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I've done a couple of small pieces, just to make sure I know what I'm doing.  Yup, very straightforward and slow.  It is complicated because I putting an inset in the top of the pleating with a logo sewn on it.  So I have to cut out some of the scrim.  I was able to successfully do it on my test, lined everything up correctly and it looks great.

Itching to start the actual process.  We're using the Peggy Sue (see late 50's GMC truck seats).  Only complication is that the pontoon seats are an "L".  There should be 5-6 inches of contrast but because of the "L" where the 2 seats butt has to be 23" in the white corner.  Can't do the same amount on the ends of the "L" or the logos won't lay as customer wants them to.  I'm going to call him this morning and make sure all is good so that we can get this thing rocking and the pontoon in the water before boating season is over.  I thought we'd be almost through with the seats by now and I'd be looking forward to making a new Bimini.  Do it right the first time though.

I'm also not a fan of masks for the exact reason you posted.  Up until a few weeks ago, I wore one while walking the dogs and while riding my bike.  Our numbers have been horrific (meat packing plant in town) and they seem to be subsiding now but no one is really sure as they are no longer including numbers of those testing positive that work at Swift so who knows.

It will be a while before I'm ready to go to a restaurant.  We did a lot of take out from our favorite hang outs but I'm not sure about sitting in one for an hour so that won't change.

I think I've got a handle on the cloth backed foam.  The guy I bought my upholstery machine from, and who does machine maintenance, is a very competent upholsterer.  Went over to his shop yesterday and he gave me a short class.  So, I'll make another rough drawing today, just so I"m sure of what I'm doing and start cutting and sewing.

Glad you're doing well!

I had one very slow month.  Prom season had been huge.  Did more dresses very early so I was on track for a record prom season and then things came to a screaching halt. Then a customer I upholstered a boat for 5 or 6 years had purchased a used pontoon and wanted me to bid on reupholstering it for him.  I've been doing a lot of design work, purchasing vinyl, cloth backed foam and new foam as he is building new seats, etc.  I've had a few alterations come in while I'm playing with designs for the pontoon (Husker themed) and the twins across the street are bridesmaids in a wedding so I'm altering dresses for them.  A set of dining room chairs to reupholster waiting in the wings and another boat to reupholster once boating season is over.  So, I've been doing ok, actually a little busier than I prefer but it's nice to stock pile a few $$$'s since none of us know what's over the next ridge.

I have made changes to how I do business.  I let very few people into my shop since it's in the basement of our house and COVID-19 would not be a good fit with my hub's pre-existing conditions.  I've had in my shop since the middle of March, our HVAC guy doing PM on our AC, the maintenance tech who works on my upholstery machine and the twins across the street so I could measure the hems on their bridesmaid dresses.  Everyone else tells me how much to hem up their pants, pins the seams, etc.   Even the boat customer and I have done all our planning in my driveway.  For the forseeable future, this is how I will conduct my business.  I'm protecting my customers as well as my husband and myself.

I also go to the store at 6 AM when they are first opened, come home, unload, throw the plastic bags out in the garbage, run my clothes downstairs to the washer and then shower from head to toe.  You do what you have to do to try and keep this crap at bay.

COVID-19 is here to stay

Working on a boat.  Will be sewing pleats.  I have the cloth backed foam. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I will NOT lighten up.  Almost every one of your "jokes" are mysogenist, homophobic, racist, etc.  When it's thrown in your face, you don't have to go looking for it.

And you freakin' wonder why people don't post here anymore.  Perhaps most of the world doesn't look at it, like you and Gene do (angry old white men).  Enjoy spreading your racist, homophobic, mysogenist humor around.  There is no amount of information about upholstery that would make putting up with this shit worth while.

I will NEVER lighten up over this kind of bullshit.  I cannot believe the owners of the site put up with your "humor" -- shows they are just as bad as you are.

Wow Steve, sorry the world has evolved.  My clue and cue that I just don't fit here.  If you have to make fun of every damn thing in the world to make yourself feel good,  I'll not let the flippin' door hit me on my way out.

If I look up angry old white man in the dictionary, it would have your picture on it.   That is NOT a complement.

I want to wish everyone here, and their families, a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and prosperous 2019.

Same to you and yours Paul!

To everyone else as well.

I've got 4 more dining room chairs to upholster.  Won't quite get them finished before Christmas as I'm going to enjoy a 4 day weekend.  Will finish between Christmas and New Years.  Otherwise plan to spend a lot of time on my quilting machine.

A quilt out of crown royal bags!. That's a lot of whisky. And the expensive stuff too. I'm sure you enjoyed it though. :o

Sadly, I have not had one drop of the whiskey.  My niece lives in Lincoln and has been stock piling the bags for years.  She bought about a dozen on eBay.  Hubby's barber gives me his CR bags as well as the last restaurant I upholstered.  It is a crap load of bags though.  King size quilt which translates to 81 CR bags.  Not all the purple ones.  Green (apple), orange (carmel), an off white one and several tan ones, black and some purple camo bags.  Quite a collection she had going on!

