Inspiration from the Baroness

I have a new lamp shade in our living room.

Do you like it?





Folly and Glee Our Home

I found a pair of curtains at a village jumble sale some time ago. They weren't barkcloth but a heavy linen and so I had no business looking at them. But the selvedge was in French and the colours...oh. I was in love.

They have sat in the non barkcloth pile of my cupboard for some time until one day I read an article about Lisa Bengsston.

Oh my. What a clever cloggs that lady is. I love all of her fabric designs but Baronessa is just great.

I like it in blue....

1. Lisa Bengtsson  2. as before 3. Living Etc December 2010 4. as before

I LOVE it in pink....

Lisa Bengtsson

But in chartreuse and chocolate.........I could eat it. All day.

 Well..maybe not eat it but you know what I mean..cover everything in it..cushions, chairs, the sofa.



Lisa Bengtsson



And actually that's not really so hard to do...recover the sofa I mean. Thanks to those brilliant folk at Bemz you can buy new slip covers in Lisa's Baronessa Design for several IKEA sofa's. Bemz have a nice blog and there are reports of covered beds and bed skirts next so don't be suprised to find me drooling badly in a future post.

 But for now I am happy to just enjoy my new lampshade. They are similar right?



1. Folly and Glee Our Home 2. Lisa Bengsston fabric  Baronessa

PS: If you love this original vintage Baronessa looky likey too there's enough for one more large retro drum lampshade in the shop now.



Frugal Cool's Remade Home

I'm delighted that FollyandGlee has been invited to take part in Remade Home from Thursday 2 to Saturday 3 June at the Loretto Gallery in Musselburgh.

We were invited by Nicky Orr  the inspiration and driving force behind Frugal Cool. As Nicky explains "Frugal Cool is a sustainable design business, inspired by the vibrant community of talented artisans around us who are creating art, jewellery and home accessories ethically. We are all committed to a happy and healthy world. So we design and create beautiful things mindful of our fragile planet.We promote work which is ethically produced, re-used, green, vintage or fair trade."

Remadehome.co.uk

Remade Home looks to be a really inspiring visit all about local sustainable design for our homes -making the most of things we already have, and mixing found treasures with contemporary eco technologies.  There is even a Remake Lounge where you can join in for a little creative learning.

Can't make it up to the beautiful Scottish coast this time? Me too - bummer. Console yourself with a browse of ReMade exhibitors in a Flickr Gallery or in the FrugalCool Online Shop.

There are quite a few suprise exhibits going up North from FollyandGlee but I'll share a peek at 3 of the patchwork ones. They were such fun to do.



"In the Pink"Patchwork Lampshades from FollyandGlee

"Folksy Girl" Patchwork Lampshade



"Desert Rose" Patchwork Lampshade from FollyandGlee



























Patchwork Lamp shades?

Here's a little insight into my head before closing my eyes last night.

x3 different lamp shades patchworked from vintage barkcloth.

But which is which?

Charity Auction of Patchwork Cherry Blossom LampShade

Please do visit Ebay to bid on the charity auction of the lampshade I patch worked from vintage cotton barkcloths depicting cherry blossoms.

100% of the proceeds go to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

Lampshade vintage barkcloth patchwork - 220771737945

 

Thank you......and pass it on.

Danish Modern Barkcloth Lamps

As promised two fully restored Danish Modern Lamps - one floor/standard lamp and one table lamp- made it into the shop today. Both are making noises about being allowed to stay. I am holding fast.....so far.

Crazy to Cut?

Well perhaps not a suprise but today whilst eating what counted for lunch I had a crisis of conscience. Who in their right mind would cut up near perfect lengths of barkcloth some of which is approaching 50 years old. What if no body likes my Folly&Glee lamp shades? What if we move and I need to make new lampshades for our home? What if their is a state of national barkcloth shortage emergency declared?  .......I'll feel like a right NUMPTY. That's what.

The furry one said just take a look around you. Do you need any more lamp shades? No. Do you feel pleasure everyday because of the ones you have? Yes. Wouldn't you feel good sharing some of that joy? Suppose so. Do you need the dosh to buy those Camper boots? Definately.

