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First attempt at upholstrey

3K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  nobug 
#1 ·
After having a lot of problems with the machine I bought, after some advice from Dan,it got traded for a better machine. What a difference having the proper gear makes!
This is my first real attempt at my seats using leather, they are turning out pretty decent, even better then I expected really. I am sure by the time I am done I will be doing some pieces over again.





 
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#3 ·
Buying a machine, I would look for someone local that services them, they should have rebuilt machines, trade ins etc., I am glad I went that route instead of ebay or buying online. I had some problems with the new machine I bought, I ended up trading it in for a proper machine, thru the place I purchased it from.

The seat foam I bought new, another mistake, it is not the same shape as the original foam, I have a couple sets of these seats, I found some original foams that were in great shape, so I switched back to original foams, now the covers fit much better.
 
#5 ·
geezer69 said:
that does look good. especially for a first run. dang, you made that look easy. lets see some more as you go. cool job. that machine looks good too.how much was the machine?
The machine came to $1300.00 cdn. that included a new table ($200.00) and a new servo motor ($250.00)

Have lots of pics will post some up as I progress.
 
#7 ·
I finally have one bottom section finished, as good as it gets. I am pleased with them for my first attempt at upholstery.

After making many covers, I found the problem with the cover not fitting properly
is the NEW foam is not the same shape as the original foam. I had to glue more foam to the new foam for the bolsters.
Buying **** online sucks! The new foam is supposed to be for the Recaro Trophy, it looks more like the GLI Recaro!
I will have the other bottom section done tonight, then on to the back sections.

I wasted too much leather on the bottom sections, I have to pick up some more black leather today.

I might get something embroidered on the back section, either CADDY or the original RECARO logo.

A few pics……











 
#9 ·
Thanks Dan.
I am very pleased with how it is going so far. Still a few small puckers around the sharp curve on the front section, I can correct it by building up the foam a little more, from what I have tried, the least little bit of a seam or edge on the foam shows up thru the leather. But all in all very pleased :)
 
#10 ·
What makes me happy is that you kept after it to get it right, and didn't go for a quick fix. You learned some valuable lessons and that will only make you better. Part of the original problem was the wrong kind of sewing machine which caused some poor finished product, but you kept after it and found the source of the problem. Now you have something you can be proud of, and the confidence to tackle any job. Congratulations!
 
#12 ·
There is no welt, the bolsters are separate from the middle and either bolt on or are attached in some other way after the center section is done.
 
#13 ·
DanTwoLakes said:
There is no welt, the bolsters are separate from the middle and either bolt on or are attached in some other way after the center section is done.
Ah, so is there a full side panel made of the tan material and is the arrow pointing to a top stitched seam between the top and the tan side panel? Maybe it is something of an optical illusion that it looks like a welt rather than a top stitch. Either way, it's a nice look.
 
#14 ·
There is no top stitching on this one, it is just a single seam on both sides. He could have topstitched them if he wanted to, that would be just a personal preference, but the original was probably done the way he did this one.
 
#16 ·
DanTwoLakes said:
There is no top stitching on this one, it is just a single seam on both sides. He could have topstitched them if he wanted to, that would be just a personal preference, but the original was probably done the way he did this one.
You are correct, there was no top stitching, just a single seam, same as the original cover. The less sewing I do the better :) Just kidding I have enjoyed the challenge and the learning.
The bolster covers go on first, then the center section lays in between the bolsters and is held by a long plastic clip on each end that hooks over the bottom of the seat frame.
I'll get more pics when I do the next piece....
 
#18 ·
This is what caused all the problems with the covers I made not fitting properly.
The new foam is a different shape, the old foam is 20 years old and still bigger and thicker then the new foam. The old foam is also more rounded, the new more pointed.

At least now I know how to correct the problem, and won’t be wasting more leather.
There is not much left of the first hide, will give me a start on the back pieces. I had to pick up another one today.







 
#20 ·
A few more pics and a little detail as to what went into making the covers.

This is just the way I did them, what I thought would work, not saying it is right or wrong, any pointers or suggestions are more then welcome.


The patterns are cut



Notice the witness marks, used to align the pieces as they are sewn together.



The first step is to sew this small cut to form a corner on the bottom of the front section.



The pieces are aligned and sewn.





Then they are turn inside out and the top-stitch is done.



The bottom is folded and sewn to form the pocket for wires.



I had to make the foam larger, so additional foam was glued on and trimmed.





Then the cover is stretched over the foam and clipped down by the wire inserts.



Now the center section, it is a little different as it has foam under the leather to give it the slight roll when sewn.




The stitching across the cover is done first, when sewn it reduces the length of the cover slightly. Then I go around the perimeter to hold the foam in place, it could be glued, but I don’t always trust glue to hold up over time.



The black strip is sewn on, this will be under the backrest when it is put in place.



The sides are sewn on and the plastic strips sewn front and back, now it is ready to go on



I now have the two bases done, will be doing backrests next week.

 
#21 · (Edited)
Just one comment. For the center section, it will be much easier and faster for you to make a larger blank of leather and sew foam, (about an inch bigger than your pattern all the way around) mark the horizontal lines and sew them in first, and then lay your pattern over it, mark your pattern on the blank, and sew around the markings. The way you did it will work fine, but it probably took you forever to sew around the outside perimeter. Having a little extra fabric to play with makes it much easier to sew around the perimeter. Another thing that helps is to sew around the piece twice. Once around the outside, and then completely around 1/4" in from the outside stitching. It isn't as important with 1/4" sew foam, but it makes a huge difference with 1/2" sew foam in sewing the parts together. I like the care and attention to detail in your work,.... good job.
 
#22 ·
Thanks Dan, your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Your point of sewing around the perimeter twice makes complete sense to me, it was a little difficult sewing the side pieces on with just the outside perimeter stitched a second stitch 1/4" in, would make it a lot easier.
 
#23 ·
Thanks for all the comments.

Still working at the seats.

The old cover ripped apart, ironed nice and flat ready to make patterns.



Patterns made.



cover made, and test fit, needs a little tweaking to remove some wrinkles but other then that very pleased.



 
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