Courses
the space and opportunity to develop your passion
We offer in-person and online courses in upholstery and traditional lampshade-making.
Our workshop is nestled in a converted pigsty on a working farm in Long Ashton, South Bristol. It is a wonderful space to learn a new and very rewarding skill, use your imagination and focus on a creative project.
In person Upholstery Courses
Bring your own piece of furniture to restore in our Long Ashton workshop. With classes of up to 4 students, you will be closely supported by your tutor in a friendly environment. No prior experience is required.
Upholstery Course Options:
- One-day course – A perfect introduction or focused refresher. (Saturdays)
- Four-day course – Build skills, gain confidence, and tackle more complex projects. Choose from a morning, afternoon or all day session. (Fridays)
Online Upholstery Course
Our online traditional upholstery course guides you step-by-step through the process of upholstering an antique or vintage dining chair using traditional upholstery techniques. Click here for more information and to purchase this unique course.
Lampshade Making Courses
We offer pleated or traditional lampshade making courses for up to 6 students. They are taught by Jeannie Kelly, a highly experienced professional lampshade maker, and arranged according to demand. Please email us to make an enquiry.
Who are our courses for?
Our IN-PERSON UPHOLSTERY courses can be undertaken by complete beginners and those with some upholstery experience.
Beginners
We recommend new students start with a simple project to learn the basic principles of upholstery. A good first project would be a footstool, dining chair or small headboard. You can also learn how to use a sewing machine; perfect for your first box or scatter cushion project or to create some sumptuous piping to finish a chair.
More experienced students
Once you have a little experience, a small upholstered chair or ottoman would be a good next step. We encourage those with more experience to join us and those who need help in finishing a piece started at home.
Our LAMPSHADE-MAKING courses can be undertaken by complete beginners and those with some sewing experience. We offer two different courses: traditional lampshades with a balloon lining; and pleated lampshades.
Levels
No previous experience of sewing is needed. However, there is a lot of repetitive hand-sewing involved in traditional lampshade-making (particularly with the traditional lampshades), so patience is required. You may need or want to do a little hand-sewing in the evening between the first and second day.
Our ONLINE, ON-DEMAND course can be undertaken by complete beginners and those with some modern or traditional upholstery skills. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER.
Upcoming courses
Our courses book up quickly because of our low student:tutor ratios (a maximum of 4 on the upholstery courses and a maximum of 6 on the lampshade courses). If the course(s) you are interested in are fully booked, please subscribe to our newsletter to receive news from us about future courses.
Your upholstery tutor
You will be taught by Nicky Hamilton, the owner of Hamilton & Hodson. Nicky has over 40 years’ experience in upholstery and loves to share her skills with eager students.
Your lampshade course tutor
Our traditional lampshade courses are held over a weekend and are taught by Jeannie Kelly: an experienced professional lampshade maker. On our two-day course, you will create a unique, beautiful, traditionally tailored or pleated table or pendant lampshade that no-one else will have! We only book six students for each course, so you will get plenty of attention. Once you have learnt the skills covered in this course, you can go on to make other shades using different frame designs. No prior sewing experience is required.
Who are our courses & workshops for?
Our upholstery courses can be undertaken by complete beginners and those with some upholstery experience.
Beginners
We recommend new students start with a simple project to learn the basic principles of upholstery. A good first project would be a footstool, dining chair or small headboard. You can also learn how to use a sewing machine; perfect for your first box or scatter cushion project or to create some sumptuous piping to finish a chair.
More experienced students
Once you have a little experience, a small upholstered chair or ottoman would be a good next step. We encourage those with more experience to join us and those who need help in finishing a piece started at home.
Upcoming courses
Our courses book up quickly because of our low student:tutor ratios (we only ever have three students on a course). If the course(s) you are interested in are fully booked, please subscribe to our newsletter to receive news from us about future courses.
Your upholstery tutor
You will be taught by Nicky Hamilton, the owner of Hamilton & Hodson. Nicky has over 30 years’ experience in upholstery and loves to share her skills with eager students.