Sewing and getting better at it

[Rodney_Hamon]

I need to sew some repairs in my truck interior and what better way to practice ...with thread and needle ...redo the bottom seat fabric in the outside swing chair. Jo-Ann’s fabric store has lots of end cuts off fabrics bolts and I got a yard of heavy duty stuff. Am using a strong polyester thread and am getting better at it. Then I will attempt a sewing machine for reinforcing. I’m a bit scared to do but I have more courage with a sewing machine than indexing an oil pump and determining where the heck #1 wire should be...or takin apart a rear end...or...man there are some just plain challenges right now on the forums here that I’ve been reading and learning believe me. Ha. Just hanging out sewing whilst the weather is cold. This might challenge me to make my own interior parts for my p-23 that the field mice ate up. Yeah. (  I don’t do headliners though..that’s as scary as taking an engine apart)

[Dave72dt]

I've been working at learning the craft also.   I picked up a used industrial machine years ago from a former upholsterer retiring and liquidating his equipment and supplies.   There's a lot to learn about the craft and I'm just getting started.  Y tube has lots of helpful videos. Just finished my third set of bucket seats, the second set I've done for my Mach I since the first set didn't turn out as well as I wanted, still not perfect but usable.  The second set I did is for my B3B, a pair of low back Mustang seats in a light tan with emerald green inserts.  I can do these over a half dozen times and still cost less than a pro's one time deal.

[Rodney_Hamon]

Did I see that post ? And I was very impressed with your work !!  Mach I.  Yeah!!  Growing up as a teenager the kid across the street had a ochre color boss 302.  Wow that was fast. I sank deep into the seat when he drove it. My wife and daughter fired up that little sewing (shark) machine and boy was there angsts.  No directions how to reconnect after the thread broke. Oh boy.  I didn’t know that thread comes from the top and from the bottom and meets in the middle somehow at the needle. This tells you I know “squat “ about sewing machines and now I kick myself for never getting to know them better when I was little watching grandma using one.  I did inherit my aunts’ singer and it has the instructions and I’m going to read..and read some more on the web..and try to catch a u tube if my signal is good enough from my internet.  

[Tooljunkie]

Sewing is stressful in the beginning. Cloth is easier to work with compared to vinyl, can pull the stitches and re-do if its not perfect. Its been a while since i turned on my old singer, had it before youtube was a thing and learned by trial and error. Still not very good at it but i enjoy it when i get back in the groove. 

[Rodney_Hamon]

Did it. Poked my fingers a few times with the needle. Learned how to operate a little portable shark euro sewing machine with the mysterious bobbin you just drop in and then let it spin around and spit out the thread and then both upper and lower sew tandem. Ok. I’m ready to move up to the singer. Ha. Not quite yet. My  sewing lines were looking like drunken sailors would do. Lol. But this did seriously whet my whistle and I want to learn more.  Glad I did it. Next...repair the upholstery in the p.u. ....and then...take apart a spare engine or a rear end.   Now there’s discussion about engine speed parts that have me drooling and I can’t stop thinking of headers and dual exhaust and carbs and linkage.  Sickness   It was enough to just learn about water pumps and upgraded sealant and timing and... I love this forum 

[Sniper]

48 minutes ago, Rodney_Hamon said:

drunken sailors

 

HEY!

 

I once resembled that remark, lol

[Rodney_Hamon]

I thought of you as I typed that and I was this close to saying a drunken ball field grounds keeper laying the chalk line. Ha. When my daughter played softball in HS and club teams that was a familiar remark. A lot of volunteer work back then 

[harmony]

I feel that good sewing is under appreciated for the most part.  Most people will comment on how nice the upholstery is on a car at a car show.  But they really don't know just how good it really is.  The whole process of the accuracy of taking the patterns and then reproducing that flawlessly, is really remarkable once you try going through that process yourself.  When I was a wooden boat builder, my mid 1940's Pfaff 145 H3 with a walking foot, was just another very important tool in my shop.  I made many boat covers. Bimini's, boom covers, etc. over the years.  That machine would plow through a stack of Sunbrella fabric folded over at least 1/2" thick without working up a sweat all day long.  

I still have that machine and it still comes in handy.  I did the interior upholstery on a '47 Chrysler I reconditioned a few years ago.  I was reminded how difficult it was to reproduce the small armrests, from what was left of the originals once the rodents were done with them.  When you get into a lot of inside tight turns it's always a concern not to step on your toes.  In other words, not sew something you're not supposed to. 

If you think giving a car a tune up is difficult, you ought to try giving a sewing machine a tune up. You can still drive a car if it has a miss.  Not "sew" with a sewing machine.      

Edited March 21, 2023 by harmony

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have to admit I could never get the hang of the clutch on my walking foot machines, the older Singer I have, not so bad...the new machine, PITA so I broke down and put a servo motor on it and tamed the beast....heck sewing almost fun now.    

[harmony]

4 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

I have to admit I could never get the hang of the clutch on my walking foot machines, the older Singer I have, not so bad...the new machine, PITA so I broke down and put a servo motor on it and tamed the beast....heck sewing almost fun now.    

I totally agree.  The local sewing machine store has one of those servo motors in stock, that will bolt right on to my Pfaff.  But they want $350.  If I was using the machine regularly these days, I'd do it.  I've managed to sort of control the speed out of the whole, by holding onto the wheel and gradually turning it as I alter my foot pressure ever so little.  But I'm still holding my breathe, and sometimes without warning, it's going 100 miles an hour, within one second. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I think you may want to look at online buying....that is extremely high for a servo motor.  I also think you will like the control you will get instantly with this set up.....I bought a Consew brand and I think at the time it was just 129.00  Seriously thinking of changing the Singer model to servo motor.  

[Los_Control]

There is a old familiar image of winnie the pooh bent over with his head stuck in a honey jar. Then another layer of fabric where winnie is standing behind the bear who's head is stuck in the honey jar ..... looks like they are doing you know what.

 

There is a lot of artistic ability in sewing upholstery. Lining up a pattern on a seam .... sewing straight lines .... creating a diamond shape pattern.

A simple seat insert with straight lines & the side skirts with a rolled edge separating the pieces. Truly is artistic ability to do it correctly.

 

I see others looking and saying the interior looks nice, I doubt they know how many hours went into creating it. ..... some do.

 

I do not know all the correct terminology for the different pieces ..... I do not care to learn ..... Just a area I will never be able to compete in.

I have a old singer machine I hope to complete 1 truck interior with .... then toss it out. I have no use for a true walking foot machine that would only use once.

 

I have a lot of respect for a old Mexican blanket for a seat cover.

[Rodney_Hamon]

This is what started my need to sew better. The headliner vinyl got stiff and  it shrunk. Sounds like older age to me...anyway it got colder again here and it’s hard to get a curved upholstery needle through the fabric until it warms up. The rear window frame is glued to a melting gasket to the window. It’s like a sticky asphalt if I mess with it so it’s staying for the time being until I can locate new gasket/seal material.  This unfinished interior was installed 1975 when I thots I was gonna customize this truck  some more. My taste has changed now to a more restored look the older I get but it will stay this way for now. I do appreciate the straight line sewing though as stated prior.  A part time job I had in college was working for a furniture reupholster co. for a year or more. I would help pick up and deliver redone chairs and couches. I was a stripper who took off the old fabric down to the frame. I made buttons. I remember the staff that cut the patterns from my pieces I removed and ran the sewing machines with the new. A lot of little fibers always floating in the air and the smell of fabrics and cotton and foam is memorable.