Whiskey never did much for me.  I'm more a kahlua person.  That or absinthe.

I got a Bernina B20.  Here's the link to it:

https://www.bernina.com/cmsctx/culture/en-US/-/en-US/Products-US/BERNINA-products/Longarm-Quilting/BERNINA-Q-20-Sit-Down-Model?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6JL-3LWb3wIVkDVpCh32CgYYEAAYASAAEgIgSvD_BwE

Nice machine Virginia. Looks very versatile. I bet you're having fun with it.

Yup, having a blast with it.  Right now, I'm just screwing around and getting used to its speed, etc.   I do have a quilt top for a customer that I need to quilt.  That's next in line after I get the dining room chairs finished.  I'm also making a HD shirt quilt for a customer but I'm still in the cutting shirts apart stages on that one.  Working on a quilt to enter in the fair this year and also making a quilt out of Crown Royal bags for my niece.  Hope to have the last 2 quilts finished in time to enter in the Ne State Fair this August.  My quilt is almost ready to quilt and I'm just about ready to start sewing the blocks for the Crown Royal quilt.  Machine will be seeing some serious quilting in about 2 or 3 months.  Just love the machine though!

Working on chair number 5 of 10 chairs total.  Eight are side chairs and 2 arm chairs, not like that makes any difference.  So far, all but one have had horrible stretching the elastic webbing.  The foam got so pushed through the hole in the frame that the frame had started slicing through the foam.  Plus, oxidation is in the beginning stages so it's a good plan to replace all the foam and webbing.  I just wouldn't have gone any thicker than 3 inches myself; but they are not my chairs.

Hoping to get the chairs finished before Christmas but that might not happen.  Depends on how many interruptions I get.

On a completely different tangent, I'm still in a slight state of shock.  I spent 17 days in Europe summer of '74, right after I graduated HS.  Met up with a guy there, a year younger who attended the school I had just graduated from.  We became what my MIL would have called "an item" and came close to getting married.  We broke up, ran into each other 5 years later and started dating again.  But it's hard to go back to what once was and it just didn't work out.  Haven't seen or talked to him in almost 40 years.  My SIL called me Thursday but I didn't get her called back until yesterday.  She had seen his obit in the paper and wanted to talk about it.  61 years old and died of heart failure.  One of the nicest people I knew and gone from the earth way too soon.  I did laugh at my SIL though as she was sure to point out that he had never married and was just positive that it was because no one could measure up to me.  I'm thinking that's NOT the case.

Gosh, that chair looks just great!  What a terrific job.

I got a Bernina B20.  Here's the link to it:

https://www.bernina.com/cmsctx/culture/en-US/-/en-US/Products-US/BERNINA-products/Longarm-Quilting/BERNINA-Q-20-Sit-Down-Model?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6JL-3LWb3wIVkDVpCh32CgYYEAAYASAAEgIgSvD_BwE

I did get a hefty trade in allowance on my old long arm and frame but still this is the most expensive machine I've ever bought.  Can't imagine buying anything pricier.

All it does is quilt the designs you see on top of the quilt.  You put your quilt sandwich underneath the foot, press down once on the presser foot and move the quilt to get the machine to stitch.  I buy what are called rulers and templates that I use with the machine to make the cool designs but you can also do it free motion.  I put the template over the quilt, put the foot down and sew inside the template and the design is "quilted" on my quilt. 

Will be very glad to get this project finished.  I'm way out of shape as far as stretching vinyl goes.  Haven't done any real upholstery work since I finished the last restaurant the first of May.

Took the first seat over yesterday and reattached to the base.  Wanted to get approval before I progressed any further because customer increased foam from 2 to 5 inches.  I would have increased to no more than 3 inches but whatever the customer wants.

Cutting through 5 inch foam is not my idea of a good time.  Then there is a need for a slight bit of sanding to even things out where needed.  Stretching vinyl over 5 inch foam is an absolute joy.  I pretty much throw myself over the seat so I can compress the foam on the sides and get the vinyl tight enough.  The least of my worries is redoing the webbing - I can do that in my sleep.

She was over the moon with how the chair looked and felt when she sat on it.  So 9 more to go.  Yes, I am definitely counting these babies down.  Iffy being finished by Christmas.  May have 1 or 2 left but they only use 8 at their table unless company comes over. 

Anytime I get frustrated, I remind myself that this makes an additional payment on my sinfully expensive new dedicated quilting machine.  That helps to ease my discomfort level.  I probably wouldn't mind it so much but now that I take nothing stronger than Alieve, I'm being very careful how much I do in a day as I am definitely stretching the bar here.  I'll survive though.