Upholstery Courses & Training
Here at Bristol Upholstery Collective, we love what we do, and share not only our space but our knowledge and excitement too!
We already have a number of craft and upholstery courses running throughout the year, but please subscribe to our newsletter for updates to be the first to hear of our NEW courses we are currently designing and developing.
Please feel free to browse our courses and contact us if you need any help, advice or support booking...
AMUSF DIPLOMA - Stage 1, 2 & 3
Tutor: Harriet Page & Tom Evans - AMUSF Tutors
As an Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers approved training centre, with the freedom to inspire your wildest creative side and personal style, we’ll be sharing our passion for truly creative upholstery and our unique approach to delivering industry-recognised qualifications.
The emphasis is on giving you the skills to create good quality upholstery confidently – but not forgetting that ‘creative flair’ we are known for here at Bristol Upholstery Collective.
Email info@bristolupholsterycollective.com for an application pack and pricing.
Furniture as Art - Design Statement Chairs
Tutor: Leigh-Anne Treadwell & Claudia Kennaugh
Our experts will be presenting the theory and thought process behind eliciting and commissioning one-of-a-kind statement chairs, talking through the consultation process of identifying style, tuning into your taste and understanding how you want the chair to feel in your home.
Gain practical knowledge of fabrics, sourcing and specifying. It’s important for your chair to be part of this conversation - so your chair is invited too!
This course is ideal for those offering interior design consultation or upholstery services to help elicit your customer's taste and requirements, sustainably, as well as owners of chairs with meaningful connection and a story to tell.
No prior experience needed
Caning Masterclass
Tutor: Rachael South
In this fantastic one-day workshop, upholstery expert Rachael South will teach you the beautiful heritage craft of chair caning, which she inherited from her father and grandfather.
You will be guided by Rachael through each stage of the process, learning how to get the fine split canes to weave into a glorious pattern.
During this fantastic 1-day course you will complete a sample frame with patterned caning. Each student will be taken through all 6 stages of weaving.
All materials and tools are supplied.
No prior experience of caning is required.
Textile Tool Sharpening Masterclass
Guest Lecturer - Harry Morris
In this wonderful 1-day course, led by the expert craftsman Harry Morris, you will learn about the importance of sharp tools and how to recognise if one is sharp or beginning to become blunt. Whether you are a textile artist, upholster, woodworker or general crafts person, this course will give you the skills you need to keep your best-loved tools in tip-top shape!
Bring along some of your favourite textile scissors, chisels or button dies and we will show you how to get them sharper than the day you bought them!
All materials and tools are supplied.
No prior experience is required.
Wood Finishing Masterclass
Guest Lecturer - Harry Morris
In this intensive1-day course, led by the expert craftsman Harry Morris, you will learn about different types of finishes and stains, what they are, how to apply them and in what situation you might want to use them.
You will also have the opportunity to practice finishing techniques with a range of finishes for dining chair frames.
Gain confidence and knowledge on how to make informed decisions when choosing a finish for your project and new skills in applying finishes. There will be an emphasis on learning about and using traditional finishes.
All materials and tools are supplied.
No prior experience is required.
Chair Weekend Project
Tutor: Leigh-Anne Treadwell & BUC Teach Team Tutors
The Chair weekend workshop is a fantastic opportunity to start upholstering that project you’ve ‘been meaning to get around to doing for ages!’
Your type and condition of chair will determine what skills and processes are necessary for its restoration, and how long that may take.
Please send a photo of your project to info@bristolupholsterycollective.com for time scale, fabric amounts and any preparation necessary.
Upholstery Evening Classes
Tutors: Leigh-Anne Treadwell & BUC Teach Team Tutors
Evening classes are a wonderful chance to really enjoy learning traditional upholstery techniques in a mixed class where all students work on different items of furniture.
You'll benefit from seeing a variety of works be completed alongside your own project.
The beauty of a weekly class is the available time to complete homework if you wish to really make the most of tuition during the lesson - you can achieve so much more!
Guidance can be found in the Leisure Course Info Pack.
Intensive Upholstery Course
Tutors: Leigh-Anne Treadwell & BUC Teach Team Tutors
Introducing our new Intensive 6-week Upholstery Course.
Unlike limited-hour evening classes, our full-day course offers uninterrupted sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., one day per week, allowing you to delve deeper into the art of upholstery.
Bridging the gap between casual evening classes and our extensive diploma course, this course offers a balanced and intensive approach to advancing your upholstery skills.
The extended class duration will provide ample time for in-depth learning and hands-on practice. Have the opportunity to write your own syllabus!
ECO - Modern Foot Stool Project
Tutor: Leigh-Anne Treadwell - BUC Director
This project has been designed to deliver an intensive and high-level upholstery experience. It is fast-paced and fun to ensure all students achieve a beautiful handmade footstool to take home at the end of the weekend.
This is a super satisfying weekend for complete beginners and those with some experience... here’s your chance to be unique and create your own style of contemporary footstool to be the centre point of your living room interior theme.
Traditionally Upholstered Foot Stool Project
Tutor: BUC Teach Team Tutors
The perfect project for complete beginners to experience the absolute joy and satisfaction of stitching a traditional edge roll!
The Traditionally Upholstered Foot Stool Project is an action packed, enjoyable project, giving you confidence with your new upholstery skills and of course, a stunning (potential heirloom) 20" x 20" Foot Stool!
"Great value for money..."
French Floor Cushion - 2 day sewing workshop
Tutor: BUC Teach Team Tutors
This 2 day Summer workshop is the perfect weekend getaway, learning sewing machine skills, overlocker control, how to make industrial buttons and invisible hand sewing techniques.
At the end of the weekend you'll know exactly how to make a stack of French Mattress style floor cushions for indoor or outdoor use, just bring along 1m of suitable fabric, and we'll provide the rest. You will take home your very own beautifully handmade floor cushion, perfect for a picnic...
Sewing Weekend - 2 day
Box & Scatter Cushion
Tutor: BUC Teach Team Tutors
Most Armchairs have loose cushion seats, otherwise known as ‘Box Cushions’. These are often piped and have a zip to make the cover removable, commonly found on Ercol, mid-century, Parker Knoll Winged armchairs or sofas.
If you have upholstered an armchair at Bristol Upholstery Collective, you will probably need to enrol on this workshop to complete the whole chair.
The focus of this weekend is to build on your existing skills and tackle slightly more challenging sewing projects, taking on tasks and techniques using an industrial sewing machine
Interior Design Workshop
Guest Lecturer Zoe Hewett - Interior Designer
NEW!
Designed to empower you with confidence and the skills you need to tackle your own home interior project, the Interior Design Masterclass is the perfect opportunity for you to get creatively confident and experiment with ideas before committing them to the walls.
You will learn how to set a design brief and the design process, how to find and use inspiration, the rules of colour theory (and how to break them), before cementing all your learning by creating your very own moodboard to take away and use at home.