Harris Tweed lampshades…

March 26, 2019April 25, 2025 Julie Gardner

I have always loved Harris Tweed so was delighted when a client in Birmingham asked me to use some to make two very big and two small lampshades to fit bases they had purchased from Loaf.com.

The fabric is about as thick as you’d want to go for a lampshade (you really need to consider how much light they will allow through, as well as the logistics of making a lampshade, tucking the fabric around the rings to make a neat edge). But the effect is great, especially with the added touch of Harris Tweed labels attached at the bottom of each lampshade seam.

If you have a favourite fabric you’d like to use to make a beautiful lampshade just get in touch.

Lampshades

Map lampshades…

March 19, 2019February 12, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’m at home with Arthur puppy today (just a bit poorly after a minor op). So I have finished off some lampshades for clients, but otherwise I plan to generally take it easy myself too (which is very rare!) I feel very lucky that I have the flexibility to be able to do what I do. To be honest, it’s a bit strange not having to go for a muddy dog walk this morning, but it won’t be long before he’s up and running again I’m sure.

So, it’s a good opportunity to post on here while Arthur is resting in his little t-shirt, (he hated the cone of shame!)

I made these lampshades using maps that showed a special area to my client, in France and in the UK. Maps are a really great choice for lampshades and always look really effective. They were neatly finished off with some pale blue bias binding on the top and bottom rings.

The tapered drum on the right was made using the old lampshade as a template – reusing the rings but cutting new PVC to give it a new lease of life.

Amazingly, you can buy a paper Ordnance Survey map based around a specific location, which can then be made into a lampshade at gilhoolie – have a look here.

They’d make a great present too – do get in touch if you have any questions or to order a lampshade.

Lampshades

1960s vintage lampshade restoration…

April 27, 2018April 25, 2025 Julie Gardner

Restoring a treasured lampshade for a client has to be one of the best things I get to do at gilhoolie.

Jules from Flackwell Heath had two 1960s, very unusual shaped lampshades that her mum had bought many years ago. They were looking very sorry for themselves but still in use by Jules.

The lampshades were originally made from silk fabric stitched to cardboard and then stitched again to a metal frame. I’ve never seen anything like them and totally understood why Jules wanted to revive them if at all possible. You certainly wouldn’t be able to find replacements in a high street shop!

The whole process started with Jules sending me photos and measurements of the two lampshades. As she isn’t far from Maidenhead we met up and talked about options for fabrics and I checked that the frames weren’t misshapen so that I could reuse them. All part of the service 🙂 Jules sourced a beautiful orange silk fabric that would look amazing when the lampshades were lit. Most fabrics are fine; you just don’t want to choose anything too thick or fabric that frays really easily.

Here is one of the original lampshades – a bit torn and battered as you can see, but the frames were fine.

Original 1960s lampshade ready for gilhoolie restoration

The lampshades were taken apart so that I could use the cardboard as a template for cutting new PVC for the new silk fabric. What a lot of dust and quite a tricky operation to make sure it all came off in one piece – it was over 50 years old after all! You can see the panel goes round in a spiral but the two ends don’t meet so this had to be taken into account.

Quite a lot of patient, careful work (and breath holding!) later and the lampshades came back to life. What a transformation! (Scroll down to see). Always exciting when I stand back and look, especially when I know how treasured they are.

Jules was really pleased with the result and said her mum would’ve been happy too. I love a happy customer! To top it all off she gave me an original 1960s lampshade book that was in her family as a thank you gift – what a lovely surprise. It’s the little things and gestures that can make your day!

You can see the lampshades below in my workshop, and then in Jules’ garden when she got home, on the original 1960s vintage glass bases.

If you have a lampshade you would like restoring just get in touch with photos and measurements and I’ll get back to you.

Looking even more happy on their original bases

Lampshades

gilhoolie sign…

March 27, 2018February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

As I live on a main road I thought it would be a good idea (and excellent free advertising!) to put a sign on my front wall, telling passers-by about gilhoolie.

Finally, after lots of deliberating on the general design and size, it went up at the weekend. Yay!

It should probably be bigger but it’s a start, and all those people waiting in traffic outside might glance sideways and see it…

Lampshades

Annabel Smith Interiors…

March 19, 2018February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

My work often comes from clients who have searched for lampshade makers online but I also regularly take orders from local interior designers. Annabel Smith owns a small interiors studio in Wooburn Green which is where I first met her a few years ago. I’ve been making lampshades to go in her home and for her projects ever since. It’s always exciting to see what fabric Annabel has sourced from her travels to be made into a lampshade.

About Annabel (from her website):

An ex-magazine shoot stylist turned interior designer, I relish the challenge of creating rooms that last. Exposed to beautifully crafted interiors by the best in the business, I learnt the importance of heritage, in tandem with innovation, as key to a successful scheme.

Visit www.annabelsmithinteriors.com to see Annabel’s amazing portfolio of interior design work. She’s also launching a destination-inspired homewares online shop soon, sign up here – Telescope Style.

You can see some of the colourful lampshades I have made for Annabel below.

Get in touch if you’d like to add a pop of colour with a fun gilhoolie lampshade!

small-turquoise-herringbone-lampshades-600-wide — Mini candle clip lampshades in turquoise herringbone fabric

Blue-and-white-lampshade-sm — Large drum lampshade in blue and white fabric

Embroidered-lampshade-sm — Oval drum lampshade in embroidered cotton – positioning was vital!