So.....I did some cutting and some laminating and some stitching and some rolling and there are 3 more vintage barkcloth lampshades in the Folly&Glee shop or if you prefer to but in US Dollars over at my etsy shop.

Vintage Barkcloth lampshades

Yea well it only took me 5 years to feel brave enough to cut up some of my treasured vintage barkcloth. Don't know what it is about the stuff but I do love it so.

At the risk of "teaching granny to suck eggs" barkcloth , also known as Dobby, is made of 100% cotton, it has a very rich look and feel and is extremely durable, and long lasting. To be honest I think that unless someone puts some actual barkcloth in your hands and says, "this is barkcloth" then it's next to impossible to really understand what it is... However technically barkcloth is a Momie Weave  used primarily in furnishings. The interlacing pattern usually uses spun yarns and creates a fabric with a rough texture somewhat like that of tree bark, hence the fabric's name.

So the legend goes after WWII American GI's stationed in Hawaii saw these brightly colored barkcloth curtains and other home furnishings (as well as some shirts) and brought or sent them home. In the years following  the late 1940's through the 1960's, bark cloth became a staple fabric in the home interior textiles market. The most collectable of these barkcloths are the atomic "Eames era" prints popular in the 1950's and early 1960's.

I fell in love with my first piece of barkcloth after pulling and old curtain out of a black bin bag at the local Scout Jumble sale. Totally unexplicable why... its was faded, it was almost a paisly pattern and worst of all it was mauve.....but there the love affair began.

It has finally dawned on me that I cannot curate a barkcloth museum from the linen cupboard in our spare room so now its open season on my precious bolts and scraps as they one by one reform themselves into......lampshades. Why lampshades? Well a great lampshade is always hard to find. You can never have enough lamps in a room. I'm lucky enough to have access to the professional materials needed to make them well. And most importantly they show the wonderousness of the fabric off to perfection.

I'm not so good at photographing them yet. Just look at all those shadows.....and it took me hours! Any tips greatfully received.

All from Emma Lamb's shop on Etsy

Whilst on the subjected I'm so greatful to Emma Lamb for posting about my shades. I've been a fan of her crochet for a while now as her designs and colours are always so contemporary and just a bit more edgy than most. Emma also manages my two favourite Flickr group "granny chic" and "all colours in" as well as producing the best etsy collages  or roundups on her blog. You have an extraordinary eye Emma. Cheers.

Geometric gorgeousness

Always having been a sucker for florals I didn't think I'd fall for the current geometric trend. But oh I was wrong.

Now I spend my sofa evenings huddled over a pile of hexagon cut outs. I cannot say it is the most enjoyable patchwork project as its a fiddly process but its very rewarding. I love that the old fashioned classic cuts of floral linen appear transformed into something so much more contemporary just by virtue of being an angular shape. Its a slow grower but my plan is to finish a length for a new FollyandGlee lampshade.

Triangles haven't escaped my attention either. I love the simplicity of this little coffee set of cups, saucers, cream jug and sugar bowl. Perfect for expresso or maybe a little after supper chocolate moose? If you love too you'll find it in the shop.

The current obcession with shapes has extended to our wallpaper lampshades too. First to succumb was this lampshade made in an ivory lace vinyl and then strung with bunting. The bunting was fun to cut from tiny scraps of vintage wallpaper laminated onto triangles of the lampshade PVC. I used Divine Twine's gorgeous new candy pink baker's twine which I'm delighted to now have in stock.

I've missed these blog posts over our eventful summer. Whilst it sometimes feels a little self indulgent blogging does give you that reflective time to stand back for a moment and appreciate......whatever. Promise to be back soon.

Badgers, Biscuits and a Brainwave

Posts have been scarce this week. I've been blogging 3 months now and although I haven't yet established any kind of regular rhythmn or special time to blog I must say I do miss it if I don't. So a quick summary of my week would include lots of badgers, very few biscuits and a long awaited brainwave. Let me explain....

Images from BBC Wildlife

Far, far away in an ancient and beautiful land called East Sussex lived a portly couple with their two strapping boys. They had chosen to live in the countryside moving from the big shitty (London) as soon as they could (at the worst time for property prices which some would call foolish but so what) because they loved to walk and to enjoy the wildlife. 

