Join Leah and I in Sahuarita, AZ for a fun-filled 3-day Small Chair Upholstery Workshop on October 20-23, 2023.
Hosted by Leah Pullaro
Attend all 3 days for only $600
This hands-on chair upholstery workshop is packed full of learning opportunities. Learn how to reupholster a chair while working on your own project. These workshops are specifically designed to help beginners and more advanced upholsterers learn how to reupholster a bare chair frame and hone their skills.
Whether a DIYer, a beginner, or a more advanced upholsterer, you will be taking away a lot of new knowledge and confidence. We limit the class size to only 6 students, which means you will have one-on-one instruction. By the end of the workshop, you will have a finished piece to be proud of.
Expect to learn new techniques, acquire new skills, and have fun!
UPHOLSTERY WORKSHOP FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS
INSTRUCTION FROM AN INDUSTRY EXPERT
With 20+ years of experience, Kimberley Chagnon has become a trusted name and a highly sought-after instructor in upholstery education.
In 1996, she started her own business, Kim’s Upholstery. Early in 2018, as a result of the growing requests for upholstery education, Kim’s Upholstery changed its focus exclusively on educating DIYers and professional furniture upholsterers.
When she’s not in her workroom creating, Kim is busy teaching upholstery online and by way of in-person hands-on workshops. Over the past several years, she’s led classes for professional associations as well as popular trade shows and conferences. She’s also been featured several times on local Television networks, highlighted in regional publications, and asked to speak to professional groups.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
- Limited to 6 students
- Workshop duration is 3 days
- By the end of 3 days your project will be mostly completed
- Price to attend is $600 (50% non-refundable payment due upon registration to hold your spot) plus Kim’s travel expenses divided by the number of students attending
- Your specific chair must be pre-approved by Kim
- Tear down of chair must be completed prior to the start of the workshop
- Students will come prepared with their own fabric for their project
- Sessions will run from 8:00 am to 4 or 5:00 pm – with a 1-hour lunch break
- Each student is responsible to come prepared with all necessary tools and supplies for your project (if you have questions email info@kimsupholstery.com)
- Please choose a project that is for you and not a client
- Cushions are not part of this upholstery workshop
Prior to this small chair upholstery workshop, students must submit for approval a picture of the project they would like to work on. Choosing the right chair to reupholster will help you complete the project within the allotted time frame. Please send pictures to me, Kim Chagnon, by email at kimberley@kimsupholstery.com.
As you tear down your chair, take notes of the supplies you will need to bring to the workshop. I encourage you to refer to this printable supplies list as well. If you have any questions on supplies needed please email Kim.
Fabric yardage can be determined by watching the “Measuring for Fabric Yardage” video which is available for free.
By attending this workshop you agree to allow Kim’s upholstery to take photos or videos of you for marketing and promotional purposes.
WORKSHOP PRICING
- 6 students per workshop
- The cost is $600 (50% non-refundable payment due upon registration to hold your spot) plus Kim’s travel expenses divided by the number of attendees.
- The final Payment is due 4 weeks prior to the workshop.
CONTACT INFORMATION
HOSTESS
Leah Pullaro
612 West Calle Sombra Linda
Sahuarita, Arizona 85629
INSTRUCTOR
Kimberley Chagnon
Email: kimberley@kimsupholstery.com
LODGING SUGGESTIONS
SCHEDULE
DAY ONE
Arrival – Students arrive between 8:00 am and 8:30 am.
Introductions – Once everyone’s projects are unloaded and set up, we take a few minutes to visit and get to know one another.
Getting Started – Then it’s time to start upholstering.
What to Expect on Day One – By the end of day one, spring systems are in place and the deck or seat of your chair is completed. Depending on the style of your chair the inside arms may also be underway.
Lunch Time – At 12:30 pm we take a 1-hour break
Quitting Time – Expect to end the day between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm
DAY TWO
Start at 8:30am
What to Expect on Day Two – Today is the day we get the insides of our projects completed and some students may even start on the outside arms.
This is the “dig in and get-it-done day” in order to reach the finish line on the final day.
