Introduction to Upholstery
Modern Footstool
Level 1
What the course covers:
What’s included:
We will guide you through the seven stages of upholstery that go into making this stool. We provide all tools, equipment and stuffings necessary to complete this beginners’ upholstery project.
There will be a maximum of three students on this course.
- Morning and afternoon refreshments
- Lunch
- Beech frame 50 x 30cm and 12cm legs
- Stuffings
Dates Available:
Duration:
- 29th & 30th March
- 14th & 15th June
This is a weekend course.
We start at 9.30am and finish at 4.30pm with an hour ‘s break for lunch.
£325
This course is the ideal starting point for someone interested in learning upholstery. Our bespoke beech frames are of the highest quality and will offer you the perfect base for building your stool. We will introduce you to the materials and tools most commonly used in modern upholstery and give you the perfect start, before you move on to more complex pieces. At the end of this two day course you will be able to take home your own hand-made footstool.
What’s not included:
- Top fabric ***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
Introduction to Re-upholstery
Drop-in Dining Chair
Level 1
What the course covers:
What’s included:
On this course we will show you how to strip down a chair, make basic frame repairs, clean the show wood and re-upholster the seat base.
There will be a maximum of three students on this course.
- Morning and afternoon refreshments
- Lunch
- Dining chair frame with drop-in base
- Upholstery stuffings
Dates available:
Duration:
- 12th & 13th April
- 7th & 8th June
£325
This is a weekend course.
We start at 9.30am and finish at 4.30pm with an hour ‘s break for lunch. It is possible to extend into Monday morning if necessary.
This is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in renovation, restoration, up-cycling and tradition. We will introduce you to the different ways you can repair frames to make them suitable for re-upholstery, and look at the ways of cleaning, stripping and finishing show wood. We will then re-upholster the seat base using seven different layers of stuffing materials. Whilst this is a beginner course, there is a lot of content for two days; if this is your first upholstery experience it is possible to extend the course by an extra session if your diary allows. At the end of this two/three day course you will be able to take home your restored dining chair resplendent with it’s new upholstery.
What’s not included:
- Top fabric***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
You are welcome to bring your own dining chair if you would prefer.
Traditional footstool
Level 2
What the course covers:
What’s included:
This course will lead you through the 12 stages of upholstery that result in this pretty stool. There will be a maximum of three students on this course.
- Morning and afternoon refreshments
- Beech frame and legs, 50 x 30cm with 12 cm legs
- Stuffings
Duration:
Dates available
This course will take four days to complete. We start at 9.30am and finish at 5.00pm with an hour and a half for lunch. You are welcome to explore the shoreline or continue working during the extended lunch break.
- 21st - 24th April
- 16th - 19th June
£540
This course is designed for those who have a basic understanding of upholstery and are eager to deepen their knowledge and skills. During this course you'll engage with more advanced methods and techniques, and gain hands-on experience that will significantly enhance your upholstery technique. This project is the perfect intermediate challenge for anyone wanting to increase their understanding of traditional upholstery. At the end of this four day course you will be able to take home your hand-made traditionally upholstered footstool.
What’s not included:
- Top fabric***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
This course will give you a variety of skills that you will be able to use time again to decorate your home. We will show you how to make a 30cm drum lampshade, a piped cushion with button fastenening and a modern footstool. These three elements will enable you to bring your own style and unique taste to your home interior. At the end of this three/four day course you will be able to take home your lampshade, cushion and footstool.
This course will teach you how to make a drum lampshade, a piped cushion and a modern footstool.
This course lasts three and a half days starting at 9.30am and finishing at 5.00pm, with an hour and a half lunch break. It is possible to extend this course by half a day if necessary
- Morning and afternoon refreshments
- Lampshade kit
- Cushion pad, piping, binding and sewing thread, buttons and backing fabric.
- Beech stool base 50 x 30 cm and 12 cm legs.
- Stuffings
- 5th - 8th May
- 7th - 10th July
Level 1 - some sewing experience useful
What this course covers:
Duration:
What’s included:
Dates available:
Home Interiors Course
£520/£570
- Top fabric***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
What’s not included:
Open Project Course
Level 2
What this course covers:
What’s included:
- Morning and afternoon refreshments
This course allows you to bring your own chair and work on it at your own pace. We would recommend starting with one of our beginner courses if you have no previous upholstery experience.
Dates available:
Duration:
April 19th - 20th
May 10th - 11th
June 21st - 22nd
July 12th - 13th.
We offer weekend dates for open projects, and also the flexibility to add days to these courses if you would like to extend your stay.
£110.00 per day
What’s not included:
- Any stuffing materials
- Top fabric***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
Most of us start our upholstery journey because we find a special chair - something that we inherit or find in a junk shop or garage (as in my case) and we fall in love with it’s shape, patina or style. We IMAGINE it recovered and restored sitting resplendent in our homes. Here is where that journey can begin; this course allows you to work on you own project, at your own pace. We recommend starting with something small if it’s your first project.
