Quote:
Originally Posted by mr2magic
Welcome Koji!
Having read your first posts I have to say - cracking stuff  Your posts are easy to read, funny and informative. Something like that requires a lot of time and work and that needs to be honored. I for one am looking forward to reading the upcoming installments but I do have questions:
1) Did you hand sew all of the shift boot or did you have to use a machine?
2) How did you roll over the tops and sew them?
3) In your opinion what equipment is necessary for interior leatherwork?
Thanks once more  |
Thanks! It's really good to be here. This is going to be a lot of fun. As for your questions:
1) I used a sewing machine. Doing that sort of thing by hand, on real leather, will be an exercise in wanting to bang your head against a wall. The only way I'd do that is with a sewing machine.
2) You can do that part first, or next to last, depending on how you sew it. If you do it first, it's cake. I did it next to last, so what you do is sew most of the way up the side but leave enough room for you to still be able to twist it, turn it right side in, fold over, sew them down, turn back inside out, then finish the seam on the side.
3) It depends what you're doing honestly. If you're just covering things - no special equippment is required except a sewing machine, upholstery thread, and heavy duty needles. I'd also recommend having on hand some good spray glue. If you're recovering seats - that becomes a bit more interesting because you need tools to stretch the leather so that when you do the stitching you actually keep the leather under compression. I don't have any of that stuff.
A side benefit of learning how to sew is being able to make tons of other stuff. My last project (before the final Subaru one) was making a Halloween costume for my three year old. The background on this is that I like Batman, and I love the ninja costume from Batman Begins. So...I made a copy of it...Sized for a three year old. I did mention I'm crazy right? Anyway, the finished product turned out quite well. Here's a few pictures of the Wee Ninja: