Finding this video 10 years later. With me measuring and cutting and my wife’s sewing skills, we were able to knock this out in an afternoon. This video is amazing! Saving it for future project bikes.
Just used this video to make a new seat cover for my boyfriend's 1973 Yamaha 125. It came out beautifully! Instead of foam I used batting, and I used spray adhesive to add ripstop fabric to the back to prevent the stitches from pulling through. I still have enough vinyl left over to make another whole cover, and all the materials only cost about $20. Definitely an upgrade from the original seat (which was about 50% duct tape after 41 years!). Thank you!
Hi eric I live in the U.K. I am going to embark on making a seat cover for my bobber I am currently building, I use to work in a naval base in what was called a sailloft on a sewing machine so I am going to have a go you have inspired me eric many thanks , I will send you a picture when I've finished. Regards, Kevin Norley , Plymouth, U.K.
i am teaching myself to sew (clothes). your videos are so good that they make me thirsty to learn anything (sewn or not). ...and your work is so very neat. thanks
I'm really enjoying these new videos you're doing Eric. The production quality is very, very high. The explanations and voiceovers are excellent and the project choices have been really good for beginners/intermediates. Whenever anyone asks me for "tutorial videos" I immediately refer them to your channel. There isn't anyone else on youtube that's doing it better than you guys. Keep it up and thank you!
that foam looks so much better thing than just regular sponge. That was great vid. I sew but automotive upholstery are every once in a while challenges ( as needed ). I will surely use some of your tricks. Thanks
It's so easy when you have the right tools for it. I have done several seats with a sewing machine that was not designed to sew so thick materials (it was a pain) and I have done a few without any sewing machine. I have never used any glue for the foam just marked the different layers at the same locations so I could keep them aligned.
I sewed one by hand after watching this. Took a weekend and the result was pretty good. A sewing machine would have been much faster a easier. for about 40$ though I have a good seat cover and I learned a new trick. Thanks for the video and formula
Great Video, I am going to cover my 5 motorcycle seats, just bought a Pfaff 1245 machine, can't wait to get started. many thanks for making your video. Cheers From NZ
I've watched many of your videos and used many of the techniques. Great job. I have an upholstery shop in Alberta Canada and have bought several of your products as well. Let me tell you of an easier way to join boxing thats dead accurate and much easier. first lay one end down and mark where the center line is that you want your seam . add your seam allowance and cut it off. Then simply lay the other side of the boxing over the first end double your seam allowance ,which in this case would be one inch and cut it off.The trick here is when you lay over, eyeballing an inch is chancy , however if you tick a mark at a half inch (which is naturally what you're looking at as seam) and then another tick a half inch away from that you'll have the perfect one inch. Do this top and bottom and with out a ruler or straight edge you'll cut and sew a perfectly centered seam every time.
Thank you for this very nicely put video. I want to do a DIY and fix my very old 86 civic seats. I'm learning leather stitch, yeap from youtube university, and your video was crucial to learn about the 1/8 inch seam measure - THANK YOU Semper Fi
Good video all details are explained in great detail I'm excited to try this and prepared to make a few horrific seat cover trying to achieve my goal lol glad I bought a ton of extra materials
This was GREAT! I have a question. Have you seen a stapler that would work in tight spaces, with no more than 2" height to work with? I've run across this situation twice recently when rebuilding large boat seats with recessed cushions. There's no convenient way to staple down the "pulls" which keep the vinyl taut. When I get out to the edge there's no more room for our Senco stapler.
I've made seat covers for my Honda GoldWing. The only problem with imitating the original one is the stitching. The saddle will act like a sponge in the rain because of the tiny stitch holes and you know how it feels when sitting on a wet sponge.
How is the best way to re-install the new finished cover on a steel seat pan with robots as opposed to staples? is there a method to do to get it even and stretched tight?
The Sailrite Ultrafeed sewing machines do not have a drop down feed dog and the upper walking foot does must always come in contact with the feed dog, so it is not a good machine for quilting, sorry.
