First Attempt.....

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps...Spent most of the day getting to know my new sewing machine....


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She's really ambitious....Although the floral crap she put in my mates car is shyte...

Anyway after loads of practice i made my first head rest....Not too bad....The seams ideally would have piping but i don't have any cord yet....






However there is one major problem.....






I made it for a cat......

......

Just finished 1 x TVR sun visor, Although the badge is not stuck on yet....Not too sure about it yet...

Edited by mrzigazaga on Wednesday 13th August 01:35

[mrzigazaga]

Jonah666 said:

Hi Zig, not bad for your first attempt. what car does your cat drive - a moggy minor?

Cheers mate....Yep...Morris the moggy in his morris "Moggy" minor....

smash said:

Mark - the guy who arranged our drive out to North Weald was an upholsterer for years and still does car trim - done loads of cobra's and stuff. I'll have a word with him for any hints and tips see if he'll have a chat if you want? Looks like you're doing pretty well so far on your own tho

Cheers Smash...All advice welcome mate...Im going to try to practice for around 8-10 hours a day...Next on the list is piping and edging...And I'm not talking cakes and lawns...

[mrzigazaga]

Just a small update...I have been getting used to making piping and stitching it in..(2nd attempt)....Im kinda get the hang of it....
I will make the other sun visor tonight then I'm going to have a go at making the full size head rest covers....I think i will definitely need an industrial machine to do the leather work...And i have my eye on a few...Just have to find someone with a van as most of them come with a table and the motor is underneath....Cheers...Ziga

Just small scale for now.


PS: I had another go at the sun visor as it was a bit shyte in places....

Here are both finished...Still some tiny faults but hey ho they are good enough for now...

Edited by mrzigazaga on Thursday 14th August 00:09

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps...Onwards and upwards as they say...Right here is my first attempt at re-creating the stitch needed for gear lever gaiters...

Bit of a pigs ear....



Then i re-thought the process and seem to of cracked it....Much better, Just need to keep practising the stitch...I will definitely need an industrial walking foot machine before i venture in to stitching foam backed leather/Vinyl and piping together...This machine seem ok for light work...

2nd Attempt...



Its all a big learning curve but I'm on it....Cheers....Ziga

[mrzigazaga]

phillpot said:

Keep up the practice!


If you get a proper "clever dicky" machine you can sew "TVR" direct onto fabric



Space saver cover and matching jack bag.

Cool...I have few ideas for some things that people may want...I have also just found this machine...Pfaff, Its had a brand new motor fitted and has a wheel instead of a walking foot, It came from a shoe factory so its good for thick pile...Belts...Or fingers..."OUCH"...Which i have already speared with the machine i have at the moment...

This machine is 130 miles away but for the price its worth hiring a van for....Just got to make some space for it...

[mrzigazaga]

I will remember to try to keep my fingers out of the way...I have already stabbed myself with my first machine trying to un-tie my first tangle.. Doing it on the industrial machine makes the accident industrial..."Ouch"...

Mind you if i had done it years ago then i probably would of been sick of it by now..I should progress quickly as lately my brain has been soaking info up surrounding loads of different things in my life...I think some of them are finally coming around...I should be picking up the industrial machine on Sunday....Just got to sling out a knackered bit of furniture to make some space ...Oh and i will be making TVR leather flip-flops....

[mrzigazaga]

ukdj said:

I wouldn't suggest doing any of it at this hour either Zig,

It's very easy to slip up and make a painful mistake when burning the midnight oil and the candle from the middle as well as both ends!

Get yer nut down and start afresh in the morning.

Dont talk wet mate.."Sleep when im dead"...While i was burning the midnight oil i made this...




And then this...




Then i thought why stop there so i made myself a pair of these...


Hopefully at this rate i will be opening..."ZIGFS"....Furniture store next weekend......

Edited by mrzigazaga on Friday 15th August 09:04

[mrzigazaga]

Might be useful if someone wants an exotic or custom pattern.......

[mrzigazaga]

ElvisWedgely said:

Mark. Any chance of making me a leather 68 comeback suit in black with TCB embossed on the collar and TVR embossed on the back?

Tony. TCB.

Once i get going mate i should imagine i would be able to make anything...

[mrzigazaga]

pasogrande said:

Mark,

One thing you will find on the industrial machines is that the pedal has very little movement form stop to full speed. I had to change the motor to one which has a choice of nine speeds. Make sure you test it before you buy it.

Some important things are missing from the machine in the picture. A knee pad to control the foot lift - this is something you will use all the time. Also I see no bobbin winder. There should be a spool holder, a light and a tool drawer.

Wilf.

Hi mate...Thanks for the heads up...I will call and ask about the bits missing although i don't need a tool drawer or a light as i have substitutes for both..I think the bobbin winder is on top of the machine but like you say there is no top thread holder, Maybe its out of frame or put to one side??...

It would be nice to have a variable speed over the motor as up to now it feels right, Having something that goes from stop to full on will be a bit too much i think....Cheers...Ziga

Sun visors fitted...I think they look okay...Although they will get better.....


