Acapulco style style chairs

[stickandtin]

 

Found these frames at a junk store and was thinking about trying to cover them in leather. I know nothing about leather, but I do have a juki 1541S to sew on. What kind of leather do you recommend trying to make the seats out of? Is my juki the right machine to sew seats for these frames? What would be the best way to attach the leather to the frames? asked these questions in another subgroup but didn't get any response. Thought maybe I asked in wrong area so trying this one. Thanks for any help or advice.

[leatherwytch]

You need lots of 8-10oz vegtan leather and you need to weave it to make it strong. You will have to sew it by hand onto the chair. You need a heavy leather like vegtan because you have no idea probably of the weight of people who may come to visit so it has to be strong. I wouldn't cut the strips wider than one inch each. Yes, it will be a lot of work. Do whatever design and stain or dye colour you want first before you attach to the chair.

Edited June 20, 2016 by leatherwytch

[stickandtin]

Leatherwytch, thank you for the help. I have no idea how to weave leather to form a seat. Weaving never crossed my mind as an option, but that approach does make a lot of sense. I was originallythinking along the lines of sewing solid pieces to form the seat then somehow attaching that to the frame. Honestly, with my lack of knowledge about working with leather or leather weaving this project may be way over my head. 

[Colt W Knight]

I would use raw hide, you get it soaking wet so its plyable, when it dries it will shrink a kittle and make it taught and firm. 

[Boriqua]

were it me I might be inclined to make a circle with veg tan but with spokes coming out of the circle. I cant tell What the diameter is from the pic but about 1.5 -2 inches wide and then sew them over the frame. Now if I wanted to get nuts I would braid leather around the entire top circle of the frame and then sew my tabs around the covered rod. I think it might look hot.

[leatherwytch]

If you were to do a circle then the veg tan would be creased when someone sits on it. It would then be very homely looking.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2016 by leatherwytch

[JLSleather]

Course, doing it this way will require sewing by hand in place.  Might be just as nice to punch holes evenly around a circle the same size as the frame, or 1-2 inches smaller, and then string in place with rawhide or latigo lace.

 

[Boriqua]

10 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

Course, doing it this way will require sewing by hand in place.  Might be just as nice to punch holes evenly around a circle the same size as the frame, or 1-2 inches smaller, and then string in place with rawhide or latigo lace.

 

kind of like a drum head .. I dig it!

[stickandtin]

Appreciate all the suggestions, but how do you get this shape to the seat?

 

[stickandtin]

I was digging around the internet trying to identify what type of seat material these frames originally had. Finally struck pay dirt. They are literally called basket chairs. A large woven tapered basket made out of some kind of cane material was inserted inside the ring. The only thing holding the basket inside the frame is the friction created by the taper. I can see now why the frames were bare. The cane had broken or rotted long ago. I have no idea how to weave a basket LOL. I am now exploring ways to modify the frames so I can create seats for them using leather.