New Project

[jeans_old_man]

Just a fold? No hessian or wadding? That explains the flat look to the flutes and should make sewing a doddle.
Are you using a leather needle in your sewing machine? Five for £6 from Singeroutlet.
Can’t wait to see the results!

[ColinB]

Not quite that easy I'm afraid Brian - there is hessian and wadding in the mix too, at least on the seat backs. Other remaining leather parts don't have it but it may have just fallen away over the years.

[ColinB]

I had a trial with some bits of scrap leather and foam which definitely gave the correct look (ignore the line of stitching which was from a previous experiment). So the main question is whether I can carry this off with the large pieces needed for the seats. I suppose the only answer is 'Have a go and find out'!

[jeans_old_man]

I wouldn’t use foam but pull strips of wadding into the flutes after they are sewn. I used two steel rules to do this. This should make the sewing easier. I think this gives a more period look and you can thin the wadding out where the cover folds over the top of the seat.

I must admit that what you have done looks good though! Nice to see your progress.

[ColinB]

I get the idea Brian - so I sew just the hessian and the leather as in my experiment above, then pad it out with wadding afterwards. It sounds as if that is easier to sew than trying to sew the padding and the backing together. I'll have a go at that.

[ColinB]

When I said hessian for backing I probably meant calico, which has more body. Woolies have it in stock, but my lovely wife (who did an upholstery course before she did cabinet making and built her violin) says she may have some. I had forgotten about her course; it will be really helpful as I get on with the seats as she can be my foreman.

[ColinB]

I did a larger test piece today which went well so I'm fairly confident about the whole thing. This test is only stuffed with a bit of foam and Linda tells me you need to put far more wadding in than you would ever imagine would be necessary to plump up the flutes. I'll have a go on a full sized panel for a seat back after I have been to Woolies to get the wadding and the calico (if Linda can't find her stock). That won't be today as I have endless garden jobs queuing up for attention.

[jeans_old_man]

Hi Colin, I’m sorry to keep harping on but I live my life vicariously through my NHS-supplied iPad these days.

A quick scan of the internet turned up several articles about “tuck and roll” flutes. Here, the hessian (or calico) is laid flat and the leather is placed, right side up, on top. The leather is then folded back and a 1/4” seam is sewn through the backing. This gives the possibility of placing the wadding before sewing the next seam.

If I remember correctly I used this technique on my ‘9’ because my domestic machine (which in those days had a bolt shuttle) wouldn’t sew through four layers. Perhaps the diagram below will make things clearer:

IMG_0068.png (2.3 KiB) Viewed 588258 times

These flutes only had 1/8” thick felt inserted.

Good luck with your sewing and remember - good marking out is key!

[ColinB]

I welcome your advice Brian so please keep it coming. I get the idea of your suggested technique and it does look to be quite effective, so I'll have a go at that method tomorrow.

[ColinB]

I tried the method suggested by Brian using hessian, but unfortunately the hessian just bunched up and would not progress through the machine. I'm sure it would be better with calico, but as my machine will cope well with 4 layers plus I can clip the pieces together to ensure they don't move during sewing, I'll stick to my first method.

I have really taken on board Brian's advice about the importance of measuring and setting out, so I have ordered some tailor's chalk to mark the folds. I will work out a standard width for the folds that I imagine will be about 10mm more than the required width of the flutes. So long as the seats and backs match I will be happy.

[jeans_old_man]

I guess to use the ‘tuck and roll’ technique you need a ‘walking foot’ machine. Your preferred method looks to be the same as original.

If I remember correctly the flutes are 2” wide. If you are going to sew 1/4” seams you need to mark out fold lines every 2 1/2” with stitch lines 1/4” on either side. There’s no harm in marking out the underside of the leather and the calico with a marker pen.

Best of luck.

[ColinB]

Thanks Brian. The flutes on the Six are more like 4" but your suggestion of adding 1/2" per fold is a good one. The pictures show some of the originals which don't look too bad, but the leather is very brittle and the stitching has largely failed. Not any use in the final car but good for patterns. I plan to cover the front seats first as the pieces are more manageable.

[ColinB]

While waiting for materials for the seats I have had a go at cleaning up the plates that are fitted between the door pillars. They had a strange dark coating which may be corrosion or perhaps some kind of finish, but I know from John's car that they should be chrome. I tried a variety of ways of cleaning them up including paint stripper but in the end a bit of heat followed by a brisk rub with wire wool and vinegar has got most of it off. The bits that remain are generally in small imperfections in the surface. I could use my chrome spray to tart them up but for the time being I'm leaving them as-stripped.

[jeans_old_man]

Mmmm. Chrome polish and an old tooth brush? Merry Christmas to you and Linda, Colin.

[ColinB]

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Brian!