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Upholstery Classes at Needle Rock

Due to popular demand, upholstery classes at Needle Rock kick off again in March 2023. Do you fancy coming and having a go?

Life long learning is defined as ‘ongoing voluntary pursuits of knowledge for personal or professional gain’. At Needle Rock we’re enthusiastic about teaching the craft of upholstery as it’s a rewarding and fascinating profession that goes back generations.

Upholstery, once seen as a dying trade, has surged in popularity due to the influences of TV  shows such as The Repair Shop and Money for Nothing’

Upholstery Classes at Needle Rock
A coil spring seat in progress, and a variety of sewing machines to choose from…

Learning & Teaching

So, for all you wannabe upholsterers, come and have a go yourself. There really is something so satisfying about transforming and reupholstering an old chair that may have otherwise been destined for the local tip.  Ali wants to share her love of upholstery with the local community. 

A tired chair ready for landfill - transformed into a beauty!

Ali loves being a mentor to her two apprentices in the workshop.  She understands the importance of passing on her knowledge to future generations.

As the business owner and creative director at Needle Rock, Ali has been trained in both traditional and modern upholstery by the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishings.  She really loves  to push the boundaries when it comes to creative upholstery, mixing different colours, styles and textures that shouldn’t work – but somehow do.

Student before and after
A student’s before and after footstool.
reupholstered student's chair
Mary, one of our past student’s, brought a chair rescued from an old chapel for her class. She was drawn to blue fabric initially but then decided on the gorgeous bengal tiger fabric to bring out her ‘wild side’.
blue dining chair
Mary saved the blue fabric for a further class she joined and reupholstered this dining chair with it’s 3 siblings.
Wingback chair, lifelong learning
A wingback armchair in progress in the Needle Rock workshop.

What old chair do you have lurking about that could do with a makeover?

Come and have some fun with us in the workshop, learn a new skill, and make some new friends. You can design your old chair to be as unique as you!

We all have chairs in our homes. You may as well have one that looks fabulous as well as being functional. It’s what we call functional art at it’s finest!

Class Dates

The next series of 12 classes start on Saturday 4th March and run on designated Thursdays and Saturdays, from 10am til 4.30pm.  Dates are available at needlerock.co.uk/upholsteryclasses

How to Book

A nursing chair is a chair that’s comfortable when nursing an infant. In Victorian times the nursing chair was a low seated partially upholstered chair. Nursing included caring for children as well as breastfeeding. The low seat of the chair allowed the mother, who would have been wearing a stiff corset, to interact with small children without bending over. This chair form was particularly popular in England and found primarily in upper class homes. Nursing Chair. The types of wood most frequently used were oak, rosewood or walnut. The seat was often sprung and could be button decorated or adorned with a circumferential braid or pair of braids. The chair legs were frequently of a cabriole style or a straight-legged spindle design. Needle Rock upholstery repair refurbish new vintage period piece.

Choose the days you’d like to come. Contact Ali at ali@needlerock.co.uk or ring 07534 216297. A payment of £25 is required to reserve your spot, with remaining £50 payment on the day.

Make sure to send a photo of your chair, so we can ensure it is suitable for your level of experience.

Bring a chair, a smile  and enthusiasm! You’ll also need some lunch and dress in warm clothing! 

Don't Miss Out!
Contact Dr Ali Wright: ali@needlerock.co.uk 07534 216297

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