Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Cap
Hi Heather, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my upholstery career in the prop department of various regional theatres around the country in my 20-30s, eventually settling down in Tucson, AZ. When I had my first child in 2005, I chose not to go back to theatre full time as the schedule didn’t work for our family. Over time, and with the support of my husband and some incredible women in my mom’s group, I was able to build a tiny sewing business which could provide both extra income and allow me to be available for my kids. Mostly through word of mouth, I was able to grow my tiny sewing business into a small business and in the process decided that upholstering furniture would become my focus.
When my family and I moved to Georgia in June 2014, my kids were still young enough that I still wanted to be home for them; so I took a chance and re-opened my shop. In addition to private clients, which are the bulk of my work, I have been fortunate enough to work as a professional draper on several tv shows and films as well as the occasional theatre job. I’ve upholstered everything from antique Victorian sofas, to mid-century modern office furniture to scenery walls for American Soul, to sewing pillows for prop crews to shoot up on MacGyver.
Most furniture that comes through my shop has a story and I’m gratified to be a chapter in that story. Whether it’s a family heirloom or a favorite chair, it gives me a lot of joy to refurbish a well loved piece of furniture. It’s a reminder of connection and history as well as craftsmanship and creativity.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been a lot of challenges along the way, beginning with education. I was trained as a theatre upholsterer, so my initial upholstery education was part of my job. When I switched to interior residential upholstery, there was very little access to any training for a young upholsterer to use, so I initially learned by checking books out of the library and by just doing. I would bring home thrift store furniture or side of the road furniture and reupholster it. Eventually, a friend asked me to reupholster a chair for her and the spark was struck. I’m really grateful for the internet because of the access it has given me to other upholstery/drapery workrooms that have educational videos online. These folks who offer their education both paid and unpaid are the unsung heroes of our profession. There are still very, very few educational paths offered to become an upholsterer. But there is a growing network of professionals that are working together to change that. One such network is the National Upholstery Association, which has membership for a variety of skill levels and professionals to help mentor new upholsterers. It’s a supportive group that I’m both proud to be part of and grateful to be able to go to for help. Having access to mentors in your trade as you are learning is priceless.
Personally, I struggled a lot with the admin side of the business at first, I didn’t want to do paperwork and answer emails, I just wanted to upholster! But as I figured out a balance between the two, I began to dread the paperwork less and it got easier. Another ongoing challenge is the limitations of being one person managing all the aspects of a business that produces a real world product. How much I can get done in a day can be really variable even on an average day, and when there’s an unexpected complication like a tool breaking or running out of fabric, it doesn’t just take my attention to solve the issue, but it also takes me off the production floor to handle the issue. It can be really stressful, especially balancing the quality of the finished product and time. My goal is always client satisfaction.
Then there are *those* projects that seem just cursed from beginning to end and where everything goes wrong no matter how many times you measure. I’ve learned so much patience from those projects however unwillingly. Those are really the moments that it’s good to have a community to talk to who’ve had so many of the same work experiences that our specific to our profession.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an interior upholsterer, as well as a union draper (IATSE 479), a theatrical props artisan, and a street chalk artist.
One of the things I strive to provide as an upholsterer is a quality personal experience. A lot of people have never had anything upholstered before and often come to me unsure how to even begin. I’m here to help not just with upholstery, but also to walk them through the process so that they will be completely happy with the final result. I’m always mindful that this furniture will be in people’s homes for a long while and part of doing my job is making sure the furniture reflects the client’s style and space well. It can be a really fun process, especially when you’re doing multiple pieces for one client. There’s a relationship I get to build with a client over time as I get to know them and get a sense of their living space. Having them tell me the stories of their furniture really helps get a sense not only of it’s history of use, but how it will be used in the future, which allows me to be better at my job. I’m really proud of how many repeat clients I have and how many word of mouth clients I have, some as far away as Alabama. Direct referrals are one of the highest compliments for a small business.
Working in film is totally different. The schedule can be intense and fast paced, the hours are incredibly long, but the scale of the work and the size of the audience that will eventually be watching a show that you helped create in a small way….there’s nothing else like it. I’m really proud of the work I did on both seasons of American Soul. The show was set in the 1960’s so there was a lot of vintage furniture and window treatments as well the iconic Soul Train set, the atmosphere on those sets was really energetic and fun.
In my free time, I’m an award winning sidewalk chalk artist and a member of the Georgia Chalk Artist’s Guild. I started chalking in 2016 and I have been a festival organizer as well as a featured artist at festivals throughout Georgia. In July 2024, I was privileged enough to be an artist at a reception on the Atlanta Beltline for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. I really enjoy being outside and bringing art out to the public where I get to share the experience of the art as it’s being created. Similar to live theatre, making art live there’s a relationship between the artist and the audience that happens as you’re working that’s energizing and dynamic.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The internet is a great resource, definitely find the online classes but also just find upholstery shops on social media to follow, we’re out here and we love to share our knowledge and experience! You can follow me @nobusinesslikesewbusiness on Instagram and Facebook. The library is one of the best free resources available, there are so many books about fabrics, furniture, sewing and woodworking. Librarians are a great resource too. And you don’t need the most expensive tools at the beginning, a well made sewing machine for $25 at a yard sale and a basic iron and ironing board can take you pretty far when you’re first starting out. Something I tell people all the time is that you’ll get better at things as you practice them. For example, a chair I upholster today will look and be very different than one I upholstered 10 years ago. The more time you take to learn a skill and the more time you take to develop that particular skill, the better you will get at it over time. Which may just be a long winded way of saying, be patient with yourself when you’re learning. Stick with it, I promise you’ll get better!
Pricing:
- Price varies by project
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nobusinesslikesewbusiness.com/
- Instagram: @nobusinesslikesewbusiness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nobusinesslikesewbusiness/#10226859544019173
Image Credits
All pictures taken by Heather or David Cap.
