Tapestry cloth update - alternatives

[JonE]

I've just made public the filing area for the cloth research, so if people would like to look in 'ere, there is plenty of Tapestry referred to:
https://A7cloth.wordpress.com
Some of it is in note form but it seemed the easiest way of getting around the fact that not everyone sees the Grey Mag, and those reports aren't digitised anywhere yet.
Interestingly, Mike Courtney's NZ car - new posting - has also given an "unseen" original cloth for the rear quarters between seats and headlining where used with Tapestry.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Thanks for posting the link Jon, that’ll help with my search...it may be a waste of time, but I’ll have a go.

[Paul Govier]

After leaving behind the frustrations of the buying group, I have been quietly working with a weaving company, to reproduce the so called “Tapestry” fabric. In my opinion, we have successfully achieved a reasonably faithful reproduction of the original. All the main elements are there to give it the ‘look and feel’ of the original fabric - the pattern, the 4 colours and is of a similar weight.
However, it is not a 100% true ‘carbon copy’ of the original as that was not feasible as we had to work with the aged original material samples that were available, the technical capabilities of the looms and for cost purposes use their standard yarn colours. None the less, hopefully, still a very suitable and now easily available option for those with upholstery cars.
My very early RL is currently being re-upholstered using this fabric.
Should anyone want to pursue this further the weaving company is Humphries Weaving who are based in Sudbury, Suffolk. The contact person there is Kevin Reeve Tel:  01787 466670. This fabric has been named “Austin Deco” by Humphries Weaving.
There is a 15m minimum run quantity.
 

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[JonE]

Good that you have got somewhere Paul. It has the right feel! What sort of cost for 15m, and would there be in any discounts for a larger run?

[Paul Govier]

Approx.£90 per metre (inc. VAT). I would expect quantity discounts to be available as the set-up costs could be amortised over a longer production run.
So roughly around £900 - £1000 per car.

[JonE]

Well, well done. It's a considerable effort and I think considerably improves on the previous remakes. The exact thread colours are less important as fading will start from day 1. As we have seen, most original cars (if they still exist) now look like beige cord!
Out of interest, did you check whether they had the approximate colours available for the other colour way? I know we had discussed that a group purchase would be far more favouring the earlier 'Tapestry' colours just because there are more cars with it fitted from new - but if 'Margate' is the same basic design, then it shouldn't preclude Margate costing any more to produce than your short production run price figures.

[Paul Govier]

From memory, Humphries Weaving have 40+ standard yarn colours - so relatively optimistic that some will be close to Tapestry colourways.
What I also discovered during the development process was that the overall look / colouration of the cloth could vary quite considerably depending on the warp yarn colour used - even using the same 4 colours in the pattern.
I feel confident that a Tapestry derivative could be relatively easily developed, by Humphries from the existing 'Austin Deco' fabric.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Well that’s a lot better than the one I found from Romo, I think Paul’s cracked it!

[Dennis Nicholas]

Worth passing the info on to VSCC and other one make car clubs?

[Mike Costigan]

Certainly worth spreading the word to the VAR, as many of the larger Austins used the same materials - this is a 1928 Austin Sixteen:


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