<SNIP>From: "Chad & Teresa Smith" Subject: IML: Question about Leather interiors Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 11:46:15 -0700 Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ok: All of you out there who have put a leather interior, preferably in a 1955, can you please tell me how many hides to do the entire interior, including the door panels, and possibly the headliner (I have seen a couple customs with leather headliner, but don't know the pros and cons of this either)? I need to know how many hides that I need here. Thanks in advance.... Teresa Smith <SNIP> Teresa, there may be 40 square feet in a whole hide for upholstery, but after trimming and waste you will be lucky to get out 30 per hide, and if there are shadings across or a runoff in weight, perhaps less than this much. The neck and flank areas are often wrinkled and more stretchy, and the centers (backs, in the leather trade) are much heavier and less stretchy than the sides and bellies - even in good quality leathers that are split down to even weight (thickness). Matching hides is an art in itself! It's good practice to allow a third to half again above what your actual yardage is, especially if you are using a grained leather, which will have a direction just as napped fabrics do. I'd be a little leery of leather in a headliner - it's heavy, and if it shrinks after you stretch it on smooth, it could pull apart your entire overhead! JMHO, you understand. Best of luck in your project, I'd love to see it! Kate Kate Justet Triplett Kate's Custom Gunleather Monroe, Washington Proud mother of a soldier and owner of "Lucille" 1968 Crown ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com ----------------- This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm