolerance
For our folding shade sails the tolerance is 0.5 to 1.5 cm. Deviations within this range are normal for made-to-measure work.
Order Ready Sewn
We sew panels with complete installation accessories to your size: Made-to-measure folding shade sail.
Typical Mistakes When Sewing Your Own
Then there is no room for the carabiner and turnbuckle, and the sail cannot be tensioned. Deduct 30 to 50 cm per corner.
At the corner, a punched eyelet tears out of the weave. Set a stainless steel ring into webbing there instead.
HDPE shade netting lets rain through and fades faster. For a sail that is meant to last several years, tightly woven outdoor fabric is the right choice.
With fabric in 160 cm width, large sails end up with a seam in the middle of the fabric. Fabric in 320 cm width avoids it.
A sail tensioned horizontally collects rain. The water pocket pulls on the seam. You can read how to set the angle and tension correctly under Tensioning a shade sail.
When We Sew the Sail for You
You can have a shade sail sewn instead of making it yourself. We sew in Westoverledingen, in fixed sizes, to measure or to your drawing.
Made to Measure in the Configurator
Triangle, square, rectangle or trapezoid: in the shade sail configurator you enter edge lengths and version, and the price appears immediately.
To Your Drawing
For special shapes, send us a sketch with dimensions. So that we can make a quote, we need four details: eyelets, shape, fabric and loops.
Approval Before Production
Before production you receive the sketch and a photo of the fabric for approval. We only sew after your written consent.
Fabric Swatches by Post
Colours and weaves are easier to judge in your hand. We send you fabric swatches free of charge.
Sliding on Ropes
If the shade should be drawn open and closed, the made-to-measure rope tension shade sail is the right choice. It runs on two support ropes along the rafters or on the wall and comes with complete installation accessories.
Your Own Fabric
If you would like us to make up your own fabric, ask us beforehand. We check this case by case, usually from a fabric swatch.
Fixing and Installation
Once the sail is finished, what matters are the points that hold it. These topics have their own guides in the shade sail guide.
Load-Bearing Points
Masonry, concrete and a post in a pad foundation hold the tension, a rain gutter and a trellis do not. More under Fixing a shade sail.
Fittings and Accessories
Which carabiners, turnbuckles and brackets belong to the fixing is explained on the same page.
Tension Tightly
Tension diagonally until no wrinkle remains. Our page on tensioning a shade sail explains the order, the angle and the ropes.
On the Balcony Without Drilling
If you are not allowed to drill into the facade, read Shade sail on a balcony without drilling.
Care and Winter
Take it down in storms and before winter, let it dry and store it dry. How to clean the fabric is explained under Cleaning a shade sail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Last reviewed: 22.10.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Prefer to Have It Sewn?
Send us the distances between your fixing points or a sketch. We will tell you which fabric and shape are suitable, and sew the sail to your measurements.