IanMc Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 My goal this evening was to stitch the reinforcing fold/return at the bottom of the Leatherette seat base 'skirt' and add in the two tabs that do, err, well - something that I cant recall at the moment... Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. So it was back out with some off-cuts of Leatherette and mark out and cut some new tabs: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then set up my new favourite tool and set to work: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Well that all seemed to go remarkably well, so I think I will quit for tonight while I am winning Have a nice evening everyone. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Yeh, doing good, the machine is doing well sewing that material. The old machines are sewing 4 layered leather. As for the blitz material, have it in stock from years ago, enough for one complete car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, ®evo03 said: Yeh, doing good, the machine is doing well sewing that material. The old machines are sewing 4 layered leather. As for the blitz material, have it in stock from years ago, enough for one complete car. Was it from this elusive Turkish seller? If you can remember where from maybe I can persuade them to do another batch 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 As for the blitz material, no its original blitz material, bought about 18 yrs ago in the uk, came from germany. Sorry, not for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 1 hour ago, ®evo03 said: As for the blitz material, no its original blitz material, bought about 18 yrs ago in the uk, came from germany. Sorry, not for sale. No problem mate, worth asking if you knew where it was from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1200bandit Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 Have seen this pop up on Facebook occasionally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 This evenings task was to try to attach the Black strip that goes around the base of the seat base 'skirt' and then wedges up into the seat frame to tension the skirt. Easier to see than describe I am afraid. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. This strip is a multi-layered fibrous material and about 3 mm thick. This means that as much as I like my sewing machine, I think it would kick it into next week if I tried to stitch that to the Leatherette skirt - therefore I needed another plan. The good news is that because this area of the seat is at the bottom near the carpet and tucks back up under the seat, whatever I do probably wont ever be seen... Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. After walking into Town at lunch and chatting with the Ladies in the fabric shop I came up with the idea of using fabric rivets. Also buying a leather punch 'thing' I thought I might be able to make this work. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Using a piece of scrap Leatherette, I punched a hole: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And another in the 'fibre strip': Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. After assembling the two bits together I peened over the fabric rivet and it held nicely: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. So we have an outline of a plan - lets see if we can pull it off now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 Good idea Ian, was there no one at the fabric shop with a big old steam powered machine to stick just this bit for you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Jessopia74 said: Good idea Ian, was there no one at the fabric shop with a big old steam powered machine to stick just this bit for you ? Sadly not mate, plus the fact that all the materials were back at home lol 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 Well my plan didn't really work out at all - the fabric rivets started to quickly pull back through, so I needed another solution... Then I realised that perhaps I could stitch it after all - by hand! The original holes were present in the Black fibre strip, so all I needed to do was to use though and then make fresh holes in the Leatherette: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. So I did exactly that and now it is solid - going nowhere. Its not pretty, but it wont be seen anyway. This is definately a case of function over aethetics! Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 It’s out of sight, so function over form 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam.in.head Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 hi ian,hope youre well. hard to beleive you are the same guy who struggled with a bit of an alternator / wiring problem at the beginning and now you have become one of the most multitalented enthusiasts in the club. i used to panic when my velour seats split ,like they eventually do and struggled to find a good upholsterer to repair them .never entered my head that i could try to actually repair them myself and certainly never in a million years thought about making door cards.but now here you are learning to do it and making an excellent job of it too. you are an inspiration to many .well done. you are however costing me a lot of money ! i read about your latest work and then im not happy with mine so have to re-do parts of my cars that i didnt think of doing ! and i am now going to buy a sewing machine too to repair my own seats when they split and have a go at recovering girlfriends sofa.( a big comfy old beast but very well built and worth keeping compared to newer stuff) the sofa i mean ! all the best mate. keep up the good work. chris. