The Lampshade Lady Blog

Monday's Lampshade How-to Project

Today's project. Might as well start the week with a fun project. This is a very sweet vintage kitty applique tablecloth. The image fits well into this scallop clip frame (7" high x 10" across the bottom).

This is pretty miserable, whatever blogger has done...used to be so easy. Probably it is obviously easy, just clueless.Okay, so I was able to load the next picture in...again....  Here is the front panel of the kitty.

I am tracing around the outside of the lampshade frame with a thin marker. I will cut it out next. Fabric is laminated to styrene.
My assistant, Fini is inspecting my progress. He likes to be as close as possible.... I am thinking about trims. I've used the green polka dots on the vertical self-trims. They are from a vintage apron. I thought they would add some interest as there was only one applique to use. I learned today that I like the polka dot pattern off center, ie dots not going straight down the center strip.

Also using these other finds. The crochet edging is something I stowed away for a rainy day. yup! That's today, rainy, rainy. The other trim is an embroidery insert strip that I found at the flea market; it's been super handy for projects. Hope I find more someday.

Close up of trims.

Here it's finished. Trims have been added. Might be cute for a little girls room.

I hope to have the new blogger format figured out.... I'm sure it is improved, but ...... giving me more gray hairs.

Tomorrow I am off to jury duty..... and will be wishing I was back in my shop. There is still spots for my Saturday workshop. Feel free to leave any messages for me about the workshop on the shop answering machine. I'll be checking in. No idea how many days this jury duty will be.... wish me luck.
            sold

January 30th Lampshade Workshop

January 30th Lampshade Workshop in Pawlet, Vermont at Lake's Lampshades
is just around the corner. 11am- 5ish. $150 includes all materials except fabric. I have several students signed up but have room for a couple more. If you are worried about the weather this time of year.... it's sunny today, but if the weather is bad I can slip you into a class at another time.
If cabin fever is settling in:
come play with fabrics and glue. Everyone gets to leave with a finished lampshade, an instant satisfaction or at least a well earned one! My students are always super proud of themselves after they finish their shades. I love to see everyone's finished product.
Often Students will pick up supplies for a couple of shades after the class:
this is handy to go home with enough to make a shade right away.... and remember how the heck you did it.
Some students come to start a business, some come for a day of creativity and others come to learn to remake all their own lampshades...
who knows maybe it will turn into a business, just like mine obsession did. I didn't start making lampshades to turn it into a business, but look 20 plus years later!!
It's a nice way to use a vintage treasure from your attic.
I always encourage recycling stained tablecloths, an unframed needlepoint, an old crewel pillow who knows what you might have stowed away. I had a Pierre Deux skirt that turned into 3 lampshades!
 
hope you can come,
judy

ps give the shop a call for a reservation: 802-325-6308 or email me at [email protected] 

Vintage Embroidery Scallop Lampshade

I'm just back after a delightful day at The Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont. I was asked to tell my Lampshade Lady Story to The Winter Conference of The WBON. Of course I have been fretting about public speaking since Sept... but one more time getting out of the comfort zone of life. I decided to do a demo making up a big Drum Shade made out of vintage chenille; a pretty large and cumbersome project to do in front of a large crowd, but good for a few laughs.

The group was a diverse group of woman business owners. I enjoyed meeting new people and hearing their stories. The hotel had significant meaning for me. The old hotel had been shuttered for 15 plus years and reopened in 1985. My husband Carson was hired as the Sous Chef at the time of it's reopening and we moved from The Mad River Valley down to Southern Vermont. And I had also help start a juried craft show at the hotel many years ago at the beginning of my lampshade business.
The big decision: Which trim to use. This shade stumped me 2 times, but like the final product. First I added a crochet trim and ripped it off... and also tried a sweet pink and white trim. Also thought of this green and yellow floral trim (above). And ended up with the vintage lavender trim. That the one! It works the best, doesn't look forced and adds the finishing touch. I am always saying how hard the trim can be and this was a great example of it. Some shades it is a no brainer; it's clearly obvious what to choose, others aren't so easy.

I tried it onto this sweet vintage boudoir lamp. Fits it just right. Okay, now it's back to finishing customers orders.... no more procrastinating. This shade did make it feel a bit like springtime.

A Blog is a blog is a Blog

Over the holidays I have had enjoyed some downtime from my usual work routine. I love spending time traveling the world in search of really great new design ideas and of course fabrics. At an ants pace I am learning bits of technology; my biggest excitement was figuring our how to make my website link on my email signature. And, yes it was so easy.... if I'd only known...that I actually needed that HTTP:// part....simple.

From my blog research, some of the most popular blogs are created as catchalls of content from other designers; the blog owners are more of an Editorial Magazine Role, picking and choosing their favorite finds of the blog world and beyond. And then there is the design oriented blogs that are full of original content choosing to show their unique products, share their travels, their favorite recipes or whatever their forte. And then there are those that are a little of both. It's not easy to come up with original ideas everyday. Some days it's a piece of cake and others the words and ideas are hiding deep.

One of my favorite tools when researching blogs is to go through the "favorite blogs lists". Isn't it amazing where the time goes, traveling from one blog onto the next and then onto the next blog favorites list. You can whip around the world in no time flat. For me it's great. I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but I don't get much of a chance to get the heck out of here to poke in city shops or wander through Europe or head to Iceland. I have traveled lots and long to hit the road again, but day to day business keeps me going 1.5 miles to work and back on most days.

Another fun way to kill an hour is to keep hitting the NEXT button on Blogger. Have you ever tried that? It's pot luck; sometimes great and sometimes it's about one's lastest illness or family pets.... but sometimes it's great. One day I found a great blog in Finland. Having lived in Sweden for a year I enjoy seeing what the design trends are up in Scandinavia. Great new stuff, new ideas and all at my fingertips. It amazes me all the languages that pop up; I sometimes forget English isn't the only one; you know living up here in Vermont.... it's pretty white bread.

I am in the process of updating my own blog list. My web guy has moved my blog to my website, sooooooo.... technology challenges me to figure out how to change my blog list. Yikes.

I always suggest my business friends start a blog... they are free (at least for the basics)! It is handy to look back and have a record of some of my work. It makes me write which is always a good exercise. It makes me pull my camera out of it's case now and then. And it makes the world feel a little smaller, even from the couch.
And hopefully more than my mom is reading this.... enjoy the rest of the weekend
xoxo,
judy

A Little January R & R

I've been taking a short break this week. A good time to curl and with a book and just catch up stuff that has been falling in the cracks. My to do list was far longer than my time off. Top on list was watching snow fall while reading book. How's that for chilling out. I sort of finished my book group book, City of Dinns... didn't love it. And now back to what I was reading before, Chronic City, Jonathan Lethem and enjoying his quirkiness.

Girly Bob is curled up too. She was happy to have me around the house. When she isn't sleeping she stalks the kitchen for food; once a stray....always out hunting for food opportunities. I'm back in the shop now and Fini is very happy to see me and am pretty sure he'll be clinging on for dear life most of the day....(he is sitting on my lap as I try to type).

Wednesday I have been asked to tell my story at The Womans Business Owners Network annual meeting to be held at The Equinox Hotel. Yikes, looking forward to having this behind me... I guess it will be okay. One more step out of the comfort zone, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Thought that was 2009's motto.

okay, back to my winter workshops... lots of room left. The first workshop is Jan 30th at 11 am.
These are one shot deals not a series. Everyone leaves a wonderful finished lampshade. Let me know asap if you are interested. I'll post tomorrow more on workshops.