nigelmercier
RIP
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2007
- Messages
- 16,234
- Location
- Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
I have just returned from a "One Day Boat Upholstery Course" at Hawke House http://www.hawkehouse.co.uk. Although Hawke House are well known to most boaters as suppliers of fabric, foam and other essentials for boat renovation, their upholstery courses may have been overlooked.
The course is designed with the complete beginner in mind. It teaches you basic skills needed to do your own boat upholstery, including the best fabrics to choose, measuring and making templates, marking and cutting, how to angle cushions against the hull, and much more. During the course of the day, Alan the instructor goes through all the stages in making a fitted cushion, up to the final item.
I went on the course thinking I knew enough about the subject to make a good job, but was surprised to learn a great deal of useful information which will be invaluable in the future. There were four men (three of whom were called Nigel!) and three ladies on the course, which was a small enough group to enable questions and diversions, but large enough for interaction. The morning comprised of measuring and making templates, and marking the fabric. After a stop for a delicious lunch, we were shown the remaining stages of cutting, assembly, sewing and filling. Throughout the presentation, Alan gave tips on making each stage easier, and less prone to errors.
At the end of the course we were presented with a "Starter Pack". I expected a few samples, but was thrilled to discover that it included: a roll of template paper, a roll of 50mm tape, a 1m straight edge which doubles as a seam-allowance marker, depth markers for various thickness of foam, a roll of double-sided Easy Stitch basting tape, a pair of fabric snippers, tailor's marking chalk and sharpener, wax pencil, seam ripper, and a large can of Silicone lubricant (for needles and foam cutting). In addition there was a length of fabric, a strip of Velcro, and a square of foam for practicing. Also included was a summary of the course, and an 8GB memory stick with professional pictures of the various stages. The value of this pack was given as £35, I would rate it much higher. Participants are also given a 10% discount voucher which is valid for 6 months, which adds even more value to the course.
My only problem was finding the location: the instructions were good, but the map lacked detail. Putting the postcode into my GPS produced an address about 1 mile away. This problem is easily solved, by clicking this link to a map https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hawk...77068&sspn=56.899383,70.3125&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A
Value: 5/5
Content: 5/5
Welcome: 5/5
Normal cost £149. However, if you check the same post in the Reviews section on my Bavaria Yacht Forum (see signature below) there is a time limited offer of a reduced fee. The next two courses are on 9 November 2013 and 11 January 2014.
No connection, just a happy customer.
The course is designed with the complete beginner in mind. It teaches you basic skills needed to do your own boat upholstery, including the best fabrics to choose, measuring and making templates, marking and cutting, how to angle cushions against the hull, and much more. During the course of the day, Alan the instructor goes through all the stages in making a fitted cushion, up to the final item.
I went on the course thinking I knew enough about the subject to make a good job, but was surprised to learn a great deal of useful information which will be invaluable in the future. There were four men (three of whom were called Nigel!) and three ladies on the course, which was a small enough group to enable questions and diversions, but large enough for interaction. The morning comprised of measuring and making templates, and marking the fabric. After a stop for a delicious lunch, we were shown the remaining stages of cutting, assembly, sewing and filling. Throughout the presentation, Alan gave tips on making each stage easier, and less prone to errors.
At the end of the course we were presented with a "Starter Pack". I expected a few samples, but was thrilled to discover that it included: a roll of template paper, a roll of 50mm tape, a 1m straight edge which doubles as a seam-allowance marker, depth markers for various thickness of foam, a roll of double-sided Easy Stitch basting tape, a pair of fabric snippers, tailor's marking chalk and sharpener, wax pencil, seam ripper, and a large can of Silicone lubricant (for needles and foam cutting). In addition there was a length of fabric, a strip of Velcro, and a square of foam for practicing. Also included was a summary of the course, and an 8GB memory stick with professional pictures of the various stages. The value of this pack was given as £35, I would rate it much higher. Participants are also given a 10% discount voucher which is valid for 6 months, which adds even more value to the course.
My only problem was finding the location: the instructions were good, but the map lacked detail. Putting the postcode into my GPS produced an address about 1 mile away. This problem is easily solved, by clicking this link to a map https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hawk...77068&sspn=56.899383,70.3125&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A
Value: 5/5
Content: 5/5
Welcome: 5/5
Normal cost £149. However, if you check the same post in the Reviews section on my Bavaria Yacht Forum (see signature below) there is a time limited offer of a reduced fee. The next two courses are on 9 November 2013 and 11 January 2014.
No connection, just a happy customer.
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