@@SailriteDIY I think I'm gonna give it a shot using your video. I have little experience sewing from middle school 😂. I ordered some vinyl, now just need to find a used sewing machine.
Never sew were your top thread is from the (stock thread)bobbin, as top thread from the spool is better for top thread, looks and finishing, also sewing were you finish material is face down risks damage from the machine. I alway try to make the primary stich shorter than the top stitch length.@13:48 we can see the tension on the bobbin thread wasn't tight enough to pull the top thread below sight and shows up on the finished work as incorrect stitch. Over all fair to nice work.
Hey, no problem. All you need to do a cover like in this video (with the same quality stitch and to not possibly break your machine), is a ($2000+) heavy-duty, fully commercial sewing machine with a walking foot, like the one shown in the video, and be trained on it enough not to ruin your materials. Simple.
The thinner foam "Polyurethane Foam With Fabric Backing" is what gives the top vinyl fabric the pleated look. Without sewing into the foam the fabric would only show stitch lines and not the rounded pleats.
Nice machine. I'd love to have one that size as my Silverton boat needs some new eisenglass up top. And nice job on the seat cover. Is it possible to do this on a simple home quality machine?
Hi Mr Walter, I don't think regular sewing machines have the torque to punch through some seams where you stack up to 8 layers of thick materials. I have sewn through thick denim with a replica of the singer farmer's sewing machine, which is technically a home sewing machine. Be careful while trying to sew rubbery materials on machines that don't have a walking foot since the presser foot is fixed, the rubber gets stuck on it while the feed dogs under move your bottom piece.
How would one do this for a metal seat pan, as for the staples wouldn't go through the metal? would you use a rivet type method? Also this is not a factory metal seat pan so it doesn't have the triangular "teeth" to bite the fabric, and is why I am asking
Those usually have a thing where a section of heavy wire is hooked into the rim of the seat. The vinyl is folded around the wire then pulled tight by the wire.
Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing all this. I have an old (1923) Singer sewing machine that pulls much heavier fabric than my new(ish) Neff, it's amazing what that old tractor can do. I'll give it a try with vinyl, the seat of my new motorbike got a nasty tear and I'll take the chance to completely re-do the seat (I didn't like it anyway!). Cafe-racer, here I'm coming! Question: what is the best thread that can be used with a home sewing machine for stitching vinyl? The thicker needle I have is a 110 for leather.
Great! Let us know how it comes out. If you have questions, just ask. You will find a lot of great products for this and other projects at www.sailrite.com
In some cases a home sewing machine may work. Vinyl fabric can be difficult to feed in a non walking foot sewing machine since they are tacking and sometimes stick to the presser foot. Sometimes a roller presser foot can help for those who do not have a walking foot. I like to test a home sewing machines by getting some blue jean denim and trying to sew 4 to 5 layers of denim. If it can do that chances are it may work, if not I would not even attempt to sew projects like this. Using a heavy duty needle does not improve a home sewing machines ability to sew, it only allows a heavier thread to be sewn through thicker fabric assemblies.
the back stitch should be done on the inside of the 1/2" . This way you will not put a million holes in the vinyl as well you will not see the backstitch joint. This would not apply with a french seam though. I have sewn many miles and this is routine. The band on the seat should be cut concave on the seat corners slightly to draw in the material so it will fit much better around the corners too
Haha, trust me, I learned that the hard way too! Sewing can be a real challenge, but it's all about trial and error. Just be prepared for a few wonky stitches along the way!
Sailrite Yes, using a silicon on the underside will help keep water out. Also you may want to use a silk film plastic to cover the foam first then install the cover. This noiseless silk film helps prevent water from getting into the foam. You can find this product here: www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Silk-Film-Center-Fold-54
Place a layer of "Cushion Wrap Silk Film" between the foam and the outer vinyl fabric. Here is a link: www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Silk-Film-Center-Fold-54
Same question. So you glue the film to the bottom of the vinyl on one side and the foam on the other side? Do you worry about water entering the stitching holes and becoming trapped in the foam under the film? Thanks.
