The Lampshade Lady Blog

The Time just after Labor Day and before The Leaf Peekers Arrive

    I am super happy to announce that The Station Restaurant is making a come back. It is expected to open in the next couple of weeks. No one is happier than me! The restaurant has been closed for the past 3 years and had been looking pretty ratty. I give huge credit to the owners of the property for their hard work repairing the septic and retaining wall after Flood Irene.
You may have remembered that the last restaurant here was MIOS, a French Bistro. We are all very happy that it will once again become The Station- to be open for breakfast and lunch. The building had been a train station in Wallingford, Vermont and then moved to Pawlet Village. The man that brought it to town also owned my building. One of the highlights of the past Station is coming back; all the locals have their own mugs!
This week I have been dusting off my shop with a new coat of paint. I can't rave enough about the luxurious quality of the paints from the fancy Fine Paints of Europe in Woodstock. omg, it doesn't drip and goes on thick and creamy!  I sort of enjoy painting; instant gratification. I was too impaitient to wait for a crew to come paint and the weather last week was perfect. It was much too nice to stay inside. I swear there was more paint on the building than me, except to the new streaks in my sunbleached hair.
I went as high as my ladder would take me... no way I was headed any higher.
New retaining wall and new siding at Machs. Great job Gib and Deanna and crew!
The view from between my shop and the restaurant to The Barn Shop. Marion Waldo McChesney and Dona Friedman will be opening The Barn Shop for a pop up Gallery during the foliage season. Marion had Pawlet Potter in the village for over 30 years! Welcome back.
And a little work on this sad sight. Town is sprucing up and dusting off after the flood but something tells me it will always be a little rough around the edges which might not be a bad thing. Dorset we ain't!

I've been having a great time selling from my Etsy Store: Lampshade Lady! Now that the shop painting is behind me  I am back to making new shades for the shop and getting them listed on Etsy. Fun to play at being a photo stylist!

so I must admit....I did this blog yesterday, just finished.... blah, blah, do- do brain, the power/internet kicked off and blog post gone. WHAT....shit. I hadn't named the post and it was .... gone. I had done this once before.... what a bummer. GONE,  drats. dumbo. NOTE to self- always name a blog something.......first. Here's a post it I keep by my desk!

I hope you'll make it up to Vermont for the beautiful foliage. It's bound to be great this year.... hope so.

xo

judy lake

Lampshade Lady Loves her Flowers.... and look what the flood brought just outside my door!

Look at this dear little Hollyhock that has seeded itself right outside my door. So brave it is there just waiting for some little kid to knock it over!











Hi Betsy! Remember Betsy worked at The Station for all those years!
pretty hollyhocks! Maybe the restaurant will open one day! They are pouring the footings for the fancy retaining wall today and river looks beautiful. ps no photos of the back of my shop.... must sell lots of lampshades for new siding....


Summer is a busy time. Lots of shipping and making. I have several spots for my 2 workshops this fall. If you were hoping to come, don't procrastinate signing up. I will not be adding additional classes this fall. Email me at [email protected] if you want a spot. There is lots of info on the workshops several posts ago.

xo

judy

Memorial Day Weekend at Lake's Lampshades

Here's a funky toille lamp I found this winter. I cleaned it up a little with some linen paint and added a new base. I'm still working on the shade, next photo. I am going to use the needle point, but still need to source the linen for the sides.
Needlepoint front panel for the shade and ??? for the sides. Sometimes things are a slow process!
Just finished this funky lamp and shade. Love the Japanese Gauze fabric with this wacky lamp.
Just made this shade this week. Lovely hand embroidered antique linen. Quite exquisite.
Vintage Grainsack Rectangle in the back and Uno Scallop Shade in front. All shades are available at my Etsy Store, Lampshade Lady.
a table full of shades
loving this combo. Lamp is a new arrival. I do have a pair of these right now.
front porch at the shop
flag reflection in the front window, Happy Memorial Day.
it's reflecting in this window, too. looks watercolory.
sweet cottage chenille shade
vintage grainsacks......never have enough.
last shade made today! persimmon vintage floral hex bell. Made from a small piece of choice vintage cotton, only enough for ONE shade... the story of my business. But then your neighbors won't have one:)

Enjoy the weekend.