First attempt at the actual size head rest cover with home made piping and scrim foam backed vinyl...Some areas are really tidy and look like a pro did it but some look like shyte so i will be having a bas at them again...Its cool that I'm learning by my mistakes..

[mrzigazaga]

smash said:

Mate you don't need any help! Can't believe how fast you're picking this up - top man!

Cheers Smash...Getting the hang of it for sure....As reference to the machine..(Wilf)..It didn't come with a light or a "Tools" drawer...(No problem)...It does have a top thread loader and a bobbin loader, The knee pad thingy is there as well but they could never get it set up right...The motor is variable according to the amount of pressure put on the foot pedal so all sounds good...Picking up a van in 1/2 hour and will be off in the morning to collect it....

[mrzigazaga]

Ta mate...

[mrzigazaga]

just got back..

[mrzigazaga]

Rockettvr said:

Hope it's a good machine for you - mind those fingers or you'll end up as Edward Zigahands

.....Nearly mate....Well its been a big learning curve...I have spent three days faffing around with the machine, Which is appropriate as its a Pfaff....I have cleaned all the old fluff out of it and bits of cotton that were wedged in some awkward places...Said the actress to the bishop....Oiled up all moving parts and it now runs a lot smoother, It was dropping stitches and kept getting tangled up but i have learnt all about the thread tensions and seem to of sorted it...Whilst cleaning it i thought i would check the drive belt..It seems that the previous owners have used a vee belt that is too small to fit around the motor pulley and the machine pulley and put it round the spindle instead.....So a new belt will be fitted and correctly tensioned.

I have been practising some free-hand...I will eventually stitch this into my head rests...Still need loads of practice....


I tried some erotic stitching but when i put the V on it looked a bit weird so i threw it in the bin....

[mrzigazaga]

Wedg1e said:

Ah, you had one of my ex-wives modelling for you then

Possibly...But is the drawing of a woman with no head and big bazookas or a flat chested one with a small head and wavy arms??.......I need a

[mrzigazaga]

Wedg1e said:

Well that accounts for two of the ex's then...

adam quantrill said:

You forgot to add "the mark of Ziggo"!

....Ill have to work on that one...Oh i made a vinyl lampshade although its about as useful as a monkeys armpit...It was meant to be a gearstick gaiter...I always was shyte at maths....

[mrzigazaga]

All good mate, That is very nice work...The thing with me is when i get into something i really get into it..I will persevere until i perfect certain ways of doing things...And trust me I'm not the kind of person who would ever let anything go as finished even if it was just one stitch!..Im a perfectionist and aim for quality not tat...My biggest learning curve will be fitting the finished cover to the requested part..Once that glue makes contact there is no going back, Its a matter of starting all over again.

My main goal is to simplify what i do to make it practical for business and pleasure, I will also learn upholstery to domestic chairs and mobile homes...Boat fitting..Although i will be banned from using any power tools near fibreglass..(some may know why...)...

I was also thinking about a new line in TVR driving clobber but it would have to be chiffon as not to scratch the seats....

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps...Right here is my second attempt at a TVR logo for the head rests...This time i made a template up instead of free handing it, Still not perfect yet....What do you think..Cheers...Ziga

[mrzigazaga]

Well i prepared two headrest covers....

Only to have the machine i recently bought ruin them....All its done since i bought it is shred thread, Snap thread and generally get caught in the machine, I have spent the last few days cleaning out as much fluff from the workings as possible and cleaning and re-oiling all the parts of the feed mechanism...But its still doing it, I have spoken to the lady that i bought it from and she is sorry this has happened and is not sure what as it was all working fine...I have also spoken to a couple of technicians about it who can come out to have a look and have said it could be a part that has worn, This is will obviously incur a call out fee and the part that it could be costs £100....

This is a major set back as my learning curve has come to an abrupt halt!...I tried using the machine i first bought but ended up getting my finger impailed on the needle..Panicking which only made it go deeper, I eventually managed to unhook myself from the machine with a lot of blood but very little damage to my finger which was a surprise as the needle went in a good 1/4"..

So until i can sort this problem out no further shall i advance...I have a feeling now that i rushed in and bought the wrong machine...A big kick in the preverbal...
Cheers...Ziga

[mrzigazaga]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Dom...I think i may of found the problem..The needles may be too small for the thread which makes sense as the needle has a groove in the back so that the thread can lay in it while it goes through the hole in the plate..Obviously if its catching then it will fray and as its doing so behind the needle then this is prime suspect No.1...No.2 is the previous owner has used incorrect parts for this machine...i:e the V belt is way too short and has been fitted around the top spindle of the machine instead of in the V grooved housing next to the hand wheel..The needles she was using were for dress making so no good for my 4 x Vinyl and scrim foam..I have ordered some with larger eyes...And lastly the bobbin reels that was used are the wrong type and the under thread is not getting bound tight enough and is spiralling off the reel and getting caught up in the under mechanism..Fingers stitched...I mean crossed i shall be back on the case soon.

Yes the top and bottom tensions can cause an assortment of different issues..Sometimes they need re-adjusting if different gauge threads are used......Hark at me going on about threads and tensions....Sorry....