Maybe a guide of some sort that lets you add in your seam allowance quicker than using a ruler.

I put a thicker masking tape over the window on both sides. Works good for me. Doesn’t leave residue.

@Keith Mayne all good ideas! I’m not sure I totally understand step number 2. Happen to have pictures? I especially like the idea with the cardboard. Make quick work of duplicating lines.

@Jesse Durkee that is also how I do it. I mark all my lines on the foam. I run an initial stitch in the middle. I feel it helps the foam fold easier there. (Think traditional pleat.) Then when I fold it my line is there for where to sew the next stitch for a hidden pleat. My edge feet just showed up in the mail, so now I can do as you mentioned. But until now I just followed my lines.

It’s nothing natural. Something was wiped on and reacted. Sorry I don’t have any advice

@Robert Webbthat’s a good point about it going away from, instead of under the machine. I prefer this method also cause of the uniformity of the pleats like you mentioned. But I do like the easy of working smaller panels.

@Andy Laird even some pictures with the terms would be nice. I’m much more of a visual person than a written word.

Thanks everyone for the advice on the pocket method and explaining it to me. I redid the top yesterday and today. That made it way easier than what I had done on the first attempt. Definitely something I’ll remember.

Be aware that veterans shipping is outrageous. I’ve ordered material from them, granted small amounts and the shipping was 2-3 times the material cost. Had this happen twice

I have been asked for vegan leather, “cause it’s better for the environment than vinyl.” I prompted them to go home and research it further and if they still wanted it, I’d order some.

Awesome job!

@Jens Jesberg thanks that makes sense now. That’s not how I did it, maybe thats how I should have. I stitched the window to the top material and then came back with the inner frame piece and stitched that on after.

I sewed the ring from the inside. I had it cut out already to size. That may be my issue also. I should leave extra and push to cut like you are all mentioning. If I copy the reproduction like I “think” it was created. This window frame stitch is also what holds the window in.

@Gareth Judd can you explain what you mean by pocket?

Even then I think my cuts would wobble. I’m using haartz stay fast material and for someone it tends to guide my shears more than I do. I mark it all out and then cut and it’s just garbage. I would thinking about seeing if my buddy can use his CBC wood router and making me a template I could just ride a razor blade against and cut it out that way.

I have no experience but I know most who modify new style wheels use a 2 part foam. Some have molds made even to get the desired shape. Others I have seen use fiber glass and filler. But that seems to be a lot of work to me.

@Fred Mattson has helped me plenty and is always willing to go above and beyond!

Some people have used plasti dip to mimic the soft feel plastic. I haven’t tried or confirmed this. For the discoloration. It looks like they panels have been repaired and just don’t match. Your best bet without changing is dying the material.

Looks great!

@Jim Bentley actually I just got an account signed up with Midwest fabrics. I’m about 2.5 hours away from the twin cities and lives there for some time. I think I’m gonna plan a day with friends and go to them, possibly pyramid trim too and see what I can come up with. I agree. Something isn’t right. But the billing invoice is all stuff for these seats and I can’t recall any other project with a color even close to this. So has to be that invoice.

@Jens Jesberg thanks for looking that up. It was Albright I ordered from but got busy on another project yesterday to get a call in. Hoping to call them Monday and see if we can’t get things figured out. I’ll see if I can’t find the medium color swatch in my book to compare.

@Jens Jesberg the swatch book just says soft impact for a brand name. I tried finding small print to see who it was made by. I feel soft impact is probably the collection name and not the manufacturer. But I agree, I feel the color is just too far off. I have to make the back seat so they won’t be right next to the front seats. But I think people will be able to tell still

Here is a 1957 BMW Isetta seat I finished. The customer cleaned the frame and redid the foam. I didn’t have anything for a pattern, but the customer supplied more detailed before pictures. I do believe he said this is original material he ordered from someone in Germany. I could be wrong though.

@Fred Mattson thank you!

Got it finished. 3rd time is a charm I guess.

SMS auto fabrics.