I'll take Monday off, but here tomorrow, Sunday.

xo

judy

HAPPY new year: new projects in progress.

       Happy New Year. It's time for a fresh start. I can barely read the Vermont Newspapers with all the Flood Irene Photos. Vermont has never been hit with a disaster like Irene. Many of my neighbors are both still waiting for major work on their properties. I was the lucky girl in the middle. How my cute little shop wasn't knocked off it's foundation I'll never know BUT thank goodness. A hellish fall for sure.

       Time for so new ideas for kicking off the year. I just picked up this delightful, sweet English embroidery. It's a square tablecloth that called out to  keep the pretty flowers together without getting chopped up by panels. The biggest drum shade I could fit across the width of the fabric was only 9 inches. So be it and I went with it. These are 9" x 9" x 9" with a washer top. Dresser scarves would be the perfect length for a drum shade, but usually all the good stuff, ie. embroidery is on the ends... so that doesn't work so great.
detail of embroidery. oooh, look at the purples, oranges. I always admire the handiwork of the ladies of the UK. Why, why do they do it so much better than here in the States??? The whip must have been cracked in their early days when they slipped up.

Now to figure out how the heck to trim these babies.... I put these together at the end of the day yesterday. There was lots of thread trimming on the backside of the linen. What a mess with threads everywhere that needed to be snipped. I'll leave them close by to ruminate on their trimming...
And another pair put together yesterday. These still need trimming also. I guess I have the hard work for today. Also squeaked out an uno hex bell with this same embroidery.
Here's a new shape from The Lamp Shop. Not sure if it was a test frame or one they are introducing, but I got a sample from them and love it. It's a clip and think it might be popular. Doesn't hurt that this shade is made from  a beauty of a antique French Knotted tablecloth and trimmed with a scrap of handsome blue Vintage Fabric.

Visit my Lake's Lampshades Face Book page and hit the "LIKE" button if you get a chance. When I'm out straight crazy and the blog is being neglected I do manage to post a few current shades on the Lake's Lampshades page. It's growing on me....  Post a photo of one of your  lampshades. I'd love to see what YOU are making.

Best Wishes for a new Year!

xo

judy

A Smidgen of Holiday Decor

Happy Holidays from  Pawlet Village. Snow has come and it's time to get in the spirit. This is a sweet shade I just finished. It is made from a vintage Society Silk round. I've had it forever and could barely cut into it. There it would sit every Christmas getting buried after the holidays with the new fabric that would arrive with thoughts of spring. Today was it's day to come alive!

I have trouble using anything tooooooo holiday like, if you know what I mean. But this is elegant and could easily be used throughout the year.
As I have often said, trimming a shade is absolutely the hardest design decision to be made. And this shade put me to task!! I left the shop yesterday after thinking I'd found the right trim. NOPE, back this am and ripped it off... but found this odd ball trim in my trim basket. It's a initial tape from Europe. I used it instead of grosgrain, gluing it onto the shade and wrapping it to the inside. SWEET, I was a couple inches short, but managed to add a tid bit of something similar. Do you think customers know what we go through?
And lit. It's 4" x 8" x 6" (top x bottom x high) and is $75.
Yellow Toille Hex Scallop trimmed in cotton quilting fabric. $75       5"x 10" x 7" high on a vintage glass base $45.

A view from where I sit. There a few inches of snow and George Frederic Handel is my Pandora Radio Choice this afternoon for me and Molly, but she seems to be snoozing through it. It's a sleepy day in the shop, must be time for another cup of tea and finish the next project in line. You can see the bark cloth red one on my table. Behind that are 2 candlewick hex shades and behind that is a pair of bark cloth winter farm scenes and lastly a beautiful white on white embroidery in a cut corner square AND  guess what? It's been on my desk for a week, waiting for the right trim to hit me over the head. Over 25 years of making shades and finding the perfect trim is STILL hard. Holey Moley....but it does get better with age, I swear.

