diymom
Active Member
enthralled with my 1969 Terry, problem is it keeps me awake at night planning
Posts: 323 
Likes: 51
1969 terry 18'
Currently Offline
|
Post by diymom on Sept 28, 2015 22:09:37 GMT -8
I am starting to figure out my fabrics and colors...I was wondering if anyone had used denim in their upholstery, regular or stretch with any success and if it was something that worked well or was problematic. I know there are many types of denim including denim look alikes made from synthetics.
I was thinking of incorporating it into my upholstery like around the sides of cushions for contrast and using it for pillows and trim. I figured it would hold up well to use and washing and little boys.
I'm thinking of a thinner type denim since I only have a regular sewing machine.
I also wonder what your thoughts are toward using original cushion foam if it's in good shape-literally. Foam is quite pricey to buy new and I have had really bad experiences with the density...some foam gives out really fast.
|
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Sept 29, 2015 8:02:48 GMT -8
diymom, you know once you do your own seat cushion repairs, you will want to do more. I did a quick searchtempest search for used commercial grade sewing machines that could sew denim and came up with this one. Needs the timing reset, but the asking price of $100 (maybe $100 Canadian) or open to reasonable offers is pretty fair. Says can sew through 4 layers of denim. I have a neechi commercial machine and have had a bit of fun with it over the years. Think of something like this as a vintage camper repair "tool" added to your current collection of tools. If you go with standard denim, consider buying some very cheap Goodwill jeans and salvaging the hip pockets from them and adding those to your throw pillows... abbotsford.craigslist.ca/hsh/5241554697.html |
|
SusieQ
Global Moderator 
Posts: 4,781
Likes: 1,197
'62 Shasta Compact
Currently Offline
|
Post by SusieQ on Sept 29, 2015 8:26:13 GMT -8
If your foam is in good shape, reuse it . You may want to clean/ sanitize it first and add a new topper and some batting to it. Search for the discussions here about cleaning foam.
|
|
modernme
Active Member
Posts: 206
Likes: 74
1966 Shasta Super 18'
Currently Offline
|
Post by modernme on Sept 29, 2015 19:55:06 GMT -8
My plan is for denim on my rear sofa that makes down into a bed. I haven't gotten that far though, and it will probably be one of the last things I do, so I can't vouch for whether or not it works well.
|
|
diymom
Active Member
enthralled with my 1969 Terry, problem is it keeps me awake at night planning
Posts: 323
Likes: 51
1969 terry 18'
Currently Offline
|
Post by diymom on Oct 3, 2015 16:40:37 GMT -8
If your foam is in good shape, reuse it . You may want to clean/ sanitize it first and add a new topper and some batting to it. Search for the discussions here about cleaning foam. Thanks for the tip, I felt really weird 're using the foam because I didn't know it would be cleanable. That will be really reassuring knowing it's been sanitized! I live near the fabric district in downtown LA, they have everything including lots of denim. Would it be better to sew denim covers smaller due to its tendency to stretch? I don't know what I will end up with thickness wise, or if it will have stretch, I would really like to know if anyone has some denim pointers before I make the purchase. The trailer work is coming along quickly, a lot faster than I anticipated and I expect to be moving on to sewing and compiling fabrics and colors late next month before Christmas craziness. |
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Oct 4, 2015 7:40:42 GMT -8
If your foam is in good shape, reuse it . You may want to clean/ sanitize it first and add a new topper and some batting to it. Search for the discussions here about cleaning foam. Thanks for the tip, I felt really weird 're using the foam because I didn't know it would be cleanable. That will be really reassuring knowing it's been sanitized! I live near the fabric district in downtown LA, they have everything including lots of denim. Would it be better to sew denim covers smaller due to its tendency to stretch? I don't know what I will end up with thickness wise, or if it will have stretch, I would really like to know if anyone has some denim pointers before I make the purchase. The trailer work is coming along quickly, a lot faster than I anticipated and I expect to be moving on to sewing and compiling fabrics and colors late next month before Christmas craziness. You have some good questions regarding denim. I lived in Kuta Beach Bali for almost 3 years and had a small tourist clothing manufacturing business going when I was not working off-shore. The cloth suppliers in Denpasar had lots of different quality cloth that looked similar, but did not perform similar. Some of our products made their way to the garment district in LA. I definitely would ask a lot of questions about colorfastness, durability and "stretch". Buying fabric in the fabric district should produce what you are looking for, but obviously cost per yard can not be the driving force. Try to find an advisor you feel you can trust. I also did a search for upholstery grade denim manufactured in the USA. Got lots of suppliers...here is a sample thread...picking the right denim might not be as easy as it would seem. search.store.yahoo.net/discountfabricsusa/cgi-bin/nsearch?vwcatalog=discountfabricsusa&query=denim&x=11&y=12 |
|
diymom
Active Member
enthralled with my 1969 Terry, problem is it keeps me awake at night planning
Posts: 323
Likes: 51
1969 terry 18'
Currently Offline
|
Post by diymom on Oct 4, 2015 21:16:45 GMT -8
I couldn't find any threads on cleaning foam in this section. I will just search the web.
I think I will try sewing a few covers for small test pieces of foam out of a few different Denims and give them to my kids to trample for a few weeks to see how thickness, stretch and strength differ...they can use them later on in their bunk area of the trailer.
|
|
ladywendolyn
2K Member
Posts: 2,315
Likes: 928
1964 Golden Falcon
Currently Offline
|
Post by ladywendolyn on Oct 6, 2015 4:41:44 GMT -8
Being able to sew denim has more to do with the needle and thread thickness than the machine. Regular denim can be sewn with a home machine with a denim needle and a slightly thicker thread. Try a few samples of different thread sizes until you see how thick of thread your machine will sew well with. I have sewn denims, canvas, and thick velvets with a home machine before I owned a commercial one. If you are patient and careful you will be successful. Some of the Sunbrella fabrics are thinner than denim but stronger. You may want to consider a blue one if you are concerned about fabric thickness.
|
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Oct 6, 2015 14:51:53 GMT -8
Attended an auction on Sunday. They had a very nice Necci commercial sewing machine for sale. I bid it up to $35 and then dropped out, since I already have one. It sold for $40. Lots of interesting things turn up in local auctions held by professional auctioneers. Since the crash in 2008 there are bargains galore waiting for you the bidder. It was a VERY nice machine!
|
|
txoil
Active Member
Posts: 459
Likes: 149
1960 Shasta Deluxe 19
Currently Offline
|
Post by txoil on Oct 7, 2015 17:38:06 GMT -8
I learned to sew on a 1960's vintage Magic Stitch machine which I paid $25 for in a pawn shop. It was VERY heavy duty and would have sewed steel plate to a battleship if needed. There are tons of heavy duty old machines available, just keep your eyes open!
|
|