The purchase of a large and very hairy canine friend was both a blessing and a curse in their pursuit of country ways. A curse in that being a sheepdog (of sorts) he had what the professionals would call "plenty of voice when working" which translates as a very loud and chatty bark when hearding his family. However, needing lots of exercise the furry one was also the excuse for dail, and sometimes twice daily, walks. Most of these walks might be descibed by others as stalks for they are often conducted in silence for fear of startling any deer. After something had been spotted the atmosphere is more relaxed and said portly couple  chat (or moan) about the days events. 

Over the years we've had some great spots -snowy owls, barn owls, weasles, stoats, hares, foxes, roe deer, red deer, fallow deer.....but oh dear NEVER a badger. Until that is this week. Because readers on 3 seperate evening walks at 3 different locations around these ere parts we have seen 5 yes 5 badgers. The 3 that crossed our path on Friday evening almost tripped us over and one actually brushed against the furry one and growled at him. What funny grumpy creatues they are and well worth the wait.

Sadly all this walking does not mean that the portly couple from the City are any slimmer. Drastic action has been called for and I've taken our weekly packet of Digestive Biscuits off the online shopping list. It has been 3 and a half weeks since I have eaten a biscuit of any kind. If temptation does become too much rest assured it will be Digestives I reach for first. True Brit blog puts i so much better than me as to why Digestives really are Michael Palin in biscuit form! I miss them.

And finally the Brainwave. Well I've been worrying,  as I do, about the propensity of fabric lovers - especially granny chic affecionados of doilies- to drape said textiles over their lampshades. Is this not a fire risk I fret? Well yes it is. 

What said doily lovers need is a professional lampshade PVC or vinyl that is properly fire retardant and is non flammable but which looks like lace and  can be adorned by doilies in all their glory. And so patient readers here is is....the first Folly&Glee doily lampshade.

7 of my favourite doilies were stitched on by machine. I'd like to try one with contrast colour thread next. What do you think?

Handrolling the edges to the lampshade frame takes ages but the end result is worth it.

I'm going to keep this one but they'll be a couple more in the shop by mid week. I'd would love your feedback.

So my 3 B's this week and now is time for b-----ed x

Heatwave delays Daisy Lamp tutorial

What is this?

Is it:

(a) Mum's mess on the kitchen table....again?

(b) An excuse for a cutting out job outside in the sun avoiding more necessary and useful tasks?

(c) A masterclass tutorial in the making for retro wallpaper Daisy Lamp as promised?

Of course it is all of the above. Alas the rather lovely heatwave currently hitting pale and paunchy Old Blighty has slowed even play work to a snails pace and I fear the tutorial may take a little longer.

Fear not I will get there.....even if I have now been somewhat distracted by the wonderousness of this patchwork fabric wall from the obviously uber talented  About Mo and Me.

Why is it so hard to just have one project on the go at one time?

Lampshade love

It has been an exhausting week with all manner of ups and downs none of which would be unfamiliar to anyone with........teenagers facing exams, busy busy partners, a passing interest in the UK economy and our political future, youngsters with mysterious tummy aches, overweight pets, plumbing emrgencies, mild obcessions with retro 70s wallpaper, tadpoles who are getting worryingly big for their container, unruly hair that desperately needs a cut and some colour....I could go on.

A beacon of light was the sunny afternoon spent putting together another lampshade I've had in my head for some time now.

The best bit was sorting through the box of old vintage tablecloths, napkins and tray holders I've been hoarding away. None of them were perfect anymore. All had either a stubborn stain or just wear and tare. But everyone has something lovely still and it was my job to rescue it and show it off to the world once more...all be it as a lampshade!

Choosing who was to be placed where and next to whom was hard. Stitching them all together with the crazy patchwork stitch I found on the machine was harder. Fixing to the special fire retardant lamp PVC and handrolling the edges to the shade wires was down right difficult. I was really pleased with the result though and so it seems was its new owner who snapped it up yesterday. Hoping to get another done this week.