Fabric Question for those of you who sew

[vejemom]

A little background: This is going to make us sound so Green Acres, so try not to laugh...I have a triangular-shaped, old-fashioned chicken coop. One-third of the sides are solid wood, the rest is chicken wire. At the moment, there are only three of them, and I have them confined in there until I can teach the (*^&$%&* French Bulldog not to rush the chicken yard fence. The ladies (as I call them) need more space sheltered from the sun and the rain. I thought that at least for the summer, I could staple fabric to the top of the coop so it hangs down either side. That way I could raise and lower it like a Roman shade or a tent flap. Because our neighbors are close enough to see the chicken coop, I want it to be nicer looking than a sheet draped over the coop. It also needs to be somewhat waterproof. I thought that Sunbrella fabric in an awning-stripe might be nice. Is it heavy-duty enough, or do I need marine fabric? Is it too hard to work with for a novice sewer? I don't imagine this project would require much sewing beyond stitching two sections of fabric together. Can a domestic sewing machine stitch through that sort of fabric?

[lizajane]

i think sunbrella would work great. you will need to make sure there is not standing water on it often, after a rain, or it could mildew. to sew, be sure to use a heavy duty needle. i would expect you would need a 90. if you ask at the shop where you buy the fabric, they can give you the correct needle. you may also need a heavy duty thread. again, ask for recommendations. and definitely use a poly thread so it doesn't rot in the rain and sun.

[vejemom]

Awesome! Thank you. It would not have occurred to me to use poly thread. I hope these chickens appreciate all this work. Actually, I'm pretty sure they don't - they don't seem to like people much at all. But I get such a kick out of finding the eggs it kind of makes up for it.