A new lease of life

Karen Neville

workshop

Recycling her knowledge and sharing it with others has helped The Upholstery Yard in Liss to flourish

As The Upholstery Yard celebrates its first birthday owner, Georgina, says starting and opening her own business is one of the best decisions she has ever made.

“It’s hard to believe that just 12 months ago The Yard was an old farm building and we were on our hands and knees cleaning and fitting out the workshop ready to start classes and our upholstery services within two weeks,” says Georgina.

“The workshop is now transformed with six individual workstations for students, easy access to all necessary tools and materials, and there’s plenty of space for everyone to work in comfort. Natural light floods in and with its views of the beautiful Hampshire countryside, The Yard provides a refreshing place to work and learn.”

I especially like seeing students get an immense sense of achievement as they progress their skills and complete their upholstery projects

The weekly leisure classes are filling up steadily as word spreads through recommendations and via the website. The classes cater for mixed abilities from complete beginners to those with more experience wanting to further their skills and creativity in a friendly environment. Everyone works at their own pace and Georgina is on hand to provide guidance and lots of encouragement, and of course, tea, coffee and biscuits! For people just wanting to have a go or to try something different, there are Experience days too.

“Sharing my knowledge and inspiring others is really important to me,” says Georgina. “I especially like seeing students get an immense sense of achievement as they progress their skills and complete their upholstery projects. I originally took up upholstery as an evening class and realised I had found a pastime that I loved. During the pandemic I decided to take the plunge and start up my own upholstery business. It was crazy and hard work getting everything set up in a matter of weeks, but I have no regrets!”

We aim to make them comfy and stylish again giving them – and often their owners too - a whole new lease of life!

There are so many interesting aspects to upholstery from re-covering furniture, learning traditional skills, modern techniques, rejuvenating old furniture, to making amazing statement pieces using bold new fabrics.

Georgina adds: “These days customers who use our upholstery and recovering services are keen to refresh or upcycle sofas, chairs and headboards that might once have ended up in landfill. We aim to make them comfy and stylish again giving them – and often their owners too – a whole new lease of life!”

Find out more

To find out more about The Upholstery Yard’s classes and services, please visit the website: theupholsteryyard.co.uk or email [email protected]

Salisbury Cathedral: Threads Through Creation

Round & About

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Threads Through Creation. Photographer: Ash Mills

Creating the world in eight million stitches… On Tuesday 17 August Threads Through Creation, a magnificent embroidery display created by textile artist Jacqui Parkinson will go on show at Salisbury Cathedral. Twelve enormous panels, some 8ft by 11ft, will be displayed in the medieval interior until 26 September.  

The exhibition took Jacqui Parkinson three years to prepare – a vibrant combination of eight million stitches and layers of silk, using quilting, applique, and specially dyed fabric to tell stories from the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.  

Jacqui’s magnificent re-creation of the Creation story features all the familiar figures and animals from the serpent in the garden of Eden, to Adam and Eve, who were asked to leave the garden because they ate the forbidden apple. Each work is accompanied by a reading from the relevant excerpt of the bible, accessible by QR code. A visual and poetic feast that is not to be missed. 

Threads Through Creation comes free with Cathedral entrance, which can be booked by individuals online – or if you are coming with a group contact either [email protected]  or phone 01722 512156. 

Supporting the exhibition are a special Children’s Trail and family weaving workshops in the Cloisters. The workshops can be tailored to suit all ages, and children can choose which design they want to make from a range including flowers, turtles and butterflies. Workshop tables cost £6 with space for six (must include one adult) and the sessions run hourly from 10am-2pm (finishing at 3pm) on Wednesday 18 August and Wednesday 25 August. 

Threads Through Creation. Photographer: Ash Mills

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Butterfly ID skills via Zoom

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We’ve all got closer to nature over the past few weeks as we spend more time in our gardens and take time to appreciate what’s around us.

Wild Oxfordshire had planned to run face-to-face workshops with the aim of getting more volunteers to record butterflies in the local area but has now widened the invitation to the whole of Oxfordshire.

The aim is to help people get their butterfly ID skills up to speed in their garden and then next year there will be an army of volunteers ready for the next stage to record species in the wider countryside.

If you are interested register via Eventbrite to be sent a Zoom invitation.

Nick Bowles of Butterfly Conservation is running two workshops free of charge via Zoom on Wednesday, 3rd June, 6.30-7.30pm.

If you are interested