{"id":2609,"date":"2022-11-01T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/?p=2609"},"modified":"2023-02-03T10:29:01","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T15:29:01","slug":"sewing-car-upholstery-sailrite-fabricator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/automotive-rv\/sewing-car-upholstery-sailrite-fabricator\/","title":{"rendered":"The Drive to Learn: One DIYer\u2019s Roadmap to Sewing Mastery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Restoring well-worn or damaged items has become very popular in the last few years. Just look at the dozens of TV shows about home renovations, antiquing and swap meets as proof of this trend. Many people renovate to give historical items their shine back or to reduce waste \u2014 giving items with a story a new lease on life instead of letting them go to a landfill.<\/p>\n

Sailrite\u00ae customer Jerry Bartlett is one such restorer. He\u2019s interested in reducing waste and refreshing historical pieces too \u2014 but he\u2019s not looking for retro clothing, antique furniture or old-school knickknacks.<\/p>\n

Instead, Jerry often brings home vintage automobiles. This self-sufficient DIYer loves nothing more than getting his hands dirty restoring classic cars, and he frequently turns to Sailrite for project materials.<\/p>\n

How does a sewing company like Sailrite come into the picture of car restorations? Upholstery, of course! Restoring a car isn\u2019t just about what\u2019s under the hood or how it looks on the outside. From the seats and door panels to the headliner and more, there are plenty of places for fabric and foam inside a car.<\/p>\n

Jerry proved this by redoing the interior of a 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe. He did all the upholstery work with a Sailrite\u00ae Fabricator\u00ae and other tools and materials from Sailrite.<\/p>\n

\"A
A preview of the finished upholstery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This seat looks professionally done, right? From the outstanding results, you\u2019d never guess that this car\u2019s upholstery was Jerry\u2019s first sewing project ever<\/em>. In fact, Jerry taught himself to sew (with help from Sailrite) specifically to reupholster this unique Special Deluxe.<\/p>\n

The Need & the Potential<\/h2>\n

This particular car is reminiscent of a County Highway Patrol cruiser used in New York in the early 1950s. A fan of the explosive innovation in the automobile industry in the 1950s and \u201960s, Jerry was immediately drawn by the overall aesthetic and history behind the vintage cruiser when he saw it at a car show. As luck would have it, the car was for sale \u2014 and Jerry bought it right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt spoke to me,\u201d he said of the cruiser. \u201cThis thing had lots of potential, and with some work and creativity, it could be a historical piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the potential in the car was a major first step to transforming it into the showpiece it is today. The car needed some mechanical work and a few touch-ups to the already restored exterior. But its interior was, in Jerry\u2019s words, \u201cin dire need of help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe seats, door panels and sun visors were beyond hope. There was no headliner or bows, no carpet, and all the window channel liners were mostly gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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He was already well acquainted with the mechanical portions of the refurbishment \u2014\u00a0an interest that began when he was a child. \u201cI was the kid who always had the desire within my DNA to take things apart to find out what made them tick,\u201d Jerry remembered.<\/p>\n

During his high school years, Jerry took classes in auto body work at a local technical career center. After graduating high school, he spent four years as a mechanic in the U.S. Army. Then he spent 10 years working in auto body and fender repair before becoming a fleet mechanic.<\/p>\n

Even while working on cars for a living, Jerry always had a \u201chobby\u201d car that he restored on the side. It all started in 1990; that\u2019s when he said he found \u201cthe car of [his] dreams: a 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite all his work experience, his first hobby project wasn\u2019t easy. \u201c[The DeVille] was a disaster. The only two good panels on it were the roof and trunk lid. It ran rather poorly, needed a windshield, interior and tons of TLC, but I was up to the challenge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

And since he didn\u2019t go easy on himself for his first renovation project, you can bet that the many projects that followed weren\u2019t cakewalks either. The long list of cars that Jerry has restored includes such notable models as a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a 1961 Ford F-100 and a 1969 Pontiac Trans Am.<\/p>\n

Learning to Sew With Sailrite<\/h2>\n

So, you can see that Jerry was more than equipped to take care of the patrol cruiser\u2019s mechanical needs. But while he was eager to make the car look like new on the inside, he had some important research to do first.<\/p>\n

