Upholstery DIY Diamond pleats/quilting

There was a post last week on the '60s use of diamond pleats for interiors. I did a search and found that no one had done a demo of laying them out and sewing diamonds for interior seats and panels.

It has been years since I have done diamonds, but I did so many in the '70s that it is embedded in my mind forever. Teaching upholstery to 75 to 100 students a year during those years meant almost every kid did their interior. I would guess 90% of them did diamonds. It was popular.

I've kept in the back of my mind that my "A" Sport Coupe may get white diamonds. Time will tell.

Hopefully this may help some one put diamonds in their ride.

This will take 5 more posts. So bear with me until I get it done.

Thanks - Jake

 

I use 1/2 inch foam with the muslin backing for panels and for seats I like to upgrade to a firmer foam as it holds the "puff" better and longer. To this I glue uph. grade denim to the back side. I never glue the top vinyl/fabric to the foam to allow it to shrink and move while sewing and when in use

The piece you see is 18" wide by 21 1/2" tall. Close to a typical seat cushion insert. The diamonds are 3" wide by 6" tall. A popular size for interiors in '60s and '70s. You can use the following formula for any size you like - just adjust the measurements. Remember that the pleating/quilting causes the panel to shrink. Usually 1/4" is allowed for each sew, but with diamonds the lines are diagonal. I figure tall/slender diamonds at 1/4" per diamond plus an inch for the width and 1/4" per diamond for the height. Works well and it's better to have a little too much than be short!

Start by measuring each side. Put a mark at half way up (cntr), a mark 3" up and 3" down from the center (half the height of the diamond). Then continue marking at 6" intervals on the rest of each side.

 

Then lay the ruler across from side to side on the center marks. Mark (upside down "T"s) at the center, 1 1/2" each side of center, and then every 3" each direction.

Next lay the ruler at each of the other corresponding side to side marks. Put a mark in the center and then every 3" each direction.

 

Now connect the dots. I always make the two lines next to the center diamond each way to make sure it looks right before making the rest of the lines. If all looks well make the rest of the lines. Here is the laid out panel pattern before sewing.

 

Always sew from the center of the design and work outward to each side. This allows the vinyl to shrink evenly from side to side. Sew all lines one direction and then starting from the center sew the opposite lines. I always sew pleats with the largest stitch possible (3-4 stitches @ inch). Too short of stitch will tear the vinyl eventually.

 

And here's the final product. The last pic has had the chalk lines wiped off and is stapled to the table top to show how it would look stretched over a trim panel or over a seat.

Good luck.

 

very cool..thanks for posting

 

Holy cow, great thread! I love diamonds, and now, if I run across a decent machine that I can afford, I can make my own diamond kick panels and rear shelf sections.

 

Jake when I get the money I'm bringing down my seats out of the '57.

 

Great Thread!!
I have a similar machine in my garage, cant wait to get it in action!!

 

Diamonds! Here's my first seat project:

 

bookmarking this one...

 

Very good post. Thanks for the info,,Alway great to learn a differnt way to do things. Thanks Again!!!

 

Great post on one of the old standards of young hotrodding's interior options.

You can also add covered or chrome buttons in any pattern or at all juncture points if you choose. Also very popular.

 

Can we get someone to do a post on making seats with tuck and roll and other designs? French seams, making piping, door panels, etc?

Awesome tech by the way, hope this one wins.

 

Good stuff. I recently had my seat/door panels done in the same pattern.

 

i would also like to be schooled in this area.

 

COOL! I was just gonna ask if it could be done on zodiac/metal flake.

 

Interesting post. I have sen a lot of roll/Pleats done but never diamond. Learn something every day on this site-Thanks

 

Thanks for the comments....just trying to share a little knowledge.

I have 2 or 3 interior trim threads on the SUEDES site....one is on pleats vs. tuck and roll.

http://www.suedescarclub.com/pn/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewforum&f=17

You do have to register and log in on the SUEDES site to see the pics.

 

Great tech! Thanks!

 

Cool post. Thanks.

 

Great post - I did my first upholstery job by myself, with a little help from several memebers of this forum. Here's a link to a thread that was amazing - I did my headliner similarly to how it is explained here. If you think you CAN'T do a headliner, read this thread - I did it, so can you!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38449&showall=1

 

Great thread ! I am self taught upholster and always interested in seeing how someone else does it. I would love to see a thread on Diamond tuck.

 

Whoa!! Thanks for the tech!! I have the same machine as you and I have been wanting to teach my self interior work but have been a bit busy lately. My wife wants to get into it also so I am going to show here this thread when I get home. Thanks again.

 

by diamond tuck, do you mean tufted?

 

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLLY!!!!!!!! I love you for doing this thread!!! I had been asking about this for awhile with no response. Awesome!!

 

awesome...just awesome.

 

Jake,

Thanx for doing an upholstery demo, it's one of two parts of hot rodding that I don't have a good grasp of and I would like to so I keep reading all the info that I can on here. I definitely dig the diamond and it great to have an idea of how to do it now.

Thanx again, I'll keep this in my tech subscriptions.
Jaysin

 

Quote - "Great thread ! I am self taught upholster and always interested in seeing how someone else does it. I would love to see a thread on Diamond tuck."

That is a very fine example of diamond tucked/tufted. Outstanding. It is a tough skill to develop. And it is very difficult to explain in written word and a few pics. It really is a show and tell as you do it. Some where I have some pics of a 1908 Maxwell Touring I did which is very similar to the pic rusty shows, but I can't find them.

There was a very good book on tufting many years ago. It was a small soft bound book that I learned tufting from. I'll look around for it and see if it's still available.

Jake