This beauty is similar to the one I was describing above, maybe I should trim it the same. This is a treat. Quite a nice textile find, yes, there was a hole in it....trapunto, I believe it's called, wrapping of the cord and tacking it onto the linen. And used candlewicking edge for the trim. $150. 14" bottom and 8.5" high.
and with the light on.
Last one, had to show off this big drum made with a grain bag. It's sold but has a great look. It's 18 x 18 x 11.

Time for tea!

Enjoy the holiday decorating, take it easy and have a little holiday cheer.

xo,

judy

One Heck of a Crazy Fall at Lake's Lampshades & Workshop Dates for 2012

Okay, Okay, I know I have been way behind in blog posting. My days this fall have been full to over flowing. The Flood, The fundraising for the flood, 2 workshops and loads of custom orders have kept me crazy busy. This week has begun to feel like a regular work week and look what the shop floor looked like yesterday:

Some are orders and some are for shop inventory. I find if I'm making drum shades it's easiest to make a bunch at a time. I'd been stock piling a few projects and orders to do them all in one shot. Good thing I have LOTS of clothes pins from my workshop.
I found this vintage Japanese Fabric last Sunday in Woodstock Vermont at Who's Sylvia's. What a find! There's lots of yardage and so contemporary. It is super narrow, but perfect for drum shades. As well as the size of the motif is just right for drum shades as well.

Just Announcing Workshop Dates for 2012:

April: 2 Day Workshop: Friday 13th and Saturday 14th. Cost $265.

April: 1 Day Workshop: Wednesday 18th, Cost $150

Sept: 2 Day Workshop: Friday 28th and 29th Cost $265

Oct: 1 Day Workshop: Friday Oct 19th, Cost $150

Workshop info: The cost of the workshop includes all materials except fabric. You will need 1/2 yard of cotton or linen per shade. The one day workshops we will make a midsize shade- the shape of your choice. The 2 day workshop will start also with a midsize shade and the next day you will be able to choose the frame you wish to use and therefore perhaps needing up to a yard of fabric. Students usually bring several fabric options to choose from. We will learn which fabrics work best as well as many lighting tips and tricks.

I will post more info in the next few weeks, but just wanted to get a schedule posted. The cost of the classes is  NON-REFUNDABLE  (due to past experience). The size of my shop/studio is small limiting the size of the group. If you are interested, please call or email me.

We have a great time and if you want a creative day or think you would like to start a business these workshops will give you a super heads up in getting your feet off the ground. My line is: I can teach you to make lampshades in a day but it has taken me years to learn all there is to know about lighting!!! But thank goodness that has kept me interested for over 25 years. Always a new challenge and always trying to be a better designer.

In the past I have done a February Workshop. This year I decided to only do April, Sept and Oct. But if YOU would like to organize a group of friends or co-workers, 6 minimum 8 max. I would be happy to work with you to put a day workshop together. The cost would be $150 per student. I am pretty flexible Jan, Feb and first 2 weeks of March. I find it is most fun to use my shop rather than me come to you. The shop is loaded to the brim with fabrics and supplies and is the ultimate inspiration experience.

Here's a few fun pictures from October's Workshops:

Jan's Shade back at her antique shop in Missouri! Hope there will be many more.
Debbie's Bird Shade, Elizabeth's Blue Shade and my little White Embroidery Scallop Shade
Cyndy and her beautiful shade.
Elizabeth is putting her shade together.
Debbie and Jennifer finishing details on their shades.
Joyce finishing up her shade!
New friends were made and skills were learned. I try the best I can to keep everyone happy and on the right road to making good choices. Teaching was never something I thought would be my "thing" but I have enjoyed it more and more as I get more experience. It is nice to share my knowledge and pass it on to others. I am proud my students have come from all over the country. It is fun to hear everyone's stories and share our own.

Last news of the day: Molly has been to the vet, needless to say many hundreds of dollars later....has been spade and is almost back to her perky sweet self! Must say, she is the best climber I know.

Made in the Shade, lighting up your life with fabulous lampshades, Times Union's Life @ Home, July 2011

Many thanks to Editor Janet Reynolds of the Albany Times Union, Life @ Home Magazine for the wonderful piece on my shop and Lampshade Lady Book.

