The Lampshade Lady Blog

Fabric Lampshade Classes

Fabric Class Schedule

Hi, I've posted this before, but everyone is asking, so here goes:

All Saturdays, Feb.2nd, Feb.16th, March 1st, March 15th, and April 12th.

At this point there is room in all the classes, if you want to do a class don't put off signing up. There is only limited space and there has been lots of interest. Classes are $150 which includes all materials except fabric, Bring cottons or linens, vintage or new. Also bring a small lamp that you can fit for your shade.

Classes start at 11am and generally run to 3 or 4. Dress warm as it can be chilly in my little cottage. Bring lunch or you can purchase it at the general store. It is a fun day to be creative.

Please call the shop if you are interested in reserving a spot. 802-325-6308.

Friday's Shade of the Day

Here's a sweet shade for a chilly day. This is a scallop hex clip shade. It is made from a pretty vintage tea towel. I had a pair, but just shipped one out. It has a leaf trim, just adds a nice finish. The shade is 5" across the top x 7" high x 10" across the bottom. I have it in the shop on a vintage depression glass lamp. Perfectly cheerful. p.s. looks better with plastic off!!!! But I was too lazy.!

I hope everyone takes the plastic off. ALWAYS!!!! Remember your grandmothers used to leave that stuff on, well not mine, but some did. Besides it's a fire hazard.

Remember to use proper wattage in your lamps. Too high a heat will melt your shades.... The new compact florescent light bulbs are good because they do not create as much heat. Very good news for small lamps. And now you can find the C.F. light bulbs that the coils are inside the bulb so you can actually put a clip shade on the bulb. At Last!!!! They are a little harder to find, but look for the WARM ones.They still have a ways to go making them better. I don't use them in all my lamps, but most.

Last Batch of Quick Lampshade Pictures for Today

A nice pair of vintage embroideries.

More Quick Pics

Quick Picks,No Fuss Instant Shop Photos

Thanks so much for all the emails and calls. I have had such fun hearing from all of you. Keep it up. January is always such a quiet time of year here at my shop. But not this year. As some of you many have noticed, my web site and blog are ever evolving. I should have planned ahead a bit better, famous last words.... Just as the C.L. article came out we were still working on revamping the web site... and still are. It is coming along and my friend Chip has been very patient with my queries. Web design is a tedious process and take a deep breath.

Lot of calls with folks trying to figure out how to buy my one of a kind shades. So tricky to get my product up and out. But I have just taken a bunch of very quick shots of my shop and some close up shades. Call me if you see anything you want..... see if this works for now.

Lamp Shade Shop Hours and Info

If you are traveling around New England and headed to Vermont I invite you to visit my little, colorful Lampshade Shop. My local neighbors always wonder.....how in the world do I survive out here in the middle of no where. ( or as some think, The Center of the Universe)

Shop Hours: Usually, I am open Mon-Sat. 10-5 and closed Wed. and Sun. but then sometimes I am here those days too.....

Feel free to give a call if you are coming. To find my little textile haven, Pawlet is in South/Western Vermont, way over to the NY. border. I am about 1/2 hour south of Rutland and 1/2 hour north of Manchester. Route 30 goes through Pawlet.

When you see the big brick general store, Mach Market, turn in like you are going to the general store and my shop is 2 doors down. And don't forget to go into the general store! They have the best cookies in Southern Vermont and a hole in the floor that looks right down to the river, which at times has been a small hydro dam.

My shop telephone is 802-325-6308. it's pretty busy these days...good thing. Usually pretty quite up here in January, but not this one....things are picking right up with all the press. One press leads to another and another. oh my goodness. as they say, watch out for what you wish for. Just hopes it keeps snowing so I can keep my Christmas lights on a little longer. Don't they look pretty.

Winter Camping and Country Living is Out

The weather gods were with me on my Winter Camping Adventure. My friends know that I am a bit of a fair weather sports person!!! I love to go on adventures especially if the weather is nice. Carson, my husband and I hiked in about 2 miles to reach out cabin for winter camping. Merck Forest is a Nature/Hiking/Camping preserve close to home. Over the years we have stayed up there a handful of times. I needed a "get away" and thought of Merck Forest.

Hiking in Tuesday it was well over 50 degrees; t-shirt weather. Kind of muddy and icy, but warm and so sunny. Couldn't have been better weather. Carson had the heavy load, poor guy. I felt slightly guilty.....We stayed in the cabin called Ned's Place. Ned was a friend from Pawlet that passed away much to young. His friends got together and built this cabin in his memory. It's a great cabin, big windows, lots of bunks and a big wood stove. I made a yummy Shrimp Curry and served it with whole wheat couscous, great bottle of wine. A big carrot cake, thought it might travel best. It was only slightly squished. Our friend George hiked in to join us. Lots of candles and cozy.

