Forget trying to make a true cat cut; it is not appropriate for the hems of a tarp. The purpose of putting a curve in the hems is to pull the bias of the fabric taut. The curve needed is not the classic catenary. A bent batton (held with a 'bow string') will do the job just fine. Milled square molding makes a good batton.
I'm not trying to start that whole thing again
Either the bow or a chain will work just fine for me. Just leaning toward the chain because I already tried the bow and want to compare.
yes, i've found tent poles are really good, but for really long shallow curves, small dia square aluminum tubing works great.
i think the idea is to just remove the edges of the shape, the type of curve really doesn't matter just as long as you cut out enough material to get rid of the looseness.
What I found about cat curves is, the perfect arc is about 100 times more precise than: 1) the scissors and hands and eyes used to cut the fabric, 2) the ability to make a rolled hem along the cat (sewing curves is NOT fun), and 3) the grosgrain tie-outs cover up the most critical part of the cat, i.e. the steepest part near the ends. So... do the best you can, but realize that the final "cat" won't be the same as what you thought you started out with.
warbonnet, I took your advice and drew up new plans a bit wider and a bit longer on the sides. Thanks for the advice. I definitely like it better.
The sil I got from Ed measured 64" wide. I'm going to leave it as is, but figured on about 62" finished width after the seams.
The angled dashed lines are the previous edges.
Last edited by Patrick; 10-23-2008 at 10:33.
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