Hi, Stephen. First, let me say that the information you share on line is SO helpful! I'm currently taking an adult school upholstery class, but I've supplemented what I learn in class with information available online. Just the other day I showed some students in class how to enclose welt by stitching on the bias, which I learned from one of your great slideshows. They were shocked at how easy it was to do using your technique.
My next project is to recover a diner chair with new vinyl. This is the first time I've worked with vinyl, so I have some questions about patterning and cutting because of the stretch. I took apart the original vinyl covering carefully, hoping to use it as a pattern. But the original vinyl (especially on the back pieces) has been stretched out of shape and is also kind of "crispy," for lack of a better word. The pieces won't really lay flat enough to serve as accurate patterns.
The back is curved, so I know that the inside back will be smaller than the outside back. The boxing is also curved. I removed the cotton padding and made paper patterns by tracing the wood frame against the inside back, outside back, and boxing. If I then add 1/2" seam allowances to these patterns, do you think that would make for a good fit?
For the seat, I removed the padding, traced the wood base, and added 1/2" all the way around for my seam allowance.
The vinyl I purchased has a good deal of stretch across the roll, but not up the roll. I was planning on cutting all my pieces across the roll because the vinyl has a "brushed" texture to it which runs up and down the roll, and I would like the brush lines to run up and down my chair.
For the seat pattern in particular, I'm wondering if I need to make the pattern more narrow from side-to-side. I'm worried that when I go to pull the vinyl tight onto the seat, the vinyl will stretch from side-to-side and pull my welt lines on the sides beyond the side edges of the wood base. (I hope that makes sense!)
I remember seeing a post on Get-Up-And-Go that said vinyl boxing should be cut up the roll. Unfortunately that post doesn't seem to be available for viewing anymore. (http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=%22cut+your+boxin...) Do you think it's necessary for me to cut my seat boxing up the roll? When I was calculating how much vinyl I needed to purchase, I had planned on cutting my boxing across the width of the roll. (I only need 54" for the entire boxing.) If the boxing needs to be cut up the roll, I don't have enough yardage since I only purchased 1-1/4 yds.
I know you must be very busy with your own upholstery work, but I hope my questions are clear and that you might have time to share your experience with vinyl. I always look forward to seeing what tips and advice you have to share online. It's truly appreciated by novices such as myself!
Thanks in advance,
Susan Chuang
