Bargains galore in my end of season SALE

Just in time for you to lighten up those dark evenings. Lots of bargains - many half price.

Lampshade Repair, Recovery and Re-purposing!

Tired of gazing at a tired and torn lampshade? Are your existing frames too big/small for your room or do you fancy a more contemporary shape? Got a lamp base that deserves to be brought back to life? Found an amazing 'object' you'd love to re-purpose into a light?

I've had so much fun of late re-storing and reviving both lampshades and lights that I've decided to have a bit of an open drop-in 'surgery'.

 My good friends at the fabulous PatchworkDogandBasket have generously offered  the fabulous courtyard of the historic Needlemakers in Lewes to act as 'waiting room' this Saturday 28th September 10am - 4pm.

Ceramic Bulbholder and red/white flex from FollyandGlee

I'll have lots of different wire frames in all manner of sizes and shapes so bring your lamp along to try them on. Too heavy or awkward to carry - then just take a photo and I'll take a look. Obviously it won't be possible to do repairs etc while you wait but I'll give you options  and a full prescription with costs.

Typically the jobs I can help you with are:

• re-covering your existing lampshade frame in your own fabric.
• select the most effective frame style and shape for your lampbase or space.
• re-store, re-wire and PAT test your table, floor or ceiling lamp with a fabulous selection of coloured fabric flex.
• paint or decoupage your lampstand.
• re-purpose any item  from a kitchen colander to a crystal decanter into a stunning lamp.

  

  antique bronze bulb holder from FollyandGlee

Look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

 Local but not around - email me for an appointment at the FollyandGlee studio at UpperLodge near Lewes. Live far away but got a lampshade dilemma? - email me your pics and the patients symptoms and I'll do my best.

Breakout the Barkcloth Bunting

So I had my eighth of eight cycles of chemotherapy last Thursday. Man was that hard work. 

Anyway folk have been asking what would I like to do to celebrate this particular milestone on the "journey". A glass of wine? A new head scarf? A holiday in Bora-Bora? 

Mini-barkcloth bunting garland

 Well they would be lovely thank you. What I've actually done of course might seem a little mundane in comparison but I have enjoyed it enormously.....yep I cut into the barkcloth called Darcey.

 Now Darcey is a magnificent fabric - unused and consequently super crisp and bright with eeeenormous ruby red and soft pink rose blooms - and well worth saving up for such an occasion. There is enough for just 4 lampshades including an x-large shade for a standard/floor lamp and a tapered ceiling pendant.

But then there was the scraps dilemma - too good to throw away. So I treated myself to the time to fiddle with fiddly bits and eek out some extra Darcey goodies.......like buttons....

card of 3 large Darcey buttons

 

 

 

 

...in two sizes.

carded set of 6 Darcey buttons

 And largely because of  my desire to wave off those pesky toxins FollyandGlee is now being stocked with celebratory mini-bunting flag garlands perfect for happier events!

Mini barkcloth bunting garland

 They are double sided so you can ring the changes and hang them to be seen from all  angles. 

Mini barkcloth bunting garland

But maybe the best bit.....they come with their own little spool of barkcloth fabric tape. This means you can hang them from their cherry twine ends with ease AND you'll have plenty left to use at whim.

Barkcloth fabric tape

I have really enjoyed good reports back from customers who bought barkcloth tape spools from me at the Selvedge Winter Fair and look forward to making more in the coming weeks.

Darcey Barkcloth Fabric Scrap Bag

 Last but not least there was just enough left for two more barkcloth scrap bags with Darcey as the focul print.

 

 

Darcey x-large retro drum lampshade

There is one more handsewn shade and stitched brooches awaiting the return of some feeling in my fingers but overall I'm elated at having had some studio time and barkcloth healing. 

