We've relaunched our Job Board with improved features!
Are you a workroom hiring? Are you an upholsterer looking for a new challenge? We're proud to re-launch our improved job board with new features. The job board is open to the public, but members can post for FREE!
Did you know that our online directory is where potential customers can find your business info? It is also a handy feature that can be used to find other upholsterers in your area to network with. In this short video, we walk you through all the different profile options and how to update them!
We're committed to saving our trade AND our planet!
A goal outlined in the NUA's Strategic Plan is evaluating the potential role of the industry in sustainability initiatives and identifying ways the NUA can participate in building awareness and initiating change. This past month, we dedicated our social media channels to highlighting the impact our industry can have in offsetting the fast-furniture industry. Please visit the "What We're Reading" section below for industry reporting on the fast furniture impact and for green product alternatives available to the trade!
Webinars
The NUA holds webinars on the second Tuesday of every month at 1:00pm ET. Registration information for the webinars is emailed to members two weeks prior to the event. Here's what we have planned next:
How to Create a Scandalous Chair with Nancy Sargent
Tuesday, May 9th, 1:00PM EST
What makes a chair scandalous?? Join Nancy as she takes you along on the journey of a chair from weary to scandalous! What frame adjustments needed to be made and how did she do them? And how exactly did she create the unexpected and just a bit sexy arm details? Tune in to this fun webinar for all the details and she'll also reveal why this chair is so scandalous!
Fabricating Pillows with Laura Nelson
Tuesday, June 13th, 1:00PM EST
Pillows make great add-on sales and are a perfect way to use left over fabric. Join Laura as she demonstrates how to measure for and fabricate many different types of pillows, how to determine finished sizes, and different closures. Types of pillows that will be covered include square, lumbar, bolster, ball, round knife edge, octahedron, and square star.
Have you rescued a piece of furniture from a trip to the landfill? Send us your pics!
This month, we highlighted our sustainability pledge on our social media channels. Every day we see beautiful before and afters of client's pieces, and we want to highlight you! Have you rescued a piece from a trip to the landfill? Has a customer ever brought you a roadside pick? Or, have you saved an heirloom that will be cherished for generations to come? We want to see your best and brightest glow-ups to be featured as an ongoing series highlighting re-upholstery as a greener alternative to the fast-furniture trend.
Jeanne Henzel — Joona Fabriculture Volunteer of the Quarter, Q2 2023
Jeanne is a fine artist and upholsterer working in Northern California. She opened her first business specializing in slipcovers in 1999. Since then she has broadened the business's horizons into modern and traditional upholstery, window treatments, and large scale upholstered sculpture/seating for west coast museums. Though an upholsterer and draper by trade, Jeanne is foremost an artist creating "art that lives with you."
Jeanne is one of our founding NUA members and has served on multiple committees since the NUA's inception in 2019. She currently serves on our Webinar Committee as a webinar host and moderator. If you've attended an NUA webinar, you've likely seen her around!
Please help us congratulate Jeanne as NUA's Volunteer of the Quarter! You can find Jeanne's business, Joona Fabriculture, on her website here.
Get Involved and Help Lead the Way!
Volunteer with the National Upholstery Association!
Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Our board and committees are composed of unpaid volunteers - small business owners, manufacturing professionals, and upholstery students - who are all passionate about supporting and advancing the field of upholstery. The NUA needs more volunteers - it's as simple as that. Most volunteer positions only have a time commitment of 2-3 hours per month. Please consider becoming an NUA Volunteer - learn more here.
Industry News & Upcoming Events!
2023 Furniture Manufacturing Expo
July 19th - 20th, 2023
Mark your calendars & come visit our booth at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. PLUS Board Member, Lewis Mabon will be teaching in the Upholstery Track!
Debuting this year is the FME micro plant—an interactive journey that leads attendees around the show floor to follow each step involved in constructing a chair.
2023 Custom Workroom Conference & Marketplace
October 2nd - 4th, 2023
The NUA is heading to Ohio for this year's CWC! Registration for the conference opens May 5th.
Join the NUA at our pre-event class and happy hour the day before the conference kicks off! For full details on our pre-event, click here.
Dominic Amador, CS Osborne's VP of Sales, was down in Houston at the SUJA show (Southern Upholster's Jobbers Association) flying the NUA flag! We are so grateful to see our Industry Partner's partnering with us in our shared mission of increasing the health of the upholstery trade.
From her workroom, Michelle Minner shares this six-lesson course demonstrating her method for creating this style cushion. She explains the tools and materials used, how to sew the cushion cover, and how to create the beautiful hand-stitched edge detail and tufting that we love so much. She also shares guidelines for foam and fabric cuts to compensate for the take up from the stitched edge and tufting when creating oversized cushions.
This self-paced course includes detailed video demonstrations, a written PDF supplement with a list of Michelle's recommended supplies and vendors, and private discussion group.
Kim's Upholstery limits class sizes to 6 students providing one-on-one instruction. Whether a DIYer, a beginner, or a more advanced upholsterer, you will be taking away a lot of new knowledge and confidence.By the end of the workshop, you will have a finished piece to be proud of. Expect to learn new techniques, acquire new skills, and have fun!
Bruno Paulin-Lopez: The Art of Craftsmanship Revisited
In this oldie-but-goodie, NUA member, traditional upholsterer, and Upholstery Education MasterBruno Paulin-Lopez demonstrates his process. Traditional upholstery methods are a way of preserving the craft and the historical significance of these old pieces. The materials used in traditional upholstery are also a greener alternative because horsehair stuffing, jute, and burlap are all biodegradable. Watch this clip to see how Bruno utilizes traditional upholstery methods from the frame up on this chair!
Opportunity Thinking Series with Harmony Maraldo and the NUA | Episode 349
Jeanne Henzel Swartz - We Strive for Excellence Not Perfection | Episode 353
The NUA was founded in 2019 to inspire a rebirth of the upholstery profession. Our mission is to work together to support and advance the field of professional upholstery. Membership benefits include Continuing Education, Networking, Member's Only Resources, and more.
