sewing help

[shanesmith80]

I am making a Morris Chair as seen on the wood whisperer. Throwing out a line to see if there is anyone out there that could help with sewing up the cushions.
Not 100% sure on material yet, not leather though, not yet anyway.

[NCArcher]

Hi Shane. You know where there is an industrial sewing machine gathering dust. You're welcome to pick it up and use it. Would do your cushions easily.
Fletty might want to have a play as well.

[Sawdust Maker]

There's an upholsterer near me who's pretty good if you want to outsource

[fletty]

Hi Shane. You know where there is an industrial sewing machine gathering dust. You're welcome to pick it up and use it. Would do your cushions easily.
Fletty might want to have a play as well.

Hi Shane,
I need to learn how and then sew 8 leather cushions so, in the spirit of 'the deep end', how about we take up NC's offer?

fletty

[shanesmith80]

The last time I was near a sewing machine was about 25 years ago and my teacher said ' Shane, for everyone's safety why don't you sit in the corner and watch'.

But if your game Fletty, we can have a go, just don't blame me if we end up with webbed fingers.

[fletty]

OK Shane, our bluff has been called. The industrial sewing machine is now in Sydney!
Im checking out leather suppliers and will let you know what's available. A corner of the shed is being cleared as I write this........

fletty

[NCArcher]

The machine is re-assembled and adjusted and I ran a few test pieces on some leather.
All systems are go whenever you guys are ready. Fletty, I don't think Shane was going to use leather.
Just a cautionary note. Although this is an industrial machine it's not a walking foot.
It will handle a couple of thicknesses of upholstery grade leather but will struggle with anything thicker.
It will easily do multiple layers of fabric or heavy duty exterior stuff (I don't know what its called) or shade cloth type fabric.

[fletty]

There's an upholsterer near me who's pretty good if you want to outsource

Thanks Nick,
my cushions are to go with the chairs in this thread.....

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f11/chair-design-101-a-184893/9?highlight=Fletty+chair

..... because, before I had finished the chairs (yup, LAST YEAR!), I took a seat frame and the first finished chair to my local upholsterer to make 8 leather cushions to suit. Luckily I checked the price before he started because the quote was $4,000! :gaah:

I have sulked about it for a year but NOW is the time to reclaim my mojo and DO IT MYSELF (BTW, in this case, "MYSELF" = Tony, Shane .... and most of the forum!)

fletty

[shanesmith80]

Time to hit youtube and try get some hints on sewing.

[fletty]

Time to hit youtube and try get some hints on sewing.

We won't have to join the quilters forum will we :unsure: ?

[NCArcher]

Comprehensive* lessons included.




(*Means I will point to the bits I'm pretty sure are the ones you should push, pull, turn or whack to get fairly close to the desired outcome. )
(No responsibility will be taken for you actually sewing your hand, or any other part of your body, into the item.)

[NCArcher]

We won't have to join the quilters forum will we :unsure: ?

This machine might be a bit of overkill for quilting :flex:
It's a very manly machine for sewing things like boat covers or ute tarps. :cool:

[shanesmith80]

Ok fletty, I have the foam, material cut to size, cotton and enough bandaids and iodine.

Time to get our stitch on!!

[NCArcher]

Since I last posted I have managed to acquire a better sewing machine, at a really good price :D
The new one IS a walking foot machine and I have purchased appropriate needles and heavy duty thread to sew just about anything. I gave it a run on a 12mm stack of leather last night and it sewed it with ease.
I also have lighter needles and thread so we are good to go, again.
I transplanted the quality servo motor from the other machine onto this one so we also have better control and can sew at very low speeds. Perfect for enthusiastic noobs.

[fletty]

AND, to continue the Forum Fostered Festival of Fabric Fixing (F5) I have.....

purchased a full hide of upholstery leather
one (of 8) seat frames fitted with webbing and foam
arranged to borrow Crowies foam cutter/saw/thingo
cleaned up an appropriate area of my shed in case that is an acceptable place to perform F5
in which case, if it is to be at Fletty's Farm, it would be F7?

fletty

[shanesmith80]

I haven't lashed out on leather yet, but have a suitable stand in, and plenty of it if you would like something to practice on..