\u201cReupholstering an auto interior [was] the last horizon in the automotive world for me,\u201d Jerry said. Even sewing in general was completely new territory. While scouring the internet to learn about automotive upholstery, he found Sailrite\u2019s classic car reupholstery project video series<\/a> <\/span>and decided to watch it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very impressed with Sailrite\u2019s website from top to bottom. Everything was so well organized and easily accessible, I found myself actually wanting to return every time I had a question or idea,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Although first overwhelmed by how much he had to learn about sewing, Jerry soon found that Sailrite\u2019s huge library of how-to videos told him everything he needed to know. \u201cThe learning process initially is a lot to digest since it\u2019s not just operating a sewing machine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you\u2019ve watched one or more of Sailrite\u2019s well-produced, clear and concise videos, that [overwhelmed] feeling just kind of melts away, and it becomes quite easy to imagine yourself as the person in the video. This is what gave me confidence \u2026 to enter the exciting world of sewing!\u201d<\/p>\n

After nearly a year of thorough research and watching how-to videos, Jerry bought a Fabricator Sewing Machine for his project. It\u2019s saying something that Sailrite\u2019s largest machine won his vote. Space is at a premium in Jerry\u2019s work area, and he couldn\u2019t afford to give even an inch to a machine that wouldn\u2019t make the cut.<\/p>\n

He told us more about his workspace: \u201cI\u2019m working off the lid of a 36-inch by 28-inch chest-style refrigerator [and] a 60-inch by 30-inch section of kitchen floor, or plywood and sawhorses if the weather is good so a car in storage can go outside. The Fabricator occupies a small 6-foot by 8-foot area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jerry
The Fabricator helps Jerry make the most of his limited workspace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The industrial machine had to be everything Jerry needed to justify taking up so much of his already tight workspace. \u201cThrough my research, there were common things that a sewing machine should have and be able to do regarding automotive upholstery. [The] Fabricator repeatedly checked off all those boxes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But that wasn\u2019t the only hurdle the Fabricator had to clear to win its spot in Jerry\u2019s workshop. This DIY enthusiast\u2019s home isn\u2019t connected to the local power grid, so he generates his own electricity with solar panels and wind turbines. \u201cPower usage for anything added to the system is always a concern,\u201d he shared. Luckily, the Fabricator fell well within the usage limits of his self-reliant electrical system.<\/p>\n

After getting all the tools and materials he needed for what he calls his \u201cvery first sewing adventure,\u201d Jerry\u2019s next step was to get some hands-on experience with the Fabricator. \u201cI was a bit nervous having only seen [the Fabricator] on the web and reading user reviews about it,\u201d he told us. \u201cTo my delight, setup wasn\u2019t difficult, and it really helped for me to do this and learn about everything connected to the unit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry\u2019s favorite feature of the Fabricator is the programmable Workhorse\u00ae Servo Motor. While getting started, he found it helpful to lower the motor\u2019s speed to sew one stitch at a time. \u201cThis feature is truly what allowed me the ability to learn as I went. \u2026 Regardless of speed, every stitch turned out as perfectly as the previous one. It\u2019s a brute of a machine that can be as gentle as a kitten, so yes, you really can do this at a snail\u2019s pace just like I did!\u201d<\/p>\n

Overcoming Project Roadblocks<\/h2>\n

Buoyed by his success setting up and testing the powerful machine, Jerry jumped right into the cruiser upholstery project. First, he had to disassemble and pattern the seats and door panels. That\u2019s when things began to fall apart \u2014 literally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was left of the original interior was mostly useless, as it fell apart on disassembly,\u201d Jerry told us. The few useful-looking pieces he was able to salvage had unfortunately hosted rodents some time before he bought the car; he was forced to throw those pieces out for sanitary reasons and start completely from scratch.<\/p>\n

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But like the rest of his sewing adventure, the unusable cushion material presented a learning opportunity. From the experience, Jerry learned to make patterns exactly how he wanted them, measure multiple times and cut once, and look for guidance from more experienced DIYers instead of trying to \u201creinvent the wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he did triumph in the end, Jerry told us that patterning from the ground up was the most challenging part of restoring the car\u2019s interior \u2014 especially since he had a very specific vision for how it should look.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal was to make the new patterns work with the curves of the roof and cagework, so the top of both front and rear seats would need a matching arch,\u201d he said. \u201cI also wanted great big pleats \u2014 something not available in a 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe. \u2026 Overcoming these challenges required several reviews of Sailrite\u2019s video series, and attention to detail with measuring and markings.\u201d<\/p>\n