Anyone else save up a favourite crafty pursuit for a special bit of me time? I'd love to hear. Have a wonderful bank holiday weekend.

x

TedandAgnes and some Barkcloth Squares

I was cheered beyond cheeriness to see what my GrannyChic friend Rachelle of TedandAgnes has been up to. My that gal is a whirlwind of activity. For some of us hosting a photo shoot for Country Living, not to mention recovering from a wet school holiday, would have been more than enough. But lucky for little Violet her mum added this gorgeous throw to her already gorgeous room. Check the castors on that bed - love em.

TedandAgnes

Especially exciting for me is that said throw is made up of some of my Vintage Barkcloth Fabric Scrap Bags - x3 @ 30cm squares of barkcloth loveliness ready for you to do with as you will.

TedandAgnes

 

Rachelle has kindly given some guidance on how she put Violet's throw together on her blog. I'm sure you won't need any tempting while you are there to hop over to the TedandAgnes shop. I for one am forever checking the latest stock of skirts and Rachelle's running workshops too from her beautiful Stitchery.

Baccara Barkcloth Scrap Bag

 Inspired? Well you can't beat Barkcloth for than authentic grannychic style. I've popped a few scrap bags in the shop this morning. All are original vintage cotton barkcloths from the 1930s - 1970s collected by me over many years. 

Polly Barkcloth Scrap Bag

 Barkcloth has a wonderful distinctive double open weave and nubby texture. Hardwearing but super soft and the depth of colour is unbeatable.

Aasta Barkcloth Scrap Bag

You will receive the 3 fabrics photographed with each bag given the name of one of the fabrics inside.  I'm sorry but there is a very limited quantity of each ie just one or two bags of each and once they are gone they are gone.  

Sailing Boat Barkcloth fabric Scrap Bag

If you need more do get in touch at hello@follyandglee.co.uk.  I'll update the FollyandGlee Facebook Album of available barkcloths over the next couple of days and will be happy to help if I can put a particular selection together for you - depending on availability of enough scrap fabric of course.

DearEmma's Distractions

This afternoon I have an important meeting with my oncologist and am terrified. A quiet morning staring out of the window patiently waiting for sounds of movement from the teen's rooms is too quiet - I need distraction.

DearEmmas Designs

I am reliably informed via Twitter that the herald of spring - a cuckoo - was heard this morning in Lewes despite the fact snow is settling on the Downs. In our own garden the bird life is noticeable by its absence - I did catch a glimpse of a couple of blue-tits but they were looking just that - blue with cold- and rather downcast.

DearEmma Designs

 Lucky for me that I have a lovely big box of fabulous applique panels from Cathy my clever friend at DearEmmaDesigns to work up into lampshades. Wrens and Blue-Tits galore all at their cheepy chirpy best. 

DearEmma Designs

 As ever they are a limited edition so hop over to the DearEmma website or facebook page to be the first to know when they are available or to ask about pre-ordering.

Wordless Wednesday - Weaving

Sunshine inspired - Virginia and a sister for Mavis

I might still have had to scrape the windscreen of ice early this morning but the sun has been out continuously since and doesn't it feel good?

Virginia £32

Maybe a little rash I know to reach for summery barkloths with roses in full bloom ...but Virginia did match my Easter bouquet from the boys 

 and I really didn't need any excuse to finish a younger sister for Mavis.

Mavis's little sister £28

 Rumour has it there's a baby Mavis on the way....

New Easter 40% off ShopLocket Bargains

Just in case you find yourself on a chocolate fuelled on-line shopping frenzy I have two more guilt free 40% bargains from the continued studio spring clean.

Bunny Boxes Win

The reality of a post chemo day is that it can be a challenge to anything more than flick a finger round the gorgeousness that lies within Pinterest all day. Determined to ensure I did something Eastery I had to make a choice: the annual simnel cake or a couple of barkcloth bunny boxes for my nieces mini-eggs.

As you can see the bunny boxes won out. Find the template here. I oversized mine by 150% and used off cuts of lampshade laminate rather than card to make them nice and rigid.

Last years Simnel Cake

My apologies to visiting family for the lack of simnel cake this Easter. Maybe I should make a "things I really should be baking" pinterest board and we can look at that together instead? Mr Hollywood's hot cross buns would be another contender.