During day two the bonds between the students have formed and there is usually lots of lively discussion and laughter.
By the end of day two everyone is usually tired, but more importantly, feeling very proud of all they have accomplished.
Lunch Time – At 12:30 pm we take a 1-hour break
Quitting Time – Expect to end the day between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm
DAY THREE
Start at 8:30am
What to Expect on Day Three – It’s the last day and often times we will be finished mid-afternoon…but that is not always the case.
On day 3 we finish up the outsides and attend to those little details that some pieces have, such as attaching double welt, adding decorative tacks, or hand stitching.
We may also address the unexpected details that a student might have decided to add to their piece.
Today you leave with a piece you can be proud of!
Lunch Time – At 12:30 pm we take a 1-hour break
Quitting Time – Expect to end the day no later than 4:00 pm
TOOLS & SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS WORKSHOP
- A good pneumatic staple gun (watch video), hose, and compressor with fittings (watch Video)
- Osborne 120 ½ Staple Puller
- Wire/Side cutters
- Magnetic tack hammer
- Wooden mallet
- Regulator – 12” none handle type
- Webbing stretcher – Goose Neck
- A good pair of scissors (SHARP) 10” to 12” and a small pair of scissors
- Tape measure
- Soft cloth tape measure
- Curved needles size 6” and 3”
- 6” straight needle
- Tin Snips
- School Chalk
- Marking Pencil
- Sharpie
- Stool to sit on while you work
- Workhorses – Pair of same height download PDF of cut materials list
DOWNLOAD THE TOOL AND SUPPLY LIST HERE
Your list may vary depending on your chosen piece
- 1 roll of upholstery Cotton – NOT Quilting cotton or batting
- 1 ounce bonded Dacron 30” W same yardage as your fabric -NOT Craft or quilting
- Foam depending on your piece
- Staples – Leg length 9/16”, ⅜” and ¼”( if you have arm panels)
- ½” Cardboard tack strip
- 69 bonded nylon threads to match the fabric
- Button twine
- Edge roll’s ½” and 1 ¼” are what I use most often
- Burlap 5 yards
- Jute webbing – red stripe
- 5/32” Fiberflex Welt Cord (make your cording prior to workshop)
- Spring tying twine (ruby Italian jute)
- Upholstery tacks for spring tying (number 12 or 14)
- Upholstery Fabric (buy a couple of yards extra) – NO large repeats that require pattern matching or expensive fabrics for your first project
- Cambric Dust Cover
- Muslin same yardage as your fabric
- Curve Ease
- Metal Tack Strips (4)
DOWNLOAD THE TOOL AND SUPPLY LIST HERE
What people are saying about our workshops…
“What a fun weekend. Five very different chairs, all complete and looking incredible. I enjoyed Ashfield so much. I stayed at a wonderful Air BnB owned by two artist and their dog Charlie. Each day we worked non stop, in this spacious and well lit barn, provided by our host Amy, along with incredible comfort food. Kim guided us with every detail, introduced us to new tools and tricks to give us confidence and pride in the results. Big thank you to Bill and Kim for setting this up. We are fortunate to know you.”
“The three day upholstery workshop I took with Kim from Kim’s Upholstery was fabulous! I found Kim to be energetic and knowledgeable. The class was composed of five women with five different chairs. This did not phase Kim in the least. She was able to transition from assisting one attendee to another with ease and made it seem effortless. I am very happy with my finished chair and feel confident in attempting to upholster another chair after taking this class. I know she is an email or phone call away if I have any questions. I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in upholstering, beginner or intermediate.”
“I attended a three day workshop in Northborough, MA last year with 4 other ladies and we had a blast learning and enjoying each other’s company whilst working hard. We had Kim with us all the way, and each of us having a different chair, we learned different skills watching them do their chairs. Kim helped us from the bare wood upwards until the finished product and it was a pleasure. She explained every technique we did and the correct order of upholstering our piece of furniture. Now, if we have any questions we know that she is only an email or phone call away from asking her questions. I am a hands on learner so this was very helpful having Kim by my side all the way.”