you mean these pens? These pens work well and wipe off easy. A wet Mr. Clean Magic eraser wipes it off really well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VCRSWPU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2U6M1M4961PV8&psc=1

I've used a sliver leather pen (just the metal tube refill) that is less "inky" than the above refills and the silver leather metal refill didn't wipe off as well. Some people use the Fisher silver Space Pen and say they wipe off well.

The Carpet shield doesn't seem to have any stretch.

Perhaps since I saw that video I have discovered "Carpet Shield" at Home Depot. It works great. It's basically a sheet of plastic with a slight sticky back. You can stick it to the surface, trace & cut it out and then use a small rubber roller to flatten your pattern on paper or directly to the new vinyl or leather.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Surface-Shields-24-in-x-50-ft-Carpet-Protection-Self-Adhesive-Film-CS2450/205187255


John

I pull it tight (without stretching it) and hold it down with lead weights or masking tape.

At 3:00 they use an adhesive backed clear plastic sheet. Does anyone know of such a product? Looks to be about a yard wide with a white wax paper backing you peel off.

https://youtu.be/U-tWSyK0EXw?t=180

My way may not be the best way. I pay attention to the direction in which the leather stretches and lay the pattern / mold on the hide and cut it out so the leather will stretch in the direction I want. My pattern will be molded to the curvature of the seat. When I flatten the pattern out on the leather it will show humps in the pattern and that's where the leather needs to stretch to mold to the seat. The sew foam will stretch only in one direction and I sew the leather to the foam in a direction that will allow the leather and foam to stretch to the contour of the seat. On areas like a seat cushion top side where you don't want it to stretch I would try to use the leather parts that stretch less and also lay the sew foam in a direction where the foam stretch direction is perpendicular to the leather stretch direction. For a side bolster I also sew muslin fabric to the inside of the panel (outside the foam) to support and prevent the panel from stretching. Muslin doesn't stretch. You could also glue the muslin to the knit side of the foam before you sew everything together. Having said all that, I've read that some put the stretchiest parts of the hyde to seat areas that won't stretch and hide areas that stretch the least in seat areas that would get stretched the most. I try to reinforce parts that get pressed / stretched a lot with muslin or use the foam's non-stretch direction. I also let the leather+foam stretch if the pattern needs to go over a curve. I too would like to know what others do. My guess is that leather is expensive and people mainly try to get the most out of a hyde by using as much as they can.