The machine used in this video is the Sailrite LS-1: www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines/Ultrafeed-LS-1-Sewing-Machine
We are using the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 Sewing Machine found here: www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines/Ultrafeed-LS-1-Sewing-Machine Yes, that is a marriage ring tattoo.
Finding this video 10 years later. With me measuring and cutting and my wife’s sewing skills, we were able to knock this out in an afternoon. This video is amazing! Saving it for future project bikes.
Wow, it’s incredible how timeless some videos can be! Glad to hear you both tackled the project together, teamwork makes the dream work!
Just used this video to make a new seat cover for my boyfriend's 1973 Yamaha 125. It came out beautifully! Instead of foam I used batting, and I used spray adhesive to add ripstop fabric to the back to prevent the stitches from pulling through. I still have enough vinyl left over to make another whole cover, and all the materials only cost about $20. Definitely an upgrade from the original seat (which was about 50% duct tape after 41 years!). Thank you!
Excellent! Glad we could help. If you have any questions regarding our many videos or products at: www.sailrite.com let us know.
Heather Perkins nice
Nice
Amazing! My sewing skills has only just kicked off lol. One day I will be a master sewer.
Hi eric I live in the U.K. I am going to embark on making a seat cover for my bobber I am currently building, I use to work in a naval base in what was called a sailloft on a sewing machine so I am going to have a go you have inspired me eric many thanks , I will send you a picture when I've finished.
Regards, Kevin Norley , Plymouth, U.K.
Kevin,
Excellent! I can't wait to see the photos. Send them to eric@sailrite.com
Looks good. Don't forget with a pneumatic stapler you'll also need a compressor. There are also Electric ones that should have similar results.
i am teaching myself to sew (clothes). your videos are so good that they make me thirsty to learn anything (sewn or not). ...and your work is so very neat. thanks
Thanks for the positive comments. I hope your sewing projects go well.
Amazing quality, thats the first time I know those types of seats are called pleated seats
You learn something new every day! Now you can impress your friends with your knowledge of pleated seats.
Unreal talent, I can only dream I have the sewing skills.
Im 7 years late but awesome video- im getting ready to try my first seat recover thanks
I'm really enjoying these new videos you're doing Eric. The production quality is very, very high. The explanations and voiceovers are excellent and the project choices have been really good for beginners/intermediates. Whenever anyone asks me for "tutorial videos" I immediately refer them to your channel. There isn't anyone else on youtube that's doing it better than you guys. Keep it up and thank you!
Thanks for the positive comments!
that foam looks so much better thing than just regular sponge. That was great vid. I sew but automotive upholstery are every once in a while challenges ( as needed ). I will surely use some of your tricks. Thanks
Glad we could help.
It's so easy when you have the right tools for it. I have done several seats with a sewing machine that was not designed to sew so thick materials (it was a pain) and I have done a few without any sewing machine. I have never used any glue for the foam just marked the different layers at the same locations so I could keep them aligned.
+Gábor Lipcsei Very true! Thanks for your comments.
I have made 2 two seat covers using very old foot powered seving machine.
I sewed one by hand after watching this. Took a weekend and the result was pretty good. A sewing machine would have been much faster a easier. for about 40$ though I have a good seat cover and I learned a new trick. Thanks for the video and formula
Excellent!
What an excellent instructional video! Good detail and clarity on the steps.
Great Video, I am going to cover my 5 motorcycle seats, just bought a Pfaff 1245 machine, can't wait to get started. many thanks for making your video. Cheers From NZ
You are welcome! I hope they come out great!
Fantastically done video! You make it look so easy!
But I will try... VERY much looking forward to my LSV-1 sometime in the next few months!!
INCREDIBLE and very explanatory!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
+TakeThefinger Thanks for your positive comment.
Thank you. The video was very informative and easy to understand. The final result looks impressive.