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 Hi Chris, I hope that you are keeping well mate. Sincere thanks for your kind words, I am truly humbled. It was you and other people like you that encouraged and inspired me to try to do this work. If something that I have done or are doing now inspires someone else to try something new, then I am delighted. One of my life mottos is “what’s the worst that can happen?” I lift my hat and bow to you Sir. Take care mate, speak soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoobby Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Hi Ian I have lots of socks that need fixing I'll drop them round later.love what your doing to be honest I wouldn't even consider recovering seats if you run into any problems or it doesn't turn out well let me know as I have a friend who's a professional seamstress she offered to make leather seat covers front and rear for my manta must admit was really tempted but I do have a thing about keeping it as standard as possible very best of luck.....with my socks that is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 5 hours ago, hoobby said: Hi Ian I have lots of socks that need fixing I'll drop them round later.love what your doing to be honest I wouldn't even consider recovering seats if you run into any problems or it doesn't turn out well let me know as I have a friend who's a professional seamstress she offered to make leather seat covers front and rear for my manta must admit was really tempted but I do have a thing about keeping it as standard as possible very best of luck.....with my socks that is. Hi Graeme, I hope that you well mate? Socks, well errm - not sure about that one to be honest - they would probably end up with the end stitch closed if I did them Thanks for the offer of help/advice much appreciated - will see how we go Take care matey, speak soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 Sadly Archery was cancelled this evening due to a Staff shortage.... Not quite sure how that affected us, perhaps they were worried that we would all start shooting at each other instead of the targets Anyway, these things happen, so I decided to do a little more on the Passenger seat base cover. The next job to do was to reattach the hog ring retaining rod that sits about 3/4 of the way back: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Hand stitching was required again here. I went across, then came back to double up for strength: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Not pretty, but as long as it does its job thats fine with me. Tomorrow I need to also reattach the Black strip that sits right at the back of the seat base and tensions the cover from front to back as it also contains a hog ring rod: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. To be continued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 I am embarrassed to say that your attention to detail has lost me mate, I can’t even picture where this is on the seat (beer issue). Could you please give refresher picture when you do such intricate work? 👍😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 3 hours ago, Jessopia74 said: I am embarrassed to say that your attention to detail has lost me mate, I can’t even picture where this is on the seat (beer issue). Could you please give refresher picture when you do such intricate work? Yeah, sorry mate. If you go back to about half way down page 65, you will see a photo of the upturned base cover at the top of the photo and the seat foam in the foreground. You can then make out the White and Black hog ring bars on the upturned cover. At least you can, Shen you know what you are looking for lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 This morning I reattached (using the sewing machine this time) the Black end hog ring retaining rod strip. This strip pulls the seat base fabric taught from front to back and fixes under the lower hinge area of the two seat parts: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 At this point I am now facing the most daunting part of the seat base mini project - joining the 'base' and the 'skirt' together and adding the original piping in between... I am not looking forward to this part at all I can tell you! Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. I decided to try to work out in my head how I was going to do this by doing a small scale test using scrap pieces of Red seat fabric and Burgundy Leatherette. Basically to end up with the two pieces of material at 90 degrees to each other and the piping sitting correctly, you have to start with the two external faces together - like this: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then once you run the stitching through and fold the fabrics to where they need to go you get this: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. So now I know basically what to do, I have to do it on a much bigger scale with the full size parts - I'm nervous as hell about this! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Thanks Ian, I feel I don't really do your posts justice with only a thanks, but thank you that is clear. What is apparent is that some of these tasks are way beyond my patience level 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 47 minutes ago, Jessopia74 said: What is apparent is that some of these tasks are way beyond my patience level I very much doubt that matey - you have two Manta's! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 3 hours ago, IanMc said: So now I know basically what to do, I have to do it on a much bigger scale with the full size parts - I'm nervous as hell about this! I think at this point, I'd be taking a wander down the High St. to find an upholsterer or a clothes alteration place to run that up for me! 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 1 hour ago, Monaco Blue said: I think at this point, I'd be taking a wander down the High St. to find an upholsterer or a clothes alteration place to run that up for me! 😄 I am tempted, but the shops are now all closed. Plus if I did that I would be thinking I chickened out ever time I looked at it - so I’m going to give it a good go. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?! 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 After thinking about this job a bit more, I decided that I could probably do it in two bits - so that's my plan. First job - try and stitch the piping and the Leatherette 'skirt' together: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Mission accomplished - so far, so good! Now to try to attach the 'skirt' with piping to the main base fabric... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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