Mastering the Basic Skills of Upholstery

Name: Mastering the Basic Skills of Upholstery
Start: 2025-06-14T12:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T17:00:00-05:00
Location: 209 East Sheridan Street, Ely, MN, United States, Minnesota 55731

Schedule

Sat Jun 14 2025 at 12:00 pm to 05:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

209 East Sheridan Street, Ely, MN, United States, Minnesota 55731 | Ely, MN

Register here: https://elyfolkschool.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/elyfolkschool/event.jsp?event=15491&
Saturday, June 14th, 2025
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuition: $65 Materials: $30
Cottegecore? Cabincore? Normcore? What about “upholsterycore”?! This class is for the upholstery-curios individual. Upholstery is the art of removing old, torn, or tired seat coverings and replacing them with new, fresh, and, sometimes, funky materials. The goals of this 4-hour workshop are to give the uninitiated a chance to learn about the tools of the trade, develop the basic skills necessary to safely use these tools, and practice on their own simple piece. Students will get the chance to transform an ugly dining room seat into the best-looking seat in the dining room. With the skills gained in this class, students can then go on to finish the rest of their seats at home. These skills will provide a basic set of skills that can then be applied to more advanced projects and workshops in the future.
This workshop is for adults with no experience. Those with some upholstery experience and skills are encouraged to wait for more advanced workshops.
Students will need to bring a dining room chair with no arms. We will ask for pictures of the top and underside prior to class to determine the appropriateness of the chair. For those who do not have one, we can provide chairs for their practice. A small wooden footstool with a flat top may also be used if preferred. Students are encouraged to bring their own hearing protectors and safety glasses. Some will be available to borrow for those who do not have them. Snacks and a beverage are also encouraged.
Registration will close Wednesday, June 4th, 2025 (10 days before class start) to ensure that there is enough materials for all students.
About your instructors: Andrine Lemieux loves to see the excitement in students as they approach and master a new skill! She is so incredibly grateful to the upholstery instructors that she has met in the past, and she feel it’s her turn to give back and help grow the next generation of upholsterers. Andrine also loves to see that people in their 20’s and 30’s are very invested in recycling, upcycling, and re-imagining old treasures. This is a very creative skill worth looking at. Andrine has had a long interest in furniture making and refinishing. Although for much of my career it was only a hobby, in 2021 she took steps to make it her full-time career. She has enjoyed the many challenges and opportunities this decision has given her. Laurel Poppler is my local mentor and friend.

Laurel Poppler was was a DIY upholsterer for several years. In 2003 she traveled to Wales for a 2-week training workshop in traditional upholstery. Once back in Ely, she reached out to Steve Cone for ongoing mentoring. Mr. Cone wrote one of the “bibles” in the field of upholstery (Singer Upholstery Basics Plus, Creative Publishing International Inc.) and he became a close friend as well as mentor until he died in 2019. Laurel lovingly referred to him as the “gold coin” in her pocket. Currently Laurel does a mix of traditional and modern upholstery. Laurel looks forward to growing the next generation of upholsterers who can continue to provide this service to our local community. This is her first foray into formal teaching, and she look forward to learning from the EFS students and sharing what she have learned over the years.