Cluster Lampshades a Go Go

I am blessed to be working on so many great projects at the moment....thank you kind customers and fellow granny chic collaborators.

One of my favourites but easily the most complicated product development is a cluster of mini patchworked scallop bell lampshades. There are so many components to get right.

Being a FollyandGlee product I want to use to loveliest of vintage fabrics, cotton lace and rescued embroideries. But I also want use only cotton or 100% wool trims....what a mammoth search that's been. Come on trimming manufacturers. We want more natural fibres!

I also want to use a complimentary light flex or cord. Hoorah I have now secured super flexes in linen and cotton. They are BRILLIANT and you are going to love them.

Then of course there's the electrical bit. Anyone would have thought I wanted the moon the hoops there have been to jump through.

I've specified a contemporary ceramic bulbholder in both white and black AND an aged brass much more industrial looking bulb holder. To turn it all into a working light that you hang as a cluster of three or five mini-shades?...aah I have talked of nothing much but multiple apertures and cord grips for weeks....but they are all finally here and I'm chuffed.

Actually making multiples at a reasonable price for folk is the next biggest hurdle. I am a one woman business and so far the lampshade elves haven't turned up overnight to helpout. In the absence of elves two alternative plans are now coming to fruition....a series of workshops led by moi for you to learn to make your own traditional style vintage shades (and go on to construct your own cluster light) AND a move to my own studio. Yes I know..somewhere where I can have multiple projects on the go at once and shut the door on the mess and return to a sparklingly clean home (NOT).

All that a barkcloth should be

I have no words ...they fail me.

Polly Extra Large Retro Drum Lampshade FollyandGlee

For reasons I am also stumpted to explain I've called her Polly.

Come over all tropical...

Maybe it was watching the delightful Simon Reeve on his tour of the Indian Ocean

Simon Reeve on location

or maybe it was just because it was warm enough to have the doors and windows open all day today. Who knows.....but the fabric faries pushed this little tropical number under my nose this afternoon.



Carla Recycled Barkcloth Lampshade



Carla Recycled Barkcloth Lampshade

Any way hats off to Mr Reeve and the team behind the excellent Indian Ocean BBC TV series. This is the first programme for AGES that brings everyone scuttling from their rooms and the delights of other electronic media to watch....always with fascination, often with wonder and sadly usually with a smigeon of disgust and shame. The hell like scenes of rubbish burning on a Madives atol last night was yet another powerfully memorable warning I am quite certain my kids will never forget.

Spring inspired patchwork

You do not want to ask how many started byt not finished projects sit around my workshop. As we know sometimes the hands of time play tricks against us. Slowing down during the crappy chores and speeding up for the happy times and the busy bits. Well this afternoon I finished a project - hoorah.

FollyandGlee

Started when the Daffodils first made their appearance and a wonderful Spring was set to follow my project entailed a new departure in my lampshade making. I've long wanted to work with a tulip shape frame with a 70s vibe. This little lady has four handstitiched panels all of rescued fabrics: a lovely embroidered linen, a crochet cotton lace and two vintage cottons featuring buttercups and wild roses. A total one off you'll find her in the shop.

One of the reasons it took so long was the time it took me to find suitable trimmings. i want to work with natural cotton and linen trimmings because I think they will compliment the barkcloths so well. Could I find any...no siree. After many days of searching I have finally found a source and look forward to many more trimmed shades to come. Just don't hold your breath cos there sure is a lot of stitching involved.

Orlessa Vintage Barkcloth

For anyone who thinks vintage barkcloth just looks ..well vintage. A bit too floral for your taste? Rather too much like Granny's house?

For those folk I give you....Orlessa.

Orlessa Vintage Barkcloth

There are no words for how much I love this one. Just look at those colours. And the design...so contemporary but I'd say it has to be late 60s? Any body know the designer/maker please let me know.

Orlessa 35cm Lampshade

Just the one found curtain to work with. Luckily in great condition after some careful laundering. I've called her Orlessa in reference to a certain Ms Kiely who also loves that colour combo.

Orlessa 35cm Lampshade

Probably enough material here for 3 small shades or two large so don't dilly dally if you love it too - just let me know the size/shape you're after to hello@follyandglee.co.uk.

Playtime



Seeing as its Bank Holiday, raining (of course), and the men folk are all actively engaged in manly pursuits...I thought I'd treat myself to a little playtime.

Vintage Sheet Patchwork Lampshade

The lampshades in our bedroom rotate with alarming frequency but I was keen for a little summer fun and besides I had some new trim to play with.

Vintage Bucilla Trim

I've never seen the like before. There are three horizontal lines of stitching. Once you've sewn your trim in place from the central line you pull away the top and bottom lines and fluff it up. Cool.

Fluffed up trim 

I sadly didn't have enough Bucilla trim to do all the spines of the lampshade frame so I just made a little bias trim out of the vintage sheeting to cover the seams. Don't look too close my edges are less than straight.

Slightly wonky bias trim

Just for safety reassurance I use panels of the fire retardant PVC and didn't want to lput a ligning inside the shade  the traditional way. This of course means the frame will be visible but I covered it in leftover strips of the sheeting and rather like the result.



Frame wrapped in fabric strips

Being rather impatient to get a "me" project finished I stupidly hot ironed the panels and made them flopping. Lesson to the wise floppy panels need restretching and recutting otherwise you will have a bump.



Bumpy panels

Lets be generous and call it another piece "with homespun character".

Limited Edition BlueTit Lampshades

You know I love barkcloth. You know I love lampshades. But even I didn't know until recently that I actually love making lampshades out of other fabulous textiles.

Dear Emma Designs for FollyandGlee

One of the more notable " you gotta let me make a lampshade out of that" moments came the first time I saw the beautiful applique work of Cathy Emmot aka Dear Emma Designs.

Dear Emma Designs Blue Tit Brooch

Fortunately for me Cathy didn't dismiss me as a complete loon and shared my excitement at the thought of waking to a little bedside lamp adorned with a few cheeky bluetits helping themselves to the cream from the newly delivered milk bottles.



Cathy at work Photo courtesy Yorkshire Evening Post



Dear Emma Designs is one of those success stories you want to read about everyday. Very talented Mum somehow finds the time amongst family life to create adorable products with time,care and love. Cathy is also a super nice person. I'm a big fan.



Milk Bottle Blue-Tit Dear Emma Designs for FollyandGlee

I'm delighted to say that a full "bosom" of tits  safely made the journey back from Sussex to Yorkshire.

Bosom of Tits before flight

They can now be found amongst a whole host of other DearEmma goodies this weekend at the rather marvelous looking Saltaire Arts Trail 2012. Twitterings indicate they are selling fast.

Not within striking distance of Saltaire in time? Never fear a VERY limited number of blue tit applique lampshades are now available to pre-order in the FollyandGlee shop.