Click on the link below to see the full article:

Made in the Shade, lighting up your life with fabulous lampshades

 
Love this Ricotta Lamp, old tin I found in my travels. I've been fighting with this lamp trying to find the perfect shade... it happens. My friend Krissy was visiting the shop last week and said, " give this shade a try." Yes, a nice match.

Just found this sweet toille lamp and thought it fun with the polka dot shade.
Recently made this Hex Bell Floral.  Tradition rules here, opps, but shown on a funky jadite stick lamp. Also sweet kitty redwork embroidery. Pair of blue applique shades in the back. 
Fun affordable quilt fabrics. Play with color and trims.
SAIL barkcloth. Hex Bell with favorite shop trim. 8.5" high

Cabin Craft Chenille Shade, 16" bottom, 12" high
It's horse time around here with the big Equestrian Event in Dorset. Vintage Hex Bell trimmed with French Ticking self-trim. Pair of unfinished Hex bell Red Ticking behind.
14" Drum shade made from vintage 50's tablecloth. This shade is making me happy even though I'm working on these beautiful summer days. 
Vintage dish towel, Square Bell Shade, 12" across the bottom & 10" high. A favorite pattern.Turquoise and Orange. Love the colors.

 ***WORKSHOP UPDATE: ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT IN OCTOBER PAWLET WORKSHOP IF YOU WERE CONSIDERING I.(COST $250 NONREFUNDABLE DEPOSIT)

p.s.s  I won't be at Brimfield in July. Hanging in Vermont all summer. come visit.

 

Spruce up Your House: New Inventory at Lake's Lampshades

Sweet Vintage Fabric Scallop Shade, 5" x 10" x 7" clip top $85

Antique Redwork Embrodiery, Darling little Hex Bell Clip Shade. 5"x 8" x 6"  $68.

You know summer is here when my fabrics are out on the walkway railing. Of course I'm trying to lure tourists into my shop. My shop is tucked down the road a little and the fabrics catch people eye, but also insprire me, too. Or perhaps they are drying from my washing machine at home.

All the rain has made for some beautiful flowers in my cluttered artists garden. I made my way to the middle of this full garden to start pulling violets.... where do they all come from. Yesterday I forced myself to thin out the wildly spreading pink perennial geranium; it was time to do the duty. As well as hauling a few of the ever happy Lambs Ears. Someday this garden is bound to take over the lawn!

This week I helped come up with a fun Grandmother gift for her grandson, Benjamin. Boy lampshades can sometimes stump me, but this was a great idea.  Benjamin is obviously a very talented artist and we brainstormed this idea to use his artwork on a lampshade. With a little reducing with the copy machine I was able to fit most of the chosen drawings onto a square clip lampshade.
I hope Benjamin liked our idea. I think it would be fun if he wanted to color it later, but it's fun just as it is. I thought if felt like a cartoon strip. Great teamwork Irene!
Oh a Saturday Project. I recently found this handpainted floral lamp. I put lots of different fabrics next to it, but went with this crazy, fun mix. I loved adding chandelier crystals sewn into the corners as well as the floral trim. Must have had something to do with the timing of working with designer John Loecke on some chandelier shades. John and his partner Jason just had a big spread in New York Magazine. Photographed was their wild townhouse in Brooklyn; they have mixed all kinds of fun fabric patterns and wall papers, must have been a fun project!!! Something tells me their country house might be quietly done???

These have sold, but Iove them! I promise to do more.  12" drums. great look.

Funky Drum for sure! 12" x 12" x 8"   $89.

This is sold, too, but will be making more. Just got a couple blue grain bags this week. Nice cut corner rectangle shape.
New shade made last week. Cut corner rectangle, 16" bottom and 13" high. Lovely vintage floral shade shown on an iron antique cast lamp. Nice hard to find tall lamp. Won't last long! (nice unstyled photo.... note my messy desk!)

Society silk Scallop Hex Clip Shade: 5" x 10" x 7" high. $85.

Happy Solstice!

May summer begin.

