I love the way a skilled canvas person can shape the bows and sew together a Bimini, dodger, or pilot house enclosure. The skill doing these jobs makes me think of a tailor making a custom made suit.
My DIY was to eliminate all canvas, eisenglass and zippers. I enclosed my pilot house with stainless steel window tracks, edge seal strips and corner pieces. I also wanted no wood filler pieces. The window sliders are 3/8” tinted Lexan panels. The design has stood the test of time and weather, it is weather and mud daubber proof and made cruising in all types of weather much more comfortable.