My MK1 Golf, Dilbert

I've been searching for a cheap industrial sewing machine but they've either been anything but cheap or local pickup only and too far away. The price for a decent one isn't cost effective for a single project. I could buy one and then sell it once I've finished but don't want to risk spending that amount of money and not being able to get rid of it.

So it looks like the retrim is going to be hand sewn. Obviously it's going to take longer but that has the advantage of being able to take more care (at least that's what I'm telling myself).

In preparation I've bought a chunk of sewing bits and bobs, overstitch wheel (marks where the sewing holes should be), awls (makes the holes), creaser (can be used to create guide lines), needles, decent scissors, scalpels (prefer them to craft knives), cutting board and sewing palm (grown up version of a thimble!). Still need waxed thread once its colour has been decided on, could either go tan or a contrasting colour, and some cans of 3M 77 spray adhesive. Then there will be scrim (fabric) backed foam but the design needs to be finalised first so we know what thicknesses we need.

You sew the leather to the scrim foam to create the creases known in the trade as pleats, the thicker the foam the more pronounced the pleat will be. This is called a pleated interior and the easy way to go about things, there is a more complicated way called tuck and roll but I don't think I'll be going that route.