The shop will be open 6 days through the summer, hours 10am-5pm, closed Sundays. Hope you'll make a trek out to Pawlet Village. I am 2 doors down from the famous Machs General Store on School St, where they have the best cookies in town. (they are next to the cash register) Pawlet is 25 minutes north of Manchester, out RT 30 North.

A easy scoot out to the countryside; a straight shot out to a fabric lovers delight!

Feel free to give a call if you are coming a distance. 802-325-6308, fair warning, cell phones aren't very useful quite yet out here.  iphone = pawlet paperweight.

I promise to try to keep writing. I am home in Vermont for the whole summer, no trips. It has been a busy spring and I'm thrilled to be here at the shop. NO shows! Yay. But you have to come for a visit.

ps. new Pawlet Village Farmers Market starts this Friday, 3-6pm down by the Libray.

Fresh New Inventory February 18 2011

 

 
I will be showing some of the most recent shades in my shop. I will list the price, size and cost. If you see something you would like, email me or give me a call 802-32-6308. Due to the nature of one of a kind inventory this seems to be the easiest solution. Or come visit the shop. Open 5 days, generally 10-5, closed wed and sun.
#1) A pair of scallop clip hex shades. I am showing a pair, but it is not necessary to purchase both. Super pretty hydranga cotton trimmed with a sage green. size 5"top x 10" bottom x 7" high. cost $85.each 
The Hydranga shade lit up.
#2) A pair of hex bell vintage paisley wood block shades. Size 5"top x 8" bottom x 6" high. Cost $68 each. Trimmed with a vintage paisley and soustache.
detail
detail
shade lit.love this!

#3) I made a pair of these. Hex clip Vintage Mangle Cloth, 5"top x 10" bottom x7" high. $75 each.
nice for the beach.
shade lit. I also have 7 of these in a candleabra sq. 2x2x4 @45. w/ discount 4 or more.

#4) A pair of Vintage Grain Bag. Square Washer top. 5" top x 8.5"bottom x 8" high. cost $85 each. I also have a pair of camel Grain Bag Shades same size w/ 4 stripes 2 thin and 2 wide)
detail of shade

#5) A Pair of hex clip Vintage Ikat Floral Print. 5"top x 10" bottom x 7" high. Cost $75. each

Ikat detail.
Shade lit.

Next batch of pretty shades!

#6) A Pair of hex bell, 5" top x 10" bottom x 7" high. Washer top, can be converted to be clip top (often this size needs to clip on). $75 each. Vintage embroidery with gold treads running through parts of this. Trimmed with the edging of the vintage dresser scarf.
Detail of shade.
top detail
ooh la la, so warm when it's lit up!

#7) A pair of vintage ticking shades, 5" top x 10" bottom x 7" high, Hex Bell washer top. Rare ticking pattern. $75. each

 

#8) Hex Bell clip top, Vintage bird crewel trimmed with vintage fabric. One shade only, $68. 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high.

#9) one of a kind, Vintage Pillow Ticking, sweet for a little girls room. 5"top x 8" bottom x 6"high. $68  I also have the size up from this, too.
detail of shade and trim on bottom
top detail.
warm light. 
#10) Looks like spring! 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high, Hex bell clip top made from a vintage embroidery dresser scarf. Rick rack on top and vintage crochet on the bottom. So girly! Will give nice light, too. $68.

#11) This was today's fun project. Vintage needlepoint from Belgium. Ever so sweet for a little guy's room. So hard to find cool little boy things! Vintage French Ticking on rest of panels. Size 9" top x 14" bottom x 9" high. cost $95.
detail of the top trim and needlepoint
detail.

#12) last shade for today. Early French Toile, 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high. One of a kind. Trim with ticking. $68. Clip on.

another panel of shade. beautiful fabric.

Happy Friday. We had almost 2 days of spring here in Pawlet. I heard from my friend Scott that the sap is starting to flow. Yipee! A sign that winter may be wrapping up, sort of.... cold again tomorrow and sunday.

If you see anything you need, I can  UPS it out to you. I do wholesale,too, but w/ significant first order.....shop tel. 802-325-6308. I accept most credit cards.

thanks for looking,

judy