Glad you liked it, let us know if you have questions about any of our products or videos at www.sailrite.com we are happy to help!
I've watched many of your videos and used many of the techniques. Great job. I have an upholstery shop in Alberta Canada and have bought several of your products as well.
Let me tell you of an easier way to join boxing thats dead accurate and much easier.
first lay one end down and mark where the center line is that you want your seam . add your seam allowance and cut it off. Then simply lay the other side of the boxing over the first end double your seam allowance ,which in this case would be one inch and cut it off.The trick here is when you lay over, eyeballing an inch is chancy , however if you tick a mark at a half inch (which is naturally what you're looking at as seam) and then another tick a half inch away from that you'll have the perfect one inch. Do this top and bottom and with out a ruler or straight edge you'll cut and sew a perfectly centered seam every time.
Excellent! We will try this in an upcoming video. Thanks for the tip!!!!
The seat looks like it is from a Tomos moped, not motorcycle. Super excited to try out this technique. Thanks for the video!
We found this seat in someones garage, so it may be from a Tomos Moped, who knows. It was useful for this video.
Truly an excellent video
Thanks!!!
Excellent demo, thank you. Very Profesional 👍
Great stuff! Guess who would like to recover the torn seat on his son's Yamaha 250cc Virago!
Well done. A very good instructional video. Clear and concise.
Thank you for this very nicely put video. I want to do a DIY and fix my very old 86 civic seats. I'm learning leather stitch, yeap from youtube university, and your video was crucial to learn about the 1/8 inch seam measure - THANK YOU
Semper Fi
You are welcome!
I love that sewing machine,will get one,i am in the boat canvas industry....
Good video all details are explained in great detail I'm excited to try this and prepared to make a few horrific seat cover trying to achieve my goal lol glad I bought a ton of extra materials
This was GREAT!
I have a question.
Have you seen a stapler that would work in tight spaces, with no more than 2" height to work with?
I've run across this situation twice recently when rebuilding large boat seats with recessed cushions.
There's no convenient way to staple down the "pulls" which keep the vinyl taut.
When I get out to the edge there's no more room for our Senco stapler.
Will this one work: www.sailrite.com/EZE-TC-08-Long-Nose-Staple-Gun
great video ,,, looks so easy when you watch some one else go round the corners
Thx for the lesson, sensei!
What does it cost for a sailrite polo shirt with ultrafeed LZS-1, below the sailrite logo?!? XL SHORT SLEEVE?
Angela makes it look very easy. Excellent job
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much for making this video
Very exhaustive and clear as a bell! Thank you!
Thank you very good video. Best regards Göran.
Thank you too
Very great video! Thinking about doing this to my seat
I've made seat covers for my Honda GoldWing. The only problem with imitating the original one is the stitching. The saddle will act like a sponge in the rain because of the tiny stitch holes and you know how it feels when sitting on a wet sponge.
Nice tutorial!
How is the best way to re-install the new finished cover on a steel seat pan with robots as opposed to staples? is there a method to do to get it even and stretched tight?
Are there any special needles or feet attachments that you need for your sewing machine in order to do the quilting.
The Sailrite Ultrafeed sewing machines do not have a drop down feed dog and the upper walking foot does must always come in contact with the feed dog, so it is not a good machine for quilting, sorry.
Angela's sewing is great. How long has she been sewing seat covers? Thank you
She has been sewing for years and continues to do so now.
Excellent tutorial
Thanks!
What should I expect to pay go have a cover made? Small seat similar to the one in the video
Most canvas shops charge about $65 per hour. It might take about two hours for them to complete this job.
@@SailriteDIY I think I'm gonna give it a shot using your video. I have little experience sewing from middle school 😂. I ordered some vinyl, now just need to find a used sewing machine.
