{"id":32057,"date":"2021-11-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/?p=32057"},"modified":"2024-02-13T14:20:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T14:20:38","slug":"an-interview-with-sue-garth-from-suzies-attic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/?p=32057","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with Sue Garth from Suzie’s Attic"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

When I embarked on my upholstery journey over 10 years ago, I knew hardly anyone who was an absolute beginner like me. Since I launched my online guide to getting into upholstery Virtual\u00a0Vintique: Upholstery Uncovered<\/a>, with its own private online community, I\u2019ve loved hearing all the stories of people just starting out.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This week on the blog, I catch up with Sue Garth from Suzie\u2019s Attic. Starting out as a keen furniture painter, she moved onto soft furnishings and, as well as selling her lovely pieces, she has recently embarked on an upholstery course\u2026<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hi Sue. Tell me a bit about you\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I was a working mum and brought up my son alongside having a very busy London career. After many years, I decided that it was time for a change and moved to the south coast about eight years ago. I love living by the\u00a0sea, and\u00a0being close to the South Downs is an added bonus. I do quite a lot of walking and am also a member of a local tennis club, which keeps me very active.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"headshot<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You were formerly a Creative\u00a0Retoucher. Have you always followed a creative path in life?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I come from a\u00a0fairly creative\u00a0family and have always been interested in creative subjects rather than academic ones. I studied Art & Photography at A-level, which eventually, along with encouragement from my dad, led me into a job as a transparency\u00a0retoucher. Initially, I worked conventionally with bleaches and dyes on transparency film, and later, of course, I retrained on computer. Although I still enjoyed my work, I found sitting in front of a screen such a different experience and I really missed the hands-on approach of working in a busy studio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You describe yourself as an\u00a0upcycler, furniture painter and lampshade maker. How did you learn these skills? Did it evolve from a hobby?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After leaving London I wanted to get back to doing something more creative. I started to paint furniture and make lampshades for a friend\u2019s business. I went on a day course to learn about furniture painting and taught myself how to make drum lampshades. I am a very practical person\u00a0and have always been able to make and mend things, so these skills came relatively easy to me. I also worked as a volunteer for a charity, painting furniture to sell in their charity shops.\u00a0Later on, I shared a stall in a flea market selling my upcycled pieces, amongst other items I found scouring charity shops and boot fairs. This was all so different to my previous work\u00a0life\u00a0and I really enjoyed it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"an<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And now upholstery. What appeals to you and how does it fit the skills you\u2019d picked up in former career?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I have always been interested in upholstery. I did a course many years ago to restore an Arts and Crafts chair which, amazingly, I found by some rubbish bins. Over the last few years, I have\u00a0looked into\u00a0doing another course on many occasions, then during lockdown last year I came across Virtual\u00a0Vintique. This gave me the kick start I was looking for. You were extremely helpful and encouraging and your guide was full of information and advice.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How are you going about learning upholstery?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I am currently training at the Oxford School of Upholstery. They do flexible courses, which I found suited me better than doing one day a week. I do four days every four weeks, which works well for me. I have recently finished AMUSF Level One and have just started Level Two. There is so much to learn about upholstery; it is incredible the amount of work that is involved in a piece of furniture that we take so much for granted.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“I get totally immersed on each of my visits and can\u2019t wait to get back when I leave<\/strong>“<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It has been and is a very steep learning curve, not just on the practical side; there is also a written portfolio of work and a project to produce for each level. It is a great combination of a complex practical skill with a creative side. I get totally immersed in each of my visits and can\u2019t wait to get back when I leave.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tell us about Suzie\u2019s Attic and how that came about…<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Suzie\u2019s Attic came about while I was selling a few things online in preparation for moving. When I started painting furniture, I continued to use the name and it has stuck. I developed the furniture painting further, incorporating items that didn\u2019t just need painting but also a bit of upholstery or perhaps the addition of wallpaper. Alongside the lampshades, I also made cushion covers. It has been a self-funding hobby, and any profit I make now goes towards financing my upholstery course. I would like to work towards having a small studio or workspace, maybe working alongside other creatives.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What sort of upholstery projects have you attempted so far and what have you learned?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

My upholstery projects so far include footstools, sewing boxes, drop-in seat pads both traditional and modern,\u00a0stitched\u00a0and stuffed chair, sprung chair and an ottoman with a buttoned lid. As part of my course, I have just made a start on a Parker Knoll wingback, which I am really excited about.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"upholstered<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Where do you get your inspiration?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I am always looking at Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook groups, and I love watching\u00a0programmes like the Repair Shop, Money\u00a0For\u00a0Nothing and Salvage Hunters: The Restorers. But\u00a0really\u00a0it\u2019s quite difficult to pin down sources of inspiration except for specific things I\u2019m working on. As an\u00a0upcycler, quite often it\u2019s down to finding or being given a piece of furniture, and the ideas start to flow from there. For the ottoman, which I picked up on Facebook Marketplace for \u00a38 and re-upholstered for\u00a0my course, I took my inspiration from where I live, beside the sea. I came across a fabric with a gorgeous seashell design and a teal tweed which I love because it really reflects the\u00a0colour\u00a0of a seascape.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"buttoned<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\"a<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What are your top tips for anyone else thinking of upholstery as either a hobby or a career?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you are interested in upholstery as a hobby or career my advice would be to find a leisure course and give it a go. Also, have a look at\u00a0your\u00a0Virtual\u00a0Vintique\u00a0guide; it\u2019s full of information and inspiration. It\u2019s never too late to start learning something new. Believe me, I know!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thank you so much Sue. Looking forward to seeing where your upholstery journey takes you.<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019d like to follow\u00a0Sue\u2019s upholstery journey and some of her other work, you can find her via @suziesatticbrighton on Instagram<\/a> or you can visit her\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0You can also still sign up to Virtual\u00a0Vintique: Upholstery Uncovered<\/a>\u00a0and take\u00a0the first step towards seeing\u00a0if learning upholstery could be for you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I embarked on my upholstery journey over 10 years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vintique-upholstery-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Interview with Sue Garth from Suzie's Attic - Vintique Upholstery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vintique Upholstery had the pleasure of interviewing upholsterer Sue Garth from Suzie's Attic. 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