Thank you for the kind words.
I've learned a great deal about the process by those who have shared their experiences so I need to give credit where credit is due.
I wet the chrome 2-3 oz leather in warm to hot water til all the bubbles stopped. My wife also gave me a set of bone shapers (creasers?) for a Christmas gift. They made the shaping process over the form much easier and I cut the leather to relieve an bunching. Once the shape was contoured, I used some wood working spring clamps to hold the form in position. It was crude but effective. A second scrape block helped to keep the leather shape while using pricking irons and stitching.