Beautiful
Nice and useful, Thanks
Very good work very ilustrativo súper profesional congratulations 🏈🃏😁🏉⚽👍
Never sew were your top thread is from the (stock thread)bobbin, as top thread from the spool is better for top thread, looks and finishing, also sewing were you finish material is face down risks damage from the machine. I alway try to make the primary stich shorter than the top stitch length.@13:48 we can see the tension on the bobbin thread wasn't tight enough to pull the top thread below sight and shows up on the finished work as incorrect stitch. Over all fair to nice work.
This little video if first rate. Thanks!
Hey, no problem. All you need to do a cover like in this video (with the same quality stitch and to not possibly break your machine), is a ($2000+) heavy-duty, fully commercial sewing machine with a walking foot, like the one shown in the video, and be trained on it enough not to ruin your materials. Simple.
Wow looks great!!!!!!!
Glad you like it!
Fantastic work. Thank you !!
Glad you liked it!
I am assuming that using thinner foam behind the pleating makes the pleats not look so tall and round?
The thinner foam "Polyurethane Foam With Fabric Backing" is what gives the top vinyl fabric the pleated look. Without sewing into the foam the fabric would only show stitch lines and not the rounded pleats.
What a deep voice
Great job
Are there any videos of you guys using the 1/4 foam? I'd like to see what it looks like when sewn. Thanks!
Not yet for making pleats, sorry.
It's all good. Thanks for the reply!
Nice machine. I'd love to have one that size as my Silverton boat needs some new eisenglass up top. And nice job on the seat cover. Is it possible to do this on a simple home quality machine?
Hi Mr Walter, I don't think regular sewing machines have the torque to punch through some seams where you stack up to 8 layers of thick materials. I have sewn through thick denim with a replica of the singer farmer's sewing machine, which is technically a home sewing machine. Be careful while trying to sew rubbery materials on machines that don't have a walking foot since the presser foot is fixed, the rubber gets stuck on it while the feed dogs under move your bottom piece.
Thank you. Very detailed. Hopefully I can follow this.
You can do it. Let us know if you have any questions along the way.
How would one do this for a metal seat pan, as for the staples wouldn't go through the metal? would you use a rivet type method? Also this is not a factory metal seat pan so it doesn't have the triangular "teeth" to bite the fabric, and is why I am asking
Those usually have a thing where a section of heavy wire is hooked into the rim of the seat. The vinyl is folded around the wire then pulled tight by the wire.
I think I am going to rivet it to the seat as the metal has been replaced and/or modified from the original shape, Thanks for the info though.
Ok. good thinking. I suggest using beveled fender washers under the rivets to prevent the vinyl from tearing out.
Very good suggestion. I have never used rivets on a job like that, so i would love to hear how it worked out.
Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing all this. I have an old (1923) Singer sewing machine that pulls much heavier fabric than my new(ish) Neff, it's amazing what that old tractor can do. I'll give it a try with vinyl, the seat of my new motorbike got a nasty tear and I'll take the chance to completely re-do the seat (I didn't like it anyway!). Cafe-racer, here I'm coming!
Question: what is the best thread that can be used with a home sewing machine for stitching vinyl? The thicker needle I have is a 110 for leather.
Make sure the thread is sun rated black crown is amazing thread
fantastic. going to try it!
Great! Let us know how it comes out. If you have questions, just ask. You will find a lot of great products for this and other projects at www.sailrite.com
Thanks for this. Silly question...do you use any special kind of thread?
For this type of project we used a V-92 Polyester thread.
another great video. wonderful job. And yes, I had a few Tomos mopeds, and I did recognize the seat. Good job Aimlessmoto, keen eye
Thanks!
Great Video !!
nice one...
An excellent video and well explained, can a normal household sewing machine be used for this type of work ? with a heavy duty needle, regards Doc Cox
In some cases a home sewing machine may work. Vinyl fabric can be difficult to feed in a non walking foot sewing machine since they are tacking and sometimes stick to the presser foot. Sometimes a roller presser foot can help for those who do not have a walking foot. I like to test a home sewing machines by getting some blue jean denim and trying to sew 4 to 5 layers of denim. If it can do that chances are it may work, if not I would not even attempt to sew projects like this. Using a heavy duty needle does not improve a home sewing machines ability to sew, it only allows a heavier thread to be sewn through thicker fabric assemblies.
