Method for stitching vehicle interior components and components formed from the method

A method of applying stitching to an interior component, comprising only a single substrate layer, the method comprising:

• a) penetrating the substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough;
• b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer;
• c) inserting a needle of a robotic sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the substrate;
• d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer;
• e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer;
• f) advancing the robotic sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions;
• and
• g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component, wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic.

An interior component formed by the method of applying stitching to an interior component, comprising only a single substrate layer, the method comprising:

• a) penetrating the substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough;
• b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer;
• c) inserting a needle of a robotic sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the substrate;
• d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer;
• e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer;
• f) advancing the robotic sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions;
• and
• g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component, wherein the backside of the substrate layer is configured to have a separate component attached thereto, the separate component being free of any obstructions.

A method of applying stitching to an interior component, comprising only a single substrate layer, the method comprising:

• a) penetrating the substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough;
• b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer;
• c) inserting a needle of a robotic sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the substrate;
• d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer;
• e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer;
• f) advancing the robotic sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions;
• and
• g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component, wherein the substrate layer is configured to have graining on the show surface of the substrate layer.