Why the Wrinkles

[srl520]

This is a bolster seat I am working on. It has turned out pretty nice except for this wrinkle. I do not have a steamer and not sure if that would fix it anyway. I have tried steaming hot wet towel and I have tried a commercial blow gun. No change.
What do I need to do different to prevent this from happening?

http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt168/srl520/Projects/P1070568.jpg
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt168/srl520/Projects/P1070567.jpg

[JuneC]

Do you have listings/pulls/stretchers under that seam?  Or is it just sewfoam and a regular seam?  I'm guessing you used sewfoam since the piece looks "puffy".

June

[Darren Henry]

What do I need to do different to prevent this from happening

If you're asking how to avoid the problem next time---It looks like the one section moved on you a bit sewing it, so lots of reference marks and staples is all I can offer as your patterning must be okay for everything else to look so good.

If you're looking to get rid of this wrinkle---It isn't real bad; I would try  opening it up and add add a little unbounded terylene (Teddy bear guts) and it should behave for you. ;)

[Mike]

the seam does look a puffy june but I was wondering if there was .. id use 1/2" glued to the vinyl and I don't think id see a pucker like that.. and ive nevr not been able to remove that with a heat gun and some tugging 

[srl520]

Do you have listings/pulls/stretchers under that seam?  Or is it just sewfoam and a regular seam?  I'm guessing you used sewfoam since the piece looks "puffy".

June

Yes, it is sew foam and regular seam. I was sure to cut pieces all with the same grain.

[srl520]

What do I need to do different to prevent this from happening

If you're asking how to avoid the problem next time---It looks like the one section moved on you a bit sewing it, so lots of reference marks and staples is all I can offer as your patterning must be okay for everything else to look so good.

If you're looking to get rid of this wrinkle---It isn't real bad; I would try  opening it up and add add a little unbounded terylene (Teddy bear guts) and it should behave for you. ;)

You have the same idea as I did. I was going to put some foam behind it to fill it out a little and it will look alittle better.

[srl520]

I was originally taught to roll the vinyl out and stretch it some and staple at edges to hold. Then place patterns, mark and cut. Then when you cut pieces, sew and install there would be a little more stretching needed. I have never practiced this way and wondering if maybe I should to illuminate the wrinkles. Any thoughts?

[JDUpholstery]

I am surprised heat did not take that out, do not heat directly on the wrinkle, but heat around it, as the surrounding area cool and shrinks it will pull the wrinkle out...I have heated wrinkles far worse than that out...honestly though it look really nice and I doubt a customer would say anything about that, of course it would bother me  still

[Rich]

Two suggestions;
For this job-Heat gun, apply wet towel, heat, cool a few more times.
For future jobs-Try cutting with a smaller seam allowance, but sew using the same allowance as you've been doing.
Rich

[srl520]

I am surprised heat did not take that out, do not heat directly on the wrinkle, but heat around it, as the surrounding area cool and shrinks it will pull the wrinkle out...I have heated wrinkles far worse than that out...honestly though it look really nice and I doubt a customer would say anything about that, of course it would bother me  still

I will try heat again. I was thinking of taking it apart again and pulling it taught and sewing. Oh, this one is in my boat and I plan on it being my example of my work to generate me more business.

[srl520]

For future jobs-Try cutting with a smaller seam allowance, but sew using the same allowance as you've been doing.
Rich

Yes, this is what I was thinking I will need to do.
Thanks

[baileyuph]

Very nice work!

It is done now and installed, have you tried adjusting the leading edge of the bolster toward the center of the vehicle ............just a bit, it won't take much.

Is this a boat seat and it is stapled on the lower edge of the bolster?

Try the rotation effort with you hands doing the turning at the front edge to see what reaction you get at the little pucker.

All that said, this is a suggestion for next trip, note the stretch in your sew foam.  The reasoning which may or not be correct is; the sew foam might not want to stretch in that area.

Again, very nice work.  Your top stitching is darn nice.  What vinyl did you use?

The cover is fine, I might come off critical, but not, instead it would probably fit perfectly with a little twisting and a touch of steam in the area of concern.  what holds the cover in that position has a lot to do with the approach to pull it just slightly to get it smooth.
In other words, undo (pull staples for example if it applies), twist and resecure might work.  In using the term "twist", I merely mean roll the french seam over the top of the bolster toward the inside of the bucket seat.  That will take the fullness there out, but how to keep the cover there will depend on how it is attached on the inside of the bolster.

Doyle

[Mike]

I agree id be happy and with likemsaid a little puuling a d heat im sure it would be gone. 
SlR did you glue the seefoam to the vinly ? Some dont   It looks to me like you didnt.  But i do.   One thing if you do on a inside curve not like yours   If there is a fabir on the foam glue the fabrid to the vinyl
Dont sandwich the fosm brtween fabrid layers on a inside curve.  But thsts just not the case here.

[JuneC]

All that said, this is a suggestion for next trip, note the stretch in your sew foam.  The reasoning which may or not be correct is; the sew foam might not want to stretch in that area.

Boy isn't that the truth...  I've been bitten by that particular problem on more than one occasion.  My favorite sew foam is Keyston's latest "special" (not "premium") sew foam.  The scrim backing is super stretchy in all directions. 

June

[baileyuph]

Mike, I think, is the one that brought up something that I knew but forgot to mention and that was in "inside curves' one can remove bulk in the area and reduce the incompatibility of "stretch" between foam and finish material by cutting out the sew foam in the area of concern.  I see this in boat seats, just finished a fairly complicated set for an expensive bass boat where the factory cut out the foam, therefore I surely did it also.

Since we are talking about the contributors to small wrinkles, I also noted, or have noted, on some marine work where the selvate is cut down to about 1/8 th inch to get the material to lie flat in "inside curves". 

Technology just keeps marching on, we can learn alot from our experiences and noting what the factories do.  I seem to look over everything the factory did on marine seats and auto seats.  Well, I guess I do the same on my furniure work also.  When a factory does so many of a thing, they usually find out what works.  This all gets back to efficiency and better quality.  My last marine interior , I guess the customer intuitively knew I put effort into his seats, he tipped me $50 bucks.  Nice to know some appreciate it.

June:  The keystone backing, is it real soft?  I got some sew foam with that type of backing and it spoiled me also.  I did have fun working with it.  Most of my sew foam work is on auto and these newer cars use a lot of stuff as thin as about 1/8 th inch.  I use some thin cloth headliner material if I don't have the actual foam in that thickness.

Doyle