PEN HOLDER AND POCKET PANEL

I wanted to replicate this panel that we have in the current RV-10 for the new RV-10. This is a metal panel that Vic created. We showed it in a previous youtube video at the 7:40 mark.

It’s been 16 years since I sewed the first one , so I don’t remember how I did it. The first panel was covered with dark gray leather with light gray leather pen holder and pocket. I left the raw leather edges of the light gray as they looked nice and would not fray. 

For the new Columbia faux leather, I used the lighter 4 way stretch leather as the main color and the two way stretch medium gray as the pen holder and pocket. For the pen holder, I cut the fabric 7 inches wide by 5 3/4 tall. For the pocket, I cut the fabric 13 1/2 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall.I opted to fold the edges under 1/4 inch using my 1/4 inch seam tape and my sewing clips to hold it. Then I folded the top down 3/4 “ and sewed across the top 1/2 inch down with a 5 stitch setting.  I prepped the pocket piece the same way. .

I had to decide where the pen holder would be placed. Since the top edge was at an angle, I used my square (aligned on the side edge and bottom) and measured up from the bottom of the metal panel. I marked on the metal panel where the pen pocket should go.

Then I draped the fabric over the metal panel and used the sewing clips to fold it around the edges. Then I marked the top, bottom, and right edge with dashed lines with my leather pen. I practiced sewing the pen holder on scrap material prior to sewing on the actual panel cover. I found that sewing the right side and forming the pen channels shifted the piece away from square so I had to use the top and bottom dashes to maintain the correct position. I formed a channel and sewed down to within a half inch  of the bottom, formed the second channel, sewed down the same and then the third larger opening and sewed the left edge. Then I sewed  across the bottom, making certain the folded in 1/4 inch stayed in place,  and the small area not sewn vertically.

The bottom pocket was much easier to sew. After folding in the edges, I lined the right edge up with the pen holder and used a long piece of 1/4 inch seam tape to hold it in place while I sewed the three edges.  Then reached into the pocket and removed the seam tape.

Now, on to the pilot side panel.

Below in this video Vic shows how to glue the fabric  to the metal panel. Starting @3:09