Learning How to Upholster!

Hello Everyone!

Two weeks ago I took an upholstery class with my mom and made this beautiful ottoman!

I have always wanted to learn how to upholster as I love refurbishing furniture, and I feel like this will allow me to bring new life to soooo many more pieces.

 

We took this class at a cute little shop/sewing school in Lakeview called The Needle Shop.  I took their Sewing 101 class four years ago, in which I made a pillow with a zipper.  I had such a positive experience with this class, but never had anything specific I wanted to go back and learn until now.  I would highly recommend The Needle Shop if you are interested in learning anything about sewing/upholstery and live in the Chicagoland area.  They keep there classes to a four person maximum and they run for about four hours.  The small class size allows you to get a ton of one on one time with the instructor.

During the class, we learned how to staple, make weaving for support and stability, shape batting, sew edges, attach piping, and add cambric (the black lining on the bottom of most furniture) to make everything look clean and keep dust/bugs out.  I found the stapling to be the most difficult part of the class partly because the table we were working on was too high, and because I was terrified I was going to staple my finger.  I am sure with more exposure to a staple gun (and perhaps work gloves) I will become more confident with handling it.  Aside from that, the class was a ton easier than I expected, which excited me because I feel like I am now truly capable of upholstering or reupholstering any furniture I make or buy.

I mentioned in my New Year's Goals post that I would be purchasing a home this year, so I am looking forward to using this new skill!  Stay tuned for more DIY projects in the coming months! :)

Do you enjoy refurbishing furniture as much as I do?  Or do you have any other crafty hobbies you enjoy?  Let me know in the comments below!

- Courtney