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After hours of painstaking work creating patterns, cutting material pieces and sewing stitch by stitch on his Fabricator, Jerry finished the upholstery renovation with professional-looking results!<\/p>\n

Driving Off Into the Sunset<\/h2>\n

Aside from the \u201cfeeling of self-satisfaction in taking on something [he\u2019s] never done before,\u201d Jerry\u2019s favorite thing about the finished upholstery is getting to show it off. \u201cThe icing on the cake is when people, especially those who\u2019ve been sewing for decades, say, \u2018This is really nice. Where did you have this done?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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A perfect example is a recent project Jerry did for his mother, whom he said has high standards and calls things like she sees them. After he sewed cushions for her four-chair outdoor table set, she \u201cscrutinized [them] even more thoroughly than a jeweler would with diamonds. The final verdict was, \u2018These are perfect.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry\u2019s mom isn\u2019t the only person impressed by his newfound sewing skills. Earlier this year, he entered the patrol cruiser in the 2022 Adirondack Nationals car show, held in Lake George, New York. The show’s attendees loved the cruiser!<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot even tell you how many compliments there were about the interior,\u201d Jerry shared. \u201cIt\u2019s now my belief that with all the \u2018eye candy\u2019 the car has to offer, the upholstery is the real showcase that ties everything together!\u201d<\/p>\n

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The show\u2019s judges thought so too. The police cruiser won a big award at the show \u2014 appropriately, the Sheriff\u2019s Pick award. Congratulations, Jerry!<\/p>\n

More Projects Down the Road<\/h2>\n

We asked Jerry what he plans to do now that the cruiser restoration is done. \u201cAre these ever really done?\u201d he laughed. \u201cSo far this has been an off-and-on project for the last two and a half years. Out of all the extensive work completed, the interior revamp has been the biggest chunk and the most rewarding by a long shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Jerry is taking a break from the cruiser to do a couple of other upholstery projects. He\u2019s partially completed one: \u201cI have a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain that\u2019s essentially the equivalent of a \u2018shop truck\u2019 that goes everywhere. The seats were terrible in that one too but are now reupholstered \u2014 again using everything obtained from Sailrite.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jerry plans to restore the Chieftain\u2019s side panels, door pads and headliner, but he\u2019s put those on the backburner for now to work on something even more exciting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next project is an interior (mainly the four bucket seats) of a 1961 Chrysler 300G. These cars may have had the most incredible factory interior ever \u2026 I will need to really think this one through and make it as good as the original or better. These are high-profile cars, and the sharpest critics tend to seek them out. Challenge accepted \u2014 and armed with the Fabricator, it\u2019s game on!\u201d<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s anything we\u2019ve learned about Jerry, it\u2019s that he\u2019s no stranger to a challenge. We\u2019re sure that the restored Chrysler will draw nothing but praise from critics and car show judges alike.<\/p>\n

Before we wrapped up our interview, we asked Jerry what he would say to someone else who has a big project in mind but needs to learn to sew first. He had a checklist of advice ready:<\/p>\n

\u201cEducate yourself on the topic. That may involve getting together with someone close to you that has experience in this field. \u2026 Think of things you would like to make for yourself or others. This will give a project some context that\u2019s relevant to you. Once you\u2019ve read, watched and learned as much as you want, imagine yourself actually creating and sewing that item. And lastly, be persistent! Like anything one wishes to become good at \u2026 a skill will come with time and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry, you\u2019ve certainly proved that patience and dedication can help a person accomplish just about any goal they set. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story to encourage your fellow DIYers. We can\u2019t wait to see what you make next!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/h3>\n

Sailrite is your one-stop DIY shop! We are a passionate crew of do-it-yourselfers who strive to equip you with the supplies and how-to knowledge you need to tackle your next project. Do you want to learn upholstery, leatherwork, canvaswork, hobby sewing, bag making or more? We have the fabric, tools, hardware, sewing machines and notions you need to master any DIY. And even if you’ve never sewn before, our tutorials and how-to videos are designed for beginners and experienced crafters alike.<\/p>\n

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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