[fletty]

I'm (we're?) having major forum problems tonight and I have lost 3 PMs so does my place and next Sunday suit everyone? It's easy for me but a real PITA for particularly Tony?
fletty

[NCArcher]

Should be ok for me. We will need to transport the machine though as I won't have the work ute after today.
I'll give you a ring later today Fletty.

[shanesmith80]

I'm working at Camden on Sunday, due to finish around 3pm, could be there just after that.

[fletty]

I'm working at Camden on Sunday, due to finish around 3pm, could be there just after that.

sounds like a plan! :)

PS, say hello to Bazza out there for me :B

[Christos]

And please do not forget the photos.

[fletty]

And please do not forget the photos.

We might have to appoint a photographer. Just because we've got a bunch of blokes SEWING doesn't mean that we can multi-skill? :;

fletty

[Christos]

We might have to appoint a photographer. Just because we've got a bunch of blokes SEWING doesn't mean that we can multi-skill? :;

fletty


Maybe setup the camera to do some sort of time lapse. :photo2:


No mooning.

[arose62]

I reckon the quilting idea's a good one!
At Sculpture On The Greens, there were some "quilts" made from plasticy woven feed bags, with a $7,000 price tag!

[shanesmith80]

So I got a lend of q machine and decided to have a practice. I got a little carried away and now have 2 cushions. Not perfect but learnt a few things. 381258

[fletty]

Wow!

[NCArcher]

The chair looks good Shane. Nice job.

[Sawdust Maker]

So I got a lend of q machine and decided to have a practice. I got a little carried away and now have 2 cushions. Not perfect but learnt a few things. 381258

why'd you lay the chair on its side for the piccy?

[fletty]

And please do not forget the photos.

Today's F7 has closed with a few well deserved beers. The final outcome was the sewing of a prototype cushion from which many lessons were learnt.

381497 381501

In addition to the 'walking foot' sewing machine, NCArcher also supplied some white leather for prototypes but the real cushions will be made from a full hide of a dark burgundy coloured leather that cost me the princely sum of $149!

381502

The next step will be another white leather BETA model to include the learnings and then the serious stuff starts?

Many thanks to Tony.

fletty

[crowie]

The photos are looking pretty good but who did the sewing gents :~...were is that photo :roll:....

[NCArcher]

I sewed that one, by way of instruction. But we were pretty much making it up as we went along.
Still, it turned out pretty good in the end. They will look great in the burgundy leather (which was an absolute bargain the price Fletty managed to get that one for. I'm going to send him to do all my leather shopping)

[shedbound]

I like to know where to get lower cost leather? just getting into the craft, and it's costing me dearly

[NCArcher]

Unfortunately that was a one off. Fletty managed to choose a hide that was purchased for some sort of demonstration or display and was sold off at a heavily discounted rate.
What sort of leather are you after? If you want Veg tanned for tooling, Tandy have regular specials. This is the current cheapy https://www.tandyleather.com.au/en/product/special-purchase-double-shoulder-7-to-9-oz-2

[shedbound]

Apologies for hijacking a great thread, thanks for the link, i have been getting aniline dyed, and also veg, I'm making myself an apron and chisel rolls, hand saw scabbard, if that's the right term and some horse tack repairs for the wife. I have been using flea bay, at present i have found Tandy a touch on the hefty side with price, the leather i have been getting seems to be of a reasonable quality for a newbie. Although the link you gave seems reasonably priced.

[shanesmith80]

why'd you lay the chair on its side for the piccy?

