Woodwork, upholstery and interiors

Who the course is for

Upholstery classes are for anyone, from absolute beginners to those with some experience wishing to develop their skills.

Beginners

The course provides an introduction to this traditional skill. A drop-in seat (a one-person seat pad with no springs, for example, a dining chair or a simple foot/piano stool) is recommended as a first project.

Please bring this seat along to your first session. If you do not have a drop-in seat to hand, we have a limited number of suitable chairs (this may incur a small cost). All other items need to be seen and approved by the tutor first.

You will learn how to strip a seat, attach webbing, stuff the seat, measure, cover it in calico, and add the top fabric covering. The course will also teach you fundamental upholstery techniques such as single and double piping, hand-stitching and stuff-over techniques, leading you on to the next steps.

Improvers

Experienced learners are supported to develop their skills by working on a project of their choice, such as a chair with a one-person seat and a back pad. The course may include learning new skills such as pattern matching, cutting trims and buttoning.

What you'll learn:

• traditional upholstery techniques
• the use of a variety of specialised tools
• fabric types and construction
• hand and machine upholstery sewing skills

How the course is taught

• demonstrations
• handouts and reference books are available
• support and advice are given when working on your projects and you will be directed to internet sites to show clips to support the demonstrations and/or alternative methods
• one-to-one talks with the tutor and group discussion

Materials you will need:

Experienced learners should bring along the pre-approved item of furniture/project that can be completed in the 10 weeks of the course or at home.

Beginners or those new to upholstery should bring along a drop-in seat or stool.

All learners should bring:

• a pen
• a pencil
• a notepad
• a camera or camera phone (useful for recording your progress)
• strong thick-soled shoes (no sandals or thin-soled shoes)

The workshop is equipped with all the upholstery tools that you will need.

Course costs

There is a charge of £10 for essential materials used on the course (like tacks, glue and staples). 

Additional charges are payable for individual material needs, such as springs, webbing, and stuffing (by weight). 

Payment will be made over the phone, between the penultimate and the last lesson.

Learners must supply, at the appropriate time, a top cover fabric.

After the course

You will be able to work on projects at home, learn to work on more advanced pieces of furniture, and modern or traditional techniques

How to enrol 

You can contact us to get the Adult learning enrolment form 2024 to 2025. 

Course location

• Thomas Calton Centre, Alpha Street, SE15 4NX
• The workshop entrance is on Alpha Street. Enter through the gate to the car park and follow the sign to the Woodwork and Upholstery Workshop in the left corner

Who the course is for

The Introduction to woodwork 1 training course is designed for learners with little or no woodworking experience.

What you’ll learn

The course covers using hand tools to make the most common and useful wood joints, which form the basis of many woodwork projects.

Starting with making a bench hook, which will be used throughout the course, we will go on to make halving joints, housing joints, and finally mortice and tenon joints. 

Each new joint will help build the skills required for the next joint. You will also be instructed in the use and care of the hand tools that we will use.

How the course is taught

At each stage there will be a demonstration by the tutor followed up with one-to-one support as you work on each joint.

There will be sample pieces to refer to, showing every stage of the joint being worked on and printed handouts will be available. The workshop is fully equipped with all the necessary woodwork tools.

Materials you’ll need:

There is a charge of £25 for essential materials used on the course (like wood, screws, glue, nails). All learners should bring:

• a pen, an HB pencil and a rubber
• a notebook/folder
• a camera or camera phone (these are useful for recording your progress)
• strong, thick-soled shoes (as you'll be working in a workshop), do not wear sandals or thin-soled shoes

After the course

• with at least 80% attendance on this course, you can progress to our ‘Introduction to Woodwork 2 project course'
• work on projects at home
• join the South London Maker Space to continue to be able to use a community-run wood-workshop

How to enrol

You can contact us to get the Adult learning enrolment form 2024 to 2025. 

Course location

• Thomas Calton Centre, Alpha Street, SE15 4NX
• The car park entrance is on the right about 30 metres down Alpha Street from Choumert Road
• As you enter the car park, go towards the blue door in the far left-hand corner. The woodwork and upholstery workshops are through the door on the right

Who the course is for

This course is for students who wish to learn the skills and techniques needed to successfully design and make up home furnishings. No prior machine or hand-stitching experience is necessary.

The lampshade-making element of the course is for those who would like to know how to make any style of lampshade.

No experience is necessary in either machine or hand-sewing for lampshde-making.

Learners can choose to concentrate on only certain elements of the course as a ‘mix and match’ approach is taken.

What you'll learn

You'll learn the skills to make tailored furnishings for the home and develop your own style in interior décor by starting your journey with a simple scatter cushion.

You will learn to make a window treatment - consisting of a Roman blind and/or a taped, headed and lined curtain and/or make a soft lampshade using traditional techniques resulting in being able to produce lampshades in both a modern and traditional style.

The course will also cover the making up and application of trims. Machine and hand stitching skills will be taught along with fabric technology (like pattern matching, fabric suitability and composition).

How the course is taught

The course will be taught by demonstrations, handouts, one-to-one talks with the tutor, and group discussion throughout. 

Support and advice are available during the course. Learners can pick and mix parts of the syllabus to suit their needs.

Materials you will need during week one:

• learners should bring or purchase a cushion pad 40cm/50cm, plus one square metre of fabric or use what we have to offer
• a pen and pencil
• a notepad
• a camera or camera phone

Materials you will need after week one:

• fabric, the amount to be agreed for the blind/curtain
• lampshade making fabric (of your own choice) measuring one metre wide by a half-metre in length. Thin to medium-weight cotton or linen is suitable; however, recycled clothing or furnishing fabrics may also be used

A £5 charge is made for materials/sundries. An additional charge is made for any fabric, tape, or lampshade frame supplied by us. You must make payment over the phone, between the penultimate and the last lesson.

After the course

• make curtains and blinds for your home or for those of family, friends and/or clients
• lampshade making - you will be able to recycle any style of lampshade frame or purchase, from new, a frame to make a bespoke lampshade for yourself or a client

How to enrol

You can contact us to get the Adult learning enrolment form 2024 to 2025. 

Course location

•  In our fully equipped sewing room at Thomas Calton Centre, Alpha Street, SE15 4NX