The Upholstery Forum

Hello All,

have this project on a jeep artist.
Basically the seats are in good state. The customer just want a cover of leather to impose on the fabric to prevent just.

want to know if there is a universal pattern for such projects.

Not that I have ever seen. Youll just have to make your own pattern.

No easy way out of this one, got to make a pattern and hope it turns out

This was and has been some thing I’ve been wondering about. If there was a way, a website or forum like this, that patterns could be shared on. The hardest part would be quality control. But as someone made a pattern if there was a way to scan the pattern and make a file of it. Then if you need that pattern you just download and print to size. It’ll have the alignment marks etc on it. Could save a lot of time. If it’s a vehicle that is popular in one area but not another. The person who may do one their whole life doesn’t have to waste time making a pattern.

In theory that’s an excellent idea, makes me wonder about the practicability. It would be nice if they were proofed or reviewed by someone before they could get in the system to avoid expensive disappointments.

I agree and its something I have thought of doing for years. The reason I haven't and I believe no one else has is because you can make perfect patterns for a seat and then if you go to use those same patterns in another car (same model, same seats) and the cover fits like trash. Its because the foam has taken a different shape due to how its used, how heavy the driver is, How often its used. This is why most prefab covers fit poorly. Because there can be such a variance in the foam due different conditions.

@John, you hit the nail right on the head! I have learned the hard way to pattern with the foam that comes in or else everything can fit like a baggy piece of cover

Yup... Its unfortunate but if you want a nice fit its gotta be custom. Even on right to left in the same car you need to make individual templates because the foam can vary so much based on the usage from driver and passenger....

I agree these are things to consider. I don’t think the template idea would be the end product. But if you’re making a template from scratch, wouldn’t it be easier to just take a pre made template. Start there and alter that? Just skip a few steps. Not that I’d be able to create this type of site anyways.

I have installed seat covers made by PUI on a 64 GTO that were off an inch in the side and bottom I called them as they guarantee fit they said that I was not installing them properly sent them photos and explained their faults they responded the next day and told me that their pattern was wrong. The customer had already waited 6 weeks for them to get them to him he asked me if i could fix the problem as all his experience with mfg was horrible. I fixed the covers and got him going again with no delay. Recently done a 57 T-bird the customer bought an original cover for, installed new replacement foam and cover but the cover was cut so close that I steamed the cover and barely pulled enough to hog ring and tack fabric. How much would it cost to have allowed another 1/2 to 3/4 inch more fabric on the boxing?

I have never heard anyone speak well of PUI or really any pre-made cover companies. Anytime I have a customer thats wants me to install pre-made covers I always tell them that I charge for time and materials. There is no way to know if you will have 2 hours in install time or 25 hours fussing around with those poor fitting covers. I have lost my ass on those jobs before by committing to a set price.