la-la-la-lampshades.

this summer i had the wonderful opportunity of being at intern at scarlett scales antiques and interior design. one of my last summer projects was a little more hands on and crafty, right up my ally. i made these grain sack lampshades for scarlett. they took a lot of time and patience to make but i must say i was very proud of them once i was finished. and when i saw pics of them hanging in her booth at the country living fair i was very very proud.

here's the process...

1. find a lampshade. shape is very important and end use is also helpful. for example, do you want the shade to made into a pendent lamp, table lamp, floor lamp, etc. also, the fewer number of panels makes the project a lot simpler.

2. strip the shade of the old fabric (at the flea market you can find some already striped) try to save the fabric and keep it in tact as it will become your pattern. and if your shade is already stripped then you will have to make your own pattern.

3. create pattern, place on desired grain sack (choosing your grain sack is also important. for example, loose or tight weave, color, imperfections, and text) cut out panels, machine sew panels together, expect for last two panels.

4. this is where the hand sewing starts (a true test of patience.) on the shade below i hemmed the top and bottoms by tucking in the fabric and sewing the top and bottom of the cloth (pulled tightly) then finished with that seam.

(on a floor lamp.)

with this shade below, as you can see, i sewed all vertical seams with the machine and then one last seam by hand, each seam follows the already existent panels of the frame. i hemmed the top and bottom again by tucking in the fabric, i used some 'no sew' glue to make sure it stays in place.

this funkier shade was made the same way, it is just more of a bell shaped frame. i can totally see this hanging out on a patio as a pendant light as a set of three above a long table.

if you have any questions, leave a comment. or if you are interested in ordering a custom lampshade, also leave a comment.

have a wonderful spring day.

much love,

mary morgan