Learn to Sew a Tailored Lampshade with the Patchwork Dog

I'm lucky to  be working again with the wonderful folk at the Patchwork Dog and Basket in the Needlemakers, Lewes. 

Now you can write what I know about quilting on the back of a very small envelope but I'm quickly learning that there is far more too it than sewing a straight quarter inch seam. And it seems I'm not alone. The April  edition of Elle Decoration proclaims "everyone's talking about Quilting" and from  April 1 the best selling author Tracy Chevalier is guest curator  to a quilt exhibition Things We Do in Bed.  In Chevalier's  most recent book, The Last Runaway, her heroine is a quilter. 

Liberty Lifestyle Kit from PatchworkDog &Basket

I'm  hopeful maybe one day I will have a patchwork quilt to share with you - for now I'm just happy to have stumbled upon quilting cottons as a fab resource for lampshade making. The patchwork dog pictured is made up from the Liberty Lifestyle Bloomsbury collection. There's a fab mix all inspired by the the beautiful interiors of Charleston, the farmouse home near Lewes  of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell and meeting place of the artists and writers of the Bloomsbury Group. 

Its a great weight of cotton and super smooth - perfect for crafting. And because its so popular with quilters you'll find it for sale in fat quarters, and even smaller pieces. You can econmically mix and match a great collection of designs with very little wasteage. I couldn't resist using the collection for a little 8" scallop bell lampshade as an example shade for the forthcoming workshop I'm leading.

The real delight for me with this project was the choice of beautiful bias bindings in a range of widths that Jill and Josie from the Patchwork Dog and Basket make and wind onto large wooden spools in the shop. Combined with some mini pom pom trim it makes a perfect inexpensive trim for finishing a tailored lampshade.

The Patchwork Dog also have a great range of cotton tapes in a fab range of colours. I chose a bright cerise to bind my lampshade frame. Its a great option for a smart finish inside without the need for a lining and I hope a time saving alternative to lining for first time shade makers joining me on the workshop.

On the day we'll have a great selection of the Liberty Bloomsbury fabrics and bias trims for participants to purchase. The hard bit will be choosing which combination to go for. I love this part.....so much so when I didn't have the real fabrics in front of me I played around with images in Photoshop. Here were my top 3 combinations:

Photoshop conveniently makes it easy to try out different cotton binding colours too.

I'll be playing with these again.

There are a limited number of places available on the Traditional Lampshade workshop on 19th March. We'll be working at a beautiful riverside home in Lewes and enjoying a homecooked lunch. The price is just £60 which includes your frame and all equipment. Bring along 1/2 metre of your own fabric or purchase a Liberty Lifestyle cotton,  one of my vintage barkcloths, and your choice of trim on the day. Just call Josie at the Patchwork Dog and Basket on 01273 483886 or email madeinlewes@hotmail.co.uk.