Made in the Shade

Last fall, a wind storm knocked our patio gazebo askew and ripped the canopy to shreds. I could not find a replacement for the same style of gazebo, so I decided I would sew one.

I bought some heavy, waterproof, sun-proof canvas in green, so it would disappear, blending- in with the treetops. But then, as I sewed it, I had misgivings, worried that it would look like an army tent and feel very dark underneath.

I used the reamins of the  old canopy for a pattern, and it went together pretty quickly, despite its unwieldy size.  I got Rog to help me stretch it over the frame --and --it didn't fit!  So dismaying.
Next I purchased a piece of striped canvas to insert a decorative strip down the middle of each side to  give me a bit more fabric. Finally got it done and...it still was too tight to stretch over the frame! This was one of those projects that  simply would not go according to plan.  So, back to the drawing board.
Next, I got another yard of patterned fabric with large starbursts and cut it onto strips.   I slit the sides of the canopy again, right down the center of the stripes, and inserted a strip of  the new fabric.

Success at last!  Sometimes when you have to improvise to resolve a problem the result is better than the original plan. I like the decorative stripes--makes it look much less like an army tent. This little project ended up taking mega-hours and costing nearly as much as it would have to purchase a brand new gazebo, but this  heavy-duty canopy should survive much longer than than the old lightweight one.  I am relieved to have finished it before summer is over!