Sorry, forgot to mention we just moved in with the 'Twits', should be like this.
381532

:q

[fletty]

I went to the local Clark Rubber store today and the gentlemen who served me was both helpful and knowledgable. So far, I have one of the cushion bases already fitted with webbing, 2 layers of foam and a thin layer of foam around the curved front edge. This was done by the upholsterer who wanted $500 per cushion.
The man at Clark's was surprised/critical of what had been done so far and suggested a different approach which I have now commenced. I'm not sure enough yet that it will be the best solution but I am taking pictures as I go and will post a WIP in case it is of use to others. MY most terrifying moment of the day was when I realised I had emptied the bobbin while practising sewing and I had to CHANGE A BOBBIN!
The quoted cost for 8 leather covered cushions was $4000 :)( but so far, excluding labour, my costs are $150 for a full hide of upholstery leather and $280 for all of the foam (CUT TO SIZE :;), webbing and Dacron filling.
It is highly likely that the change out of $4000 will allow me to buy NCArcher a beer in thanks for the loan of of the 'walking foot' sewing machine?

fletty

[Christos]

.....It is highly likely that the change out of $4000 will allow me to buy NCArcher a beer in thanks for the loan of of the 'walking foot' sewing machine?......

Excellent.

BUT I am would have thought that the satisfaction of allowing you to save money would be enough for NCArcher. :q

[fletty]

This is the first 100% Fletty effort....

381769

It's still 'only' a trial but this second one benefits from the learnings of the first AND I am hoping that faults show up much more in the white leather than they will with the burgundy leather :B?
This one includes the Clark-cut foam and Dacron filling which make it harder to 'assemble' but definitely very luxurious to sit on. New learnings however are that I have to narrow the cushion under-frame AND, I need a better stapler because the old one turns the final assembly into a 3 handed job when unfortunately I only have 2!
I am confident enough now however to make the next one out of the real leather.
fletty

[NCArcher]

Nice work. :2tsup:
And thanks again for the delivery. I got home just in time for State of Origin. Traffic was stupidly heavy.

[fletty]

And now ....... (DRUM ROLL)......... the first REAL cushion sewn by my own hands ..... (on the machine's controls that is...... :;)

381786

I havent stuffed it properly but it's not STUFFED because I can unstuff and restuff?
Although the camera flash exaggerates it, the colour match isn't good :no: and I've skulked back to the house for a rethink!

fletty

[NCArcher]

What do you mean by colour match?
Are you referring to the top to side panel match?

[fletty]

What do you mean by colour match?
Are you referring to the top to side panel match?

The colour match of leather to leather is beeeautiful BUT to my eyes, the 'plum' colour of the leather clashes with the 'orange' of the Australian red cedar frame?

fletty

[Sawdust Maker]

The colour match of leather to leather is beeeautiful BUT to my eyes, the 'plum' colour of the leather clashes with the 'orange' of the Australian red cedar frame?

fletty


only one thing for it pick up a burgandy chesterfield (or plum)

[NCArcher]

I'd need to see it in the flesh, so to speak, and I can see what you are saying but it looks ok to me.

[wheelinround]

Well done Alan :2tsup: Stop lounging about on the day bed you'd have them all finished :p

[fletty]

I have survived the reputational issue of my shed appearing to have joined the DARK SIDE......

382649

..... and I can now report that ALL 6 leather seat covers are now complete......

382650

Many thanks to NCArcher for his coaching, walking foot sewing machine and, above all else, his support.
If Clark Rubber had delivered the upholstery webbing as they advised, the seats and hence the 6 Orcadian chairs, would also be finished.
As compared to the quoted $500 EACH (!), the total cost for the seat cushions has been $150 for the leather and $160 for foam, Dacron and webbing which equals about $50 each. No, they won't be as good as they would have been if done professionally, but my girls are pleased that I made all of the chairs that are my gift to them.
I'll put some pics in the original chair thread when they are finished but I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.
fletty

[A Duke]

Hi,
Do they fit?
:roflmao:

[Sawdust Maker]

...

382649

...

Fletty's Third World Sweat Shop

[fletty]

Hi,
Do they fit?
:roflmao:

YES ........ :q

382655

[A Duke]

:2tsup: