Technical The upholstery thread to end all threads

This thread evolved out of my whining post about finding a good upholstery guy.

What I would like to do is use this thread for questions and answers, not really pictures of cars with nice upholstery. We already have one of those.

So, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of a guy learning how to sew.
I am planning on buying the "Lucky Needle" tutorials to kick start my learning.

But, for now let's talk about threads, needles etc. Who are good vendors? What sizes are most common? What weight of thread?

I assume black, white and red would be good to have on hand.

Here is my old Pfaff I just bought. Had to lug this mutha upstairs by myself. It cleaned up decent. Reading tons of reviews on servo motors...makes my head hurt.

 

`I bought a machine in Feb. last year. Just started practicing a few days ago. First project will be carpet for the 46 coupe. Door will be next. If I fail, my wife can do it. She used to do furniture upholstery. I have black and white thread for practice. The white bobbin lets you see mistakes for things like proper thread tension. More than likely I will use thread to match upholstery color.

 

Looking forward to this thread. I have a Singer 211g151 walking foot without reverse. So I too want to learn.

 

The first thing I would suggest is to buy a speed reducer. Very important to slow the stitches per minute. Just google speed reducer, there are hundreds out there. Most places that sell them also supply needles and thread. They might even have a needle and thread chart.
I build saddles and tack, and have speed reducers all 3 of my machines.
HAPPY SEWING !!

 

Just picked this one up last night for the old lady. She's gone about as far as she can with the little cheap machine, but she's doing great. She's bought every book that's been mentioned on the hamb, and she also has been doing the lucky needle program. The machine i bought her is a reliable. This rich guy bought it to try to do the upholstery in his BMW, failed, and i bought it for half price. Got a ton of needles and thread with it, bobbins and such, but i don't know the specifics. It's a walking foot with a servo motor. The best part is soon I'll have an in-house upholstery bitch

 

Here is a site that may be of interest to you. It used to have more action on it but not much going on now.
https://www.hotrodders.com/forums/interior.20/

 

Subscribed

 

Subscribed.

 

I’ll be following as well.

 

Edited: Updated.
Was the pun intentional? Love the machine. Many years ago, my wife used a Viking (Husqvarna) sewing machine to do the upholstery for my truck. This was done with a heavy material, and she had no problem handling it. A few years later, she did all the cushions on our old beater Land Rover, using a real heavy material.
This was done in the 70s, and she did buy some special needles, but I believer they were available at the local sewing machine store. (She just confirmed this). After talking it over with the wife of a friend of ours, who was a professional seamstress, the needles are not difficult to find, and they are what make the difference between success and failure.
Bob.

 

I’m beginning to think this thread is going to keep us in stitches ( together that is, sewn up)


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Keep yourself together.
Bob

 

I’m in! I just picked up my walking foot Singer Sewing machine a couple of weeks ago! For you guys near me. There is a walking foot Commercial Consew machine coming up at an auction on the 14th, in Claremore, Oklahoma .






Bones

 

Ashley ordered a few yards of vinyl and sew foam from Amazon. Just stuff to practice. Then the other night we went to hobby lobby to look for some lettering quills and holy shit! They had a lot of vinyl there, $6 per yard! So let's just say we have plenty of vinyl for practice.

 

Subscribed. I want to learn so I can do the seats in my woodie in leather.

 

Hmm...

 

Any particular brands better than the others? I see smaller pulleys for sale, would that not be enough? I’m asking because I can get a smaller pulley for about $20 and the speed reducers are like $150-189.

 

I think it’s a 255BB model! Check out Chupps Auction! I might be going??









Bones

 

"Lots of ways to skin a cat" It's odd old saying,yet ment to mean more then one way !
I did a tech some years back,with very low $ ideas to get nice look to inside of your rod or custom.
A lot of the ideas I put in,are handy,even for those with much bigger $$$$ money to play with then I have.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-sew-at-home-upholsrety-hot-rod.604077/

 

For learning,slow is your buddy. Often I just hand turned the wheel for one stitch at a time around some corners.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-sew-at-home-upholsrety-hot-rod.604077/

 

This is gonna be great.
As in useful.
I know for a fact that I'm gonna have to learn this if I ever want a decent interior. I want to. And I will. And we will. We learn everything else. We can do this, too. And with some practice, do a decent job. Maybe even a really nice job like @dana barlow did... and I know @Roothawg is gonna do.

Did my first "upholstry" job ever a couple weeks ago. Just a bicycle seat LOL. No stitching involved. Recovered it with some nice leather. Used contact cement in a spray can. Holy cow, that's some sticky stuff! You ever pull off a piece of duct tape and it sticks to itself? Sort of like that... but worse LOL. I was like, oh shit... oh shit... oh shit...
Worked out pretty good though.

Calling all seamsters...

 

Subscribed! I have the desire, but first I have to get much closer to having the car drivable.

 

It seams this thread will be useful, as long as it’s padded with information.

 

I use #69 Nylon thread in spools that look like this. Remember, thread rots on the roll. Wrap the thread around your 2 fingers and pull hard. If the thread breaks, throw the roll away.

 

You can buy a speed reducer at Harbor freight for about 20 bucks. One of the few things that still works that I have boughten there. I use it on my router. Or a smaller pulley on your machine. Can someone explain the servo motor.

 

You could tighten the wing nut on your arm below the motor. Will put more resistance on the foot pedal. Your place is way to clean for an upholstery shop !

 

Speed control very important. I hope this helps: cowboysew.com/slow-speed-sewing-machine.htm

 

60 to 80 % savings on electricity, I wonder how they rate that. Don`t think it would help me.

 

More help: leathermachineco.com/product/speed-reducer/

 

Be extra careful if it is good thread. If you pull it and it doesn't break, it can cut you if it is in the crease under a knuckle. Don't ask me how I know.
I meant to add, that most of the high quality European sewing machines with a walking foot, also have a dual range selector. The low speed selector worked quite will for sewing the heavy brocade material my wife used on the Land Rover cushions.
Bob