Differential Feed or gathering

[baileyuph]

Doing an upscale travel trailer interior (furniture) and original work incorporated DF  in cloth.

Doing this in vinyl, without differential feed but in vinyl.  Overlapping  pleats in vinyl bulk up.

Any ideas?

Doyle

[gene]

Hi Doyle,

If I understand your situation correctly:

Do many small pleats. You can pin the pleats with straight pins to get them spaced evenly before you sew the panels together.

Sew elastic to the back of the panels to allow them to bunch up without pleats and sew the panels together.

Use a serger with a differential feed. I've done this with fabrics but not with vinyl, so I don't know if vinyl would work on a home serger. If you have access to an industrial serger, that might work.

Let's say you need a panel of vinyl that is 20 inches long. Cut a panel of vinyl that is 30 or 40 inches, what ever you think will work. Sew across the top of the vinyl panel while scrunching it together to make a 20" length. You should be able to eye ball this to get it looking uniform.

I hope there's an idea here that helps.

gene

[MinUph]

Doyle,
  I hope you are using a very soft and pliable vinyl. Preferably cloth backed or flocked back. If you cut the vinyl planning on allowing a 3/4" seam allowance and then sew the puckering close to the edge when you sew the panels together the bulk should be better as it will be 1/2" away from the edge. When all is said and done you can trim off 1/4" and the seams will be a bit thinner as the bulk is done when you sew the puckering in. Hope this makes sense.

[baileyuph]

Flocked backing Paul.

What Gene and Paul says makes a lot of sense.  I am going to use these ideas, but don't think my serger will do Vinyl very well.  But, the pins and extra seam allowance is within the boundary of my machines.

Maybe tomorrow I can get back on this trailer interior.  Today, had a run on formal dining room chairs.  Seems everyone is getting ready for the holidays.  This work used some gorgeous materials - tapestry like. 

Thanks and you guys keep up the good work also.

Doyle