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Professional Upholsterers & Soft Furnishing Group

 

CLASSES

Friday Morning, July 23rd

BASIC UPHOLSTERY I - First of 2 classes, second one is Friday Afternoon. Learn from a craftsman with over 45 years of experience. Discussion and demonstration of upholstery from the frame up. Topics include: tearing off old fabric and padding, cutting new cover, spring tying, reuse or replacement of inside padding, tools of the trade, what makes a piece worth recovering. Beginner to Intermediate level. Register for this class!

MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION & PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE - Learn how to identify various natural fiber materials in traditional upholstery and their applications. See how badly displaced, lumpy original materials can be evened out and comfortably re-used. Demonstrations with excelsior, moss and horse hair. Intermediate to Advanced level. Register for this class!

WOOD FURNITURE REPAIR - Basic furniture frame repairs—techniques and tools. Fractures, splits, collapsed frames, broken joints. Furniture joint types you’ll find—mortise & tenon, dowel, staples, screws. Re-gluing chair joints. Glues 101—What glue to use and when. Register for this class!

Friday Afternoon, July 23rd

BASIC UPHOLSTERY II - A continuation of Basic Upholstery I: Learn from a professional with over 45 years of experience. Discussion and demonstration of upholstery from the frame up. Topics include: tearing off old fabric and padding, cutting new cover, spring tying, reuse or replacement of inside padding, tools of the trade, what makes a piece worth recovering. Beginner to Intermediate level. Register for this class!

CREATE A FOOTSTOOL - Build and upholster a stylish footstool. You take home a finished piece! Choice of fabric, trim and decorative legs. This same technique can be applied to recover your dining room chairs. Footstool Kit fee $20. All levels - no sewing required. Register for this class!

OVERSTUFFED BASICS - Discussion and first-hand demonstrations of various natural fibers used in traditional over-stuffed upholstery. Learn stuffing and stitching techniques that shape these materials over sprung surfaces. (spring tying methods are not included) Learn various combinations and layerings of stuffing materials. Intermediate to Advanced level. Register for this class!

PADDING UP MODERN FURNITURE - Learn to pad up modern furniture using modern padding materials; foam, dacron, cotton. We will also include discussion of selecting the right type of springs for the frame style of the furniture you are using. Register for this class!

Saturday Morning, July 24th

BASIC AUTOMOTIVE - We will cover as many of the different areas of automotive upholstery as time allows. The basic repair on a bucket seat will be demonstrated from how a modern seat is disassembled to some of the tricks involved with working with modern seat cover designs. All levels. Register for this class!

THE SLIPCOVER - When and why would a customer want one over the other? If they want a Slipcover would an upholster want to attempt it? Learn the basics of Slipcovering furniture, how make quick continuous bias, to pin fit fabric right side out, and fearlessly take pieces to the machine to sew. Some hands on learning. Beginner level. Register for this class!

TRADITIONAL TUFTING - Learn how to calculate tufting dimensions and apply them to differing natural fibers with various combinations and layering. Demonstrations on creating even layers of hair in differing thickness’. Also, “row by row” tufting in leather and horse hair, with a beginning focus on Turkish upholstery techniques. Intermediate to Advanced level. Register for this class!

WOOD FURNITURE REPAIR - Basic furniture frame repairs—techniques and tools. Fractures, splits, collapsed frames, broken joints. Furniture joint types you’ll find—mortise & tenon, dowel, staples, screws. Re-gluing chair joints. Glues 101—What glue to use and when. Register for this class!

Saturday Afternoon, July 24th

BASIC MARINE - We will cover the requirements, tools and materials needed to recover most basic marine seating. Instructor will demonstrate the upholstering of a boat seat. As time permits we will discuss other areas of Marine work including; bimini tops, boat covers, enclosures and more. We will try to cover enough information to give the Beginning level student an understanding of what it takes to go into this field of Upholstery, at the same time giving the Intermediate to Advanced students the knowledge to consider this area of upholstery for their business. Register for this class!

BUILDING CUSHIONS - The cushion is a major investment! It dictates comfort and style. Replacing just the cushion can add years of use to a chair or sofa. Learn about the qualities of foam, innerspring, down and various combinations so you can help your customer choose with confidence. All levels - suggested for the practicing upholsterer or soft furnishings professsional. Register for this class!

DECORATIVE STITCHING TECHNIQUES - Discussion of various stitching techniques used to make gatherings and pleats in decorative applications such as rosettes and armfronts. Demonstration of “serpentined banding” done in leather and horse-hair, hand-stitched over an over-stuffed base. State of the art inTurkish upholstery. Intermediate to Advanced level. Register for this class!

WOOD REFINISHING - Wood Finishes. Refurbishing/Refreshing wood finishes (basically cleaning and sealing). Wood finishes - what to use and when (shellac, lacquer & varnish). Coloring wood basics, products, when to use them, and how to match colors - Stains (dye & pigment), toners, glazes, markers, powders. Introduction in burn repairs and other touch up techniques. Q&A on wonder products. Register for this class!