Weekly Teaching sessions
Beginner to Experienced
What this course covers:
What’s included:
- Morning and afternoon frefreshments
These classes allow you to work on your own project on a weekly basis. You can start on one of our beginners courses (modern footstool or dining chair) if you don’t have a suitable project.
Dates available:
Classes are held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Morning sessions 9.30am - 12.30pm
Afternoon sessions 2.00 - 5.00pm.
Duration:
£60.00 per session
Each class is three hours long and can be booked on a week by week basis.
What’s not included:
- Any stuffing materials
- Top fabric***
Please read our note regarding fabric suitability.
Fabric
To ensure a good finish and the longevity of your project, choosing a fabric that is suitable for upholstery is essential. There are a few different factors to take into account when deciding what fabric to use ; its durability (Martindale score), its composition (natural verses manmade fibre) and its pattern (repeat; vertical and horizontal).
Please contact Mary when booking a course if you need any guidance to avoid disappointment when you arrive. We do have several remnants that are available to purchase; it’s potluck with colour and design 😊
Terms and conditions
The following terms apply to the booking of courses at Mary’s Chairs:
- Pricing. All prices on this website are in pounds sterling. We take care to ensure that all pricing information on our website is accurate. If you believe you have been charged the incorrect price, you should contact us.
- What is included. Our charges are for attendance of the course/event only. Other expenses, including travel, accommodation, and food, are your responsibility unless we expressly state otherwise in any course or event booking information for a specific course.
- Content and venue. We try to provide a realistic overview of course / event content on our website but reserve the right to make changes to these details. Courses and events will be held at Mary’s Chairs Workshop.
- Accuracy of information. We endeavour to ensure that all information on our website about the courses is correct. Any typographical, clerical or other error is subject to correction without any liability on our part.
- Concluding a binding contract. When we receive a booking from you, we will confirm that we have received the it by email to the address you provided. Your booking is an offer to attend a course / event and will not be binding on us until we send you an email to confirm. We reserve the right to reject any booking and to limit the number of places you may book.
- Payment and refunds. In providing payment details, you confirm that you are authorised to use the card and authorise us, or our payment service provider, to take payment in full for the course / event you have booked and any other charges that become due to us under these terms. Payment will normally be taken immediately that a booking is made. Refunds, if applicable, will only be made using the payment method and/or to the card originally used for payment. See also our Cancellation Policy.
- Changing attendees. We are willing to accept a change of attendee at your booked course / event provided we receive details of the new attendee at last 10 working days before the course / event start date.
- Changing course / event. We are willing to change your booking to an alternative course / event only if there is a place available for each of the attendees who is to be moved to the alternative course / event. If our charge for the alternative course / event is higher, you must pay the additional difference between what you have paid and the higher charge.
- Age restrictions. We permit only those persons who are aged 18 or over to attend our courses / events, unless we expressly state otherwise in our course or event booking information, or by special arrangement. You must confirm the age of the person attending the course /event when you make a booking.
- Making a booking. It is your responsibility to check that your booking is accurate before submitting it to us.
- Use of equipment. We may provide tools and materials for use during the course / event. They remain our property / property of the tutor (unless you are informed otherwise on the day) and must be left in the same condition in which they were found (fair wear and tear excepted) and in the place instructed by your tutor.
- Course / event withdrawal. We reserve the rights to withdraw a course / event if there are insufficient numbers or to postpone a course if the tutor is ill, indisposed or in other exceptional circumstances. If we do so, we will offer you a full refund of the amount paid for the course / event or invite you to choose another available course / event.
- We have a legal duty to provide services that conform to the contract between us. Our maximum liability for our failure to fulfil to do so will be limited to the price paid by you for the affected course.
- Cancellation rights. You have a statutory 'cooling-off' period (Consumer Contracts Regulations, 2014), which entitles you to cancel your booking within 14 days of us confirming receipt of it. After 14 days, cancellations may be made in accordance with our Cancellations Policy. There will be no refunds given for cancellations made less that 14 days before the course date.
Cancellation policy
You have the right to cancel bookings and to receive a full refund of any charges made for up to 14 days after the date on which we confirm receipt of your booking.
After the 14 days, courses /events can be cancelled by you subject to the following charges:
Cancellation not less than 28 days before the course / event date. A full refund will be given less an administration fee of £25.
Cancellation not less than 14 days before the course /event date. A 50% refund will be given less an administration fee of £25.
Cancellation less than 14 days before the course / event date or non-attendance. No refund will be given.
To exercise your cancellation right, you must notify us in writing (email acceptable) that you wish to cancel.
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