Thank you for your reply, regards Doc Cox
Thank you for sharing this great info!
Your welcome!
great video!
Thanks!!!
your videos are awsome.
thank you for sharing
You are welcome!
nice job
tank you... ferry clear !
Great video!
Thanks!!!
Muito bom. Gostei muito. Vou fazer pra minha bicicleta motorizada.
the back stitch should be done on the inside of the 1/2" . This way you will not put a million holes in the vinyl as well you will not see the backstitch joint. This would not apply with a french seam though. I have sewn many miles and this is routine. The band on the seat should be cut concave on the seat corners slightly to draw in the material so it will fit much better around the corners too
Great suggestions! I will do this in the future. Thanks a million.
What I learned from this is you better know a whole lot about sewing before trying to do something like this.
Haha, trust me, I learned that the hard way too! Sewing can be a real challenge, but it's all about trial and error. Just be prepared for a few wonky stitches along the way!
How do you do when the seat bottom is in steel, not plastic/wood. Thanks
Those types of seats usually have triangular prongs built into the metal that grip the fabric cover. Does your steel bottom plate have those prongs?
Great video, very well explained.
with all that stitching won't it soak up water like a sieve?
True the needle holes will allow more water to soak into the cushion's foam.
I've made a few seat covers and you are right, so I cover the stitching on the underside with RTV silicon rubber.
Sailrite Yes, using a silicon on the underside will help keep water out. Also you may want to use a silk film plastic to cover the foam first then install the cover. This noiseless silk film helps prevent water from getting into the foam. You can find this product here: www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Silk-Film-Center-Fold-54
good job ... -i like this
Great! Thanks for the positive comment.
What kind of machine sewing needle did you use?
A standard size #20 needle.
what foam would you use for custom car seats?
+NaTs24 I would use a high density foam 2.5 or higher with a IFD of about 50. Here is a link: www.sailrite.com/easearch#!&ea_q=high%20density
Sailrite Okay thanks.
Very nice
+izet bytyqi We are glad you liked it. Let us know if you have questions.
this also seem to apply for car seats :)
since i want to completely renew my carseat leather
Yes, it does. Hope your project comes out nice!
Sailrite Gonna try soon, let you know!
Skills!!!
nice tutorial, thank you so much!
PU gel pad which can be inserted into your motorcycle seat for comfort sitting.
Is this vinyl that you sell?
Hi about water proofing?
Place a layer of "Cushion Wrap Silk Film" between the foam and the outer vinyl fabric. Here is a link: www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Silk-Film-Center-Fold-54
Same question. So you glue the film to the bottom of the vinyl on one side and the foam on the other side? Do you worry about water entering the stitching holes and becoming trapped in the foam under the film? Thanks.
can this be done with a regular sewing machine?
Yes, it can be done with a home sewing machine, as long as it is a heavy duty home sewing machine.
Beautiful....
what machine is Angela using?
Angela is using this sewing machine: www.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Ultrafeed-LS-1-PLUS-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine
upholstery industrial type. I think harbor freight used to sell the green version.
Very very good job
Thank you for vdo.
You are welcome! Glad you liked it.
merci pour la demo très bien
Je vous en prie!
What machine was used in this video.
The machine used in this video is the Sailrite LS-1: www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines/Ultrafeed-LS-1-Sewing-Machine
Should have removed old cover first. Bad edges will cut through the new cover.
Nice video!!!!
muito bom . Bem trabalhado.
I have a yammy 400 and now I will fix it myself
What sewing machine is Angela using? Also is that tattoo a marriage ring?
We are using the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 Sewing Machine found here: www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines/Ultrafeed-LS-1-Sewing-Machine Yes, that is a marriage ring tattoo.
Great vid. Do you ship overseas?
Yes, we do.