Modern upholstery courses at Manorhouse

Practical skills

The Modern Upholstery course is designed to provide individuals with the practical skills required to undertake a wide variety of upholstery projects. While there are many different types and styles of upholstery, many of the foundation skills are the same, meaning that once you have mastered them, they can be applied to other projects.

While on the course, you will spend the majority of your time in our workshop mastering these core skills, and practicing them over and over.

Topics covered :

• Health and safety induction

• Identifying tools and their uses and safe use of tools

• Use of existing material for templates

• Planning your project

• Fabric selection

• Fabric calculation

• Pattern matching

• Calculate and make patterns for deep buttoning

• Calculate and make patterns for square buttoning

• Van Dyke joins

• Make buttons

• Shallow button techniques

• Deep button techniques

• Square /biscuit buttoning

• Make and apply ruching borders

• How to sew mitres

• Make and apply plain borders with mitres

• Fluting techniques

• How to apply studs

• Applying finishes to raw wood

• Recognise, select, and apply webbing

• Recognise, select, and apply foam

• Forming corners

• Doing cuts

• Apply back tacking strip

• Apply metal grip

• Hand finish sewing techniques

• Apply bottoming

• Sewing machine selection and safe use

• Safe use and operation of overlocking machine

• Make double and single piping

• Insert a zip

Essential knowledge

While most of your time on the course will be spent in the workshop developing your practical upholstery skills, there will be several theory based sessions in which you will gain an in-depth knowledge of many aspects of upholstery, including just what it takes to run a successful upholstery business and maximise your success.

Now, we know how much fun the practical side of upholstery can be, whether you’re creating something beautiful or just going wild with a staple gun, but the knowledge behind it is the most important aspect of a successful upholstery business. After all, if you can’t sell what you make it’s not a viable business.

Topics covered :

• Workshop set up and introduction to compressors and tools

• Fire Regulations

• Fabric Knowledge

• Fabric Measuring

• Project estimating and pricing

• An overview of setting up and operating the business – includes business type, insurance, legal requirements, taking payments, keeping accounts and more

• An overview of marketing and promoting your business - where to sell, how to advertise, and promoting your business on social media,

What Pieces Will I Work On?

The course has been designed with an emphasis on practical learning, meaning we aim to provide you with as much hands-on experience as possible. This ‘learn by doing’ focus means that throughout the duration of the course, students get to work on a variety of pieces, practicing and developing core transferable skills.

Pieces covered :

• Drop-in seat pad - modern materials

• Shallow buttoned Footstool - modern materials

• Deep buttoned Footstool - modern materials with van dyking (joining two pieces of fabric with a hidden join) and a fixed border.

• Headboard - sample boards with different styles covering borders, piping, fluting, and square/biscuit finish

• Single headboard of your choice applying your newly learned skills.

• Scatter cushion with piping and zip

• Modern Cocktail chair with a stitched border – modern materials with options for different finishes using your newly transferable skills e.g. buttoning/fluting.

And don’t worry, all the pieces you make on the course are yours to keep!