Keaven Hartt
July 20-24, 2026
Designed for students who want to build on their introductory upholstery skills, this project-based workshop offers guided instruction to upholstering a small piece of furniture. Students will bring their own frame or furniture piece to upholster, which could be a dining chair, side chair, bench, footstool, or similarly scaled piece subject to instructor approval. (The student must be able to lift and carry the piece independently).
Over the course of the week, students learn to plan and follow through with an effective teardown, make basic wood repairs, rebuild with new padding and fabric, and add finishing details such as trims and buttons. Instruction includes tool use and safety, staple-gun operation, and the foundational sewing skills essential to upholstery. Students may bring their own fabric or choose from a selection of remnants provided.
Daily demonstrations support each stage of the process from teardown and repairs to patterning, sewing, and final detailing. By week’s end, participants leave with a completed project and the confidence to pursue reupholstery work on their own.
Keaven Willa Hartt graduated from the Maine College of Art & Design in 2014 with a BFA in Woodworking & Furniture Design, with a thesis in Sustainability Through Reupholstery. She started her own upholstery business in the fall of 2019, and became a member of the Board of the National Upholstery Association in 2022, acting as their secretary. She is now the president of the NUA, where she works with her fellow board members to advance and advocate for the field of upholstery. Keaven lives in Portland, ME, with her husband and two dogs. Her website is willahartt.com.
Open to intermediate upholsterers, including anyone who has taken Keaven’s introductory class.
Tuition: $1,150
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