Trim and Upholstery
Learn to plot the pattern and stitch the seams.
Breathe new life into one of the most sought-after trades.
By mastering the ability to create patterns, use industry-standard tools, and sew and seam with precision, you can apply your passion for this trade nearly anywhere—definitely in the vehicle trim and upholstery arena, but also to careers in the marine, aircraft, furniture, and hospitality industries.
An entire industry is waiting for you to arrive; we’ll give you the skills and hands-on experience you need to get there.
What You’ll Learn in Just 12 Weeks
Pattern Making
A basic building block for creating custom designs.
Using Tools of the Trade
Get hands-on experience with upholstery hand tools and a single-needle walking foot machine.
Phase I
After learning all you need to know to make custom patterns, you’ll refine your sewing skills, build your toolbox of seam styles (standard, reinforced, welted, French, pleats, diamonds, and tuck and roll), and learn how to operate a single-needle walking foot machine. Bringing it all together, you’ll create a bucket seat pattern from scratch, using the seat from one of our in-shop cars as your model.
- Learn to make custom patterns
- Master basic seam styles
- Create a bucket seat pattern
Phase II
You know how to use the single-needing walking foot machine… now, we’re upping the ante and teaching you how to work with industry-standard upholstery hand tools, too. Once you’ve got that skill set under your belt, we’ll show you how to apply it to working inside a vehicle—carpeting, headliners, sun visors, and trim panels—as well as on vinyl and convertible tops.
- Explore upholstery hand tools
- Work on vehicle interiors
- Repair and create vinyl tops
