Pleats in tuck and roll

[ajlelectronics]

I am rebuilding some car seats with the customer led design. The once plain back is now going to be 1 1/2" tuck and roll pleats. The panel starts at 9" at the top and tapers out to 10 1/2" at the bottom. My query is about the number of pleats. I know that "House Doctor" advice is always odd numbers of everything, but that doesn't work out with the design.
Should I go with 8 pleats or 9? With either option, it is going to look a little unusual in that the outside pleats will be tapered.

[Mike]

I would nust center them. Even if you were to use quilted  marine viynl gust cut out your pleated pattern section. With a pleat centered  so i sew up a larver pleated piece and pattern it the right size

[brmax]

Let me run this by ya, keep the  pleats in the top section between taper and at the bottom have the outside wider on each lower side while keeping all pleats straight up. I hope that came out right.
My question is are the seats going to have pleats folded or tucked opposite while veiwing.
believe me sometimes i dont know why i think of these questions

[ajlelectronics]

I think what you are saying is to keep it straight apart from the left and right pleats which can taper. I'm not sure what you mean by your second question though.

Mike, thanks for that. It is an option I had considered especially as the panel tries to contract once stuffed.

Picture attached of my test panel which is just a little too narrow to use. Well it would have been but it seems the system just refuses to allow it.

[ajlelectronics]

http://www.scimitarweb.co.uk/sgwrs/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=21542&p=257571#p257571

[Mike]

cant see a pic you link wants us to register and log on

[brmax]

Sorry im not understanding how the pleats would be tapered, can ya help a feller out?
Im seeing the outsides i thought were called something, and that would be tapered.

[fragged8]

draw it out on paper and pin it to the seat..

[MinUph]

If I get this straight you want to make an insert that is tuck and rolled and the last two end pleats are to be tapered. If this is the thought you are having then the only way to do this is to cut the ends at the angle needed and sew them as a standard seam into the sew foam or whatever your using. I see no reason for all this unless these last pleats are large say 3 pr 4 inches in width. Juts make them all even and pattern the insert when all the pleats are in. Draw a chalk like around the outer edge sew a seam on the chalk like then trim off the excess. The sew the end caps to it. The tapers will look fine even though they are not tapered like your stating. They will basically be tapered in the opposite direction. You can't tuck and roll with angles.

[ajlelectronics]

Sorry about the link, wasn't aware that it was in the subscriber's area. It has been moved into public now.. http://www.scimitarweb.co.uk/sgwrs/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=21542&start=30  The picture is about nine posts down on the page.

The idea I had was to make an oversize panel and them mark out the trapezoid shape as Mike suggested. One little issue with that is the amount that the panel contracts due to the pull of the wadding etc. I can see this job getting very interesting!

Customer has seen the test panel and now informs me that he wasn't that bothered about the traditional method, he would have been happy with stitch through, as lond as it was fairly chunky. Still doesn't get away from the left and right darts though. I suppose I need to do it and see how it looks.

This project could be a showcase for other work, so would like to get it right.