BBC Goodfood Recipes

 How about you - what have you not made for Easter that you wish you had?

Bang up to date

Sometimes you find a vintage fabric that's what 30 or 40 years old or more and something about the colour or pattern just makes you think you saw it yesterday heralded as the latest trend. 

That's how I felt about this barkcloth called Kanye.

1. Pyramid Crewel Cushion in Clementine from John Lewis

2. Cloud 9 fabric called On Point - Peachy from the Simpatico collection designed by 
Michelle Engel Bencsko.
3. Kanye x-large retro drum from FollyandGlee

 There were a couple of items that I kept seeing on the design blogs and Pinterest pages that I loved. They both combined a fabulous geometric pattern with those gorgeous desert inspired celementine/smokey grey/coral colours. And then came along a barkcloth find and it was love at first sight.

Why an earth have you called it Kanye? Well ....silly story but when I look at it I see diamonds. And when I think of diamonds I think of a rather amazing Kanye West concert and holding our hands up in the diamond shape swaying to his  splendidly over the top performance. Yes I know hard to believe I know but once upon a time I frequented such events and yes OK we probably were one of the oldest there but hey!

Room for a little Kanye in your home but a different size or shape - come say hello@follyandglee.co.uk.

Blossomless

A big virtual hug to everyone who's feeling the cold today. It is bitter even for those of us lucky to still have the power on. Here's hoping all will be restored by evening and you'll be cosy and snug.

Burleigh

Now that I'm working at an enforced slower pace I thought it would be great to take the time and let nature inspire which fabrics I use and when. I'm itching for the first sign of buds on the forsythia so I can make some shades with this beauty.

Forsythia

And oh won't the first cherry blossoms be welcome?

Spring Farm

 Mind you I'd settle for a primrose or two right now.

Wellingham

Sadly the view from my window is of trees as bare as a babies bottom!

Thank goodness for barkcloth - there's a design for every eventuality. 

Meet Burleigh.

Burleigh

Pompoms - They don't make em like they used to!

Today I've enjoyed a few treasured moments fondling something so soft, round and plumptious that it seems cruel not to share.

Yes its my twindling stock of original vintage cotton pom pom trim for lampshades - made sometime before 1957 by Wrights in the USA.

 Wanna cop a feel?

40% OFF ShopLocket Bargains

What Cancer Cannot Do

So here is what I have learnt in the past six weeks about cancer and its limitations.

Cancer can't diminish love, it can't prevent friendships from deepening and new ones blossoming, it can't silence laughter, it can't suppress memories, it can't shatter hope, it can't conquer courage, it can't invade the soul, it can't steal an eternal life from the universe......and it sure as hell can't stop me playing with the barkcloth and making lampshades.

FollyandGlee

So I am back from the hospital this afternoon chemoed up to my eyeballs and delighted to announce the shop is back up and ready for business. My sincere apologies to customers old and new for slow responses and the absence of a phone service - I'm working on it promise.

I hope you like some of the new barkcloths. I'm on an imposed quarantine for a few days and hope to get a few more together.

My aim is to launch a lampshade fundraiser for Cancer Research but I want to do it properly and there are many talented folk I'd like to ask to help - this will take some energy and concentration both of which I'm a little low on at the moment.

FollyandGlee

For now any purchase from the shop will be my wig money. Yes having gone short for the  first time in 20 years last week in preparation it was still a shock this morning to discover rather less on my crown than when I went to bed. Not being so keen on sporting a "monk like do" it may be time to take the rest off......but its so cold!

FollyandGlee

I have wrestled a little with whether or not this blog was somewhere I wanted to share my f****** cancer journey but never fear it won't be the focus. In many ways the mental scars are more scary than the physical ones and I know that in doing and sharing more of what I  love I'll be protecting myself. The other deciding factor in going public is of course the hope that others who have to embark on this journey to the dark side get to see its not all darkness. My favourite t-shirt of all time reads "blessed are the cracked for they let in the light". And I am a little cracked at the mo.

Take care and go hug a loved one x