What Have I Gotten Myself Into??

[jojo]

Bar Stools, 10 of 'em. The customer wants them covered in vinyl. I'm using Enduratex Independence vinyl. The back is so full and almost round. The fabric gets stapled to the bottom. It's even worse than a Seadoo seat! So I figure I can't do it with one piece of vinyl (I tried, with heat and pulling, etc.), so it will have to be seamed. Where would you put the seams and how many would you put in? I want to divide it into three pieces. Would that look wrong?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[bobbin]

Jojo. , have NO business saying anything.  BUT, my gut tells me that dividing the arc into thirds "makes sense".

I'd probably pattern the pcs, and I'd note the location where seams should be. 

I  have a couple of capt's. chairs to quote.  Your help will be welcomed, Jojo!

[JuneC]

I'd put vertical seams at 2  o'clock and 10 o'clock.  It would take some serious stretch and heat to do it in one piece and then the vinyl would have a short life. 

June

[MinUph]

jojo,
 There is a vinyl that will conform to this if you want to use it. One is called Rapper the other is Allsport. These products stretch 4 way and should conform to the back and seat nicely. Other that those you will probably need to section the back. As you guessed 3 sections should wor. A center and two sides. Use the stretch of the vinyl to help. Vinyl generally stretches one way more than the other. Normally width wise but feel it for yourself on the roll. I would top stitch these seams for strength and to make them lay better. Your still going to have a tough time of it but it can be done. Heat will be needed.
 The seat looks like you can do it in one piece. Stretch the corners first not the straight sides. Get the stretch out in the corners and then work normally. Getting back to the back and the stretch part. Make the stretch side to side to allow you to pull up and down and not have the stretch to deal with.
Good luck.

[sofadoc]

I want to divide it into three pieces. Would that look wrong?

It might even snazz it up a bit. Topseam the 2 divisions like Paul says.

I'm not familiar with Enduratex Independence, so I don't know how cantankerous it is. Some vinyls only stretch a little in one direction, and almost none in the other.

I have done those in one piece before. But like June says, it took so much heat, it probably shortened the life of the vinyl.   

[baileyuph]

I would build a prototype and settle on the number of seams that are required to avoid a lot heat and stretch. 

I wouldn't rule out a shoulder seam (one that joins the outside back to the three piece inside back. 

Also, I might put a seam seams at the very front (each side) to avoid wrapping. 

Seams add detail, avoids over stretching which will definitely last longer.

Doyle

[Lo]

The back has a strong curve ... similar to corner booth seats (the 'U' shaped ones). The center pattern for the 'U' shaped seat reminded me of a baseball diamond ... seemed like such an odd shape but fit seamlessly when blended with the right and left. Maybe someone has patterns that could be modified for yours? I do not believe I saved any from restaurant work this spring ... now watch, I'll come across a set  ;)

[jojo]

Thanks for the replies, guys. So I decided to do the vertical seams at 2 and 10, and then another horizontal seam along the top part. I sewed up a test cover with scrap, and the problem is when I fold the fabric to the underside to staple it at the center. It creates a lot of wrinkles. I'm thinking of sewing yet another seam along the bottom the exact shape of the curve so that I don't have to pull any fabric to the underside at the inside center.
Do you think this will work?
This is a nightmare; I've done a Seadoo seat before, and it was a breeze compared to this. No amount of heat or stretchy vinyl can make this work! Or if it is possible, it would take a whole day to do one seat back.  :(

[Lo]

Not sure if this will help as your vertical seams may already have this pattern shape ... if not I am attempting a first picture post and have drawn out the shapes I mentioned in my earlier post.

Very rough sketch so no finger-wagging at my 2nd grade pic :-)

[baileyuph]

The seams at 10 and 2, try not sewing them all the way down but just far enought that they enter the curve and back sew but leave an extra selvage in the seam so you can lap at the very bottom.  This will allow you another adjustment.  If that doesn't quite get you where you want to be and there is too much fullness, consider a smaller taper in the seam.

Which way you running the stretch, side to side?

Don't give up, once you get a pattern that works, speed will be fast for the rest.

I suppose you plan to lap at the very front, turn under at both edges of a side?
Doyle

[jojo]

Lo, that is exactly it! I thought of it while obsessing over it in bed last night; even dreamed about it. I ran out to the shop first thing to test it, and I can get away with about 2 inches of fabric at the bottom of the v without it wrinkling when folded under.
Doyle, sadly this vinyl has hardly any stretch. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm looking forward to moving this one out of the shop and out of my life.
Bobbin, take note; this is the only way to cover a giant puffy horseshoe.

[JuneC]

One thing I've done on particularly horrific shapes (when they're small enough) is to make a template out of blue painter's tape.  I did a dash for a car like this and it worked out really well.  Just get 1" or 1.5" low-adhesion tape and cover the whole dang thing with tape, using lots and crosshatching so it's not delicate when removed.  Draw lines where you want your seams, keeping in mind that you want flat patterns when you take it off, remove the tape template and cut apart your template pieces.  The tape won't be perfectly flat but you can get really close.

June

[jojo]

Thanks June,
I may have to go this route. Just tried the taper thing, and it can't be done in just 3 pieces.  The center piece lays beautifully, but you have to divide the sides into 3 pieces also, and I'm afraid it will look stupid.
Sigh, it's the job that never ends.

[bobbin]

Lo's diagram really "illustrates" how strange looking the shapes can be when you're trying to come up with something that has to fit around curves!

I really like June's suggestion of using the painter's tape.  Very clever!

Go for it JoJo.  And take pictures and good notes so you'll remember how you did it when the next set of curves bar stools comes into your shop.  ;)

[jojo]

Yeah, so I'm still in the experimental phase here. I'm back to trying to get it covered with one piece of vinyl. My findings so far are that you can't start in the center. So I've tried stapling it at the outside of both sides so the the vinyl is stretched in the middle. Then when I try to turn the center to the bottom portion, I can tell it has potential to be nice and smooth around that inside curve, but when I make relief cuts, they spread further than I want them to and you can see some of the foam bulging out around the bottom. Why can't I do this??