George made bread with holes cut out for eggs and a little cheese on top. I can still taste how good they were. How does food taste so good camping. I love the eating,hiking and relaxing part of camping. It's the sleeping part that's tuff. Just so hard to get comfortable. I got a great book started, Birds in Fall, by a Vermont author, great book, nice read. And got a ski hat started, taken out and started again.... made it too big. Par for the course for those of us that don't read directions and think we know it all......

We hiked up Mt. Antoine, the highest peak in the area. A sweet stroll, nothing too hard, but very pretty. We tried our cell phone..... it could have been an ad!!!! can you hear me. We are so used to staying in touch.... relax, it can wait. The guys hiked out and my friend Elizabeth came in.

A few days away for the last birthday of my 40's

I'm off for a few days away. Call me crazy, but we are headed winter camping. A cabin with a big old wood stove, bunks, lots of good food and wine. I'm looking forward to my new book, a new hat to knit for my son, a hike or snuggling up to the wood stove. It's been quite a year, lots of good right there along with the losses. A very wild year! A few days away will be great.
See you in a few days. Wish me luck, Winter camping and a concept2 rowing machine..... must be closing in on the last of the 40's. Where did they go.

Instructions For Making Funky Drum Shades

I just made a cool shape, so we can use this one as our guide. (The size in this picture is much smaller, a 12" top x 12 bottom x 8" high.) You can make any size you need for your needs. I would suggest to start small, but if you are like me, you won't!!!!

It was 18” across the top x 9 ½ “ high x 18” across the bottom.

Materials:
18” washer top
18” bottom ring
2 yds of styrene
4yds of grosgrain ribbon
10” of 3/8”white grosgrain
4 yds of cloth pressure sensitive tape 3/8” to make self-trims or trim of equal length
2 yds of fabric, you want to make sure what you choose will laminate well. This is a big shade and some inexpensive fabrics could drive you crazy trying to laminate.
Quick glue and squeeze bottle
Scissors
Yardstick and tape measure



Directions:

1.) To cut styrene for shade: Lay styrene on floor or a big worktable with the paper side up. You will need the yard stick now, start at the edge and make a straight line the full length of the shade plus one inch, which is 58” total.
2.) Measuring from that straight edge, make marks at 9 ½” for the height of the shade. Make measure marks the whole distance and connect the dots. Square off the ends and cut out.
3.) Iron fabric and place the backside of the fabric facing up. Pull the paper backing off of the styrene and laminate to fabric. Hand-press. DO NOT GET IRON NEAR STYRENE!!!!
4.) Cut out fabric right along the edge of the styrene. Hand-press.
5.) Place bead of glue along the top edge of the backside of the styrene/fabric. Go the whole length of the styrene. Use a medium amount of glue.
6.) Set the washer top in place on the edge of the shade where you have just placed the glue. You will start it at the edge of the styrene and work your way right around the shade, clipping it in place with the clothespins. When you get to the overlap, add glue to finish. Adjust any unruly pins!!! You’ll get a few. Don't worry, it won't dry that fast.Watch out for glue- all my clothes are gluey.
7.) Turn shade over and clip the bottom wire in place. Run a bead of glue up along the inside of the shade where the wire and styrene meet. Don’t worry about the pins, go around them, it is enough glue.
8.) To glue the back seam, pull the edge back and run a couple beads of glue along the inside seam. Watch out for messy glue on fabric. Hand-press by running fingers along the inside seam while shade is on your workspace.
There is something called a back seam clamp. You can use this at this time. For the drum shades it’s not really necessary, but it is very helpful for shades with more torque on that back seam.
9.) Let shade dry. Make self-trims while you are waiting. Use grosgrain ribbon to measure for making self-trims. Use the 3/8" pressure sensitive cloth tape for trims. Place on backside of fabric and cut out leaving 1/4"on either side of tape, trim flush on ends.
10.) Fold and glue fabric onto cloth tape, one side at a time. Hand press to make nice smooth edges. Put these aside while you glue grosgrain onto top and bottom of shade. To glue grosgrain onto shade, start at back seam and do a few inches at a time. Run bead of glue along the first few inches of bottom of shade, place ribbon on glue and continue to end;. You may like using the clothes pins to hold in place; it will dry fast. Then you will be folding grosgrain over bottom wire and gluing to inside of shade. Make sure to use enough glue.
11.) Glue self trims to top and bottom over grosgrain. Yay! Your done. There are zillions of other ways to trim these shades. You could also wrap the shade fabric around top and bottom wires, this can get messy this way. You can make self-trims and use that instead of grosgrain.

Have fun and stay posted, I hope this helps you get started. Maybe my son, the video master will help with a dvd!!!! That would make it easier. May 2008 bring us all good luck!