Pink-lampshade-sm — Large pink rose drum lampshade for a silver base

Lampshades

New look gilhoolie website…

March 19, 2018July 6, 2025 Julie Gardner

I recently realised my gilhoolie website wasn’t mobile responsive so it was time for a new one. The original one first started in 2011, can you believe it?! (I can’t!)

After several weeks of testing here it is. Not an awful lot different really as it was working how it was, but I hope you like the new layout and fresh new header images. Check out the new ‘Testimonials’ page – more coming soon.

Lampshades

Lampshade challenge…

February 4, 2016February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Lampshade making is not always easy. Mostly because they come in all shapes and sizes; not just the simple, straightforward drum shape. Sometimes a client has an existing lampshade they want recovering and sometimes they just have a frame that they want to see transformed into a beautiful light source.

[Recovering, by the way, isn’t as simple as it sounds – it involves stripping down the lampshade carefully and then using the old PVC panel to cut new PVC and recovering that in new fabric, then remaking the lampshade. It’s a great idea though if you have a lampshade you like the shape of and can’t find a replacement in the shops.]

One of my clients had seen these lampshades in India and managed to find someone to make the frames for her, which then sat in her garage for a while… until she found me 🙂 and asked me to make them into lampshades for the corner walls of her extension. She also had a pair of curtains in a sheer fabric that she wanted to use as they would let through lots of light.

It was a bit of a challenge to make them as I wasn’t sure if they were all identical so had to make each one bespoke. I’m so happy with how they turned out though – sometimes the challenging jobs are the most satisfying when you can sit back and look at what a good job you did!

There were 5 lampshades in total, all measuring 63cm tall – here is a shot of them halfway through making (the one in the middle is finished). I covered the PVC in the client’s curtain fabric first and then attached it to the frame on the curved side only, folding slightly around both edges to give a neat finish.

Below is a photo of 3 of the 5 lampshades all ready for collection by a very happy customer. Hooray!

Creative Courses · Lampshades

Lampshade workshops – such fun!

November 26, 2015February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Where does the time go?! Being a busy mum of two, working part time and running a small business means sometimes I tend to neglect my blog and end up writing for others instead of myself – which is all very good but surely I can do both? I know it’s my own fault but there always seems to be something else I need to do, (including the gardening, keeping the house running, shopping, oh and of course coffee and a chat with friends, very important for my sanity!)

I was thinking the other day, “what’s missing from my life right now?” Well, I was actually sitting down with the Headspace meditation app which I have been doing for 18 months or so. (I’d really recommend it – whenever I feel like my head is too busy, which it often is, I get back to Headspace on my phone). The app is great; you just download the ‘pack’ you want to follow and away you go – ten minutes of calm a day, bliss.

The new pack I have just started is called ‘Acceptance’. Basically, I had to think about what, and who I am resisting right now. To be honest, I’m pretty happy with my lot, in fact very happy. So I found it hard to answer this question straight away (well, the whole point is that you don’t answer it straight away, but anyway). The only thing I could think of is that I’m a little frustrated that I’m:

a) not writing enough for my own blog and

b) not drawing or sewing at the moment.

Both are things I really enjoy but have to be in the right frame of mind to do. Since I started working part time a couple of years ago (after 2 years off work, just being creative and doing ‘gilhoolie’ stuff) I do find it hard to fit it all in and these things always seem to come last. I absolutely love my job though so I wouldn’t have it any other way. And here I am, finding time to write (at last), and I have some ideas on what to draw too so I plan to get on with that ASAP. So it is possible! Hoorah! I’m even finishing this off at 8 o’clock at night rather than watching TV 🙂

For this blog post, I thought I’d tell you a bit about the lampshade workshops I run from my house in Maidenhead, Berkshire; in particular the one I ran this time last week, the day before my birthday.

It was with two ladies who had traveled from Milton Keynes and been in touch by email a lot over a period of six months or so. I teach private lessons too but it’s always nice for someone to bring a friend to keep them company and learn a new skill together. It’s fantastic when we come to the end of the 2 hours and they can sit back and compare lampshades over a cuppa.

As soon as I opened the door I knew we were going to get along and have a really fun time. It’s not like working at all and I’ve come a long way since I ran my first lampshade workshop a few years ago.

The beginning…

The workshop starts with a cup of tea or coffee and a chat while I have a look at the fabric they have brought with them and then iron it to make sure it is nice and flat for making into a lampshade. In this case, they had brought some fabric remnants from John Lewis so made identical lampshades but you can bring whatever takes your fancy as long as it isn’t too thick and doesn’t fray too easily.

The middle…

Ironing and introductions made, we crack on with the fun part – making a lampshade. I’m obviously not going to tell you what goes on exactly (you’ll have to book a workshop!) But everyone ends up with a perfect, 30cm drum lampshade for a table lamp or pendant fitting. All with a little help from yours truly – I show them what to do and then hand over – doing it yourself is the best way to learn. Some techniques are more tricky than others but the most satisfying bit is definitely when they roll the rings along the panel and the lampshade starts to take shape. You can see the relief on their faces that they have done it right!

And the end…

We always end with homemade cake (gluten free brownies today, Victoria sandwich with cream and jam last week) and tea or coffee, plus a bit more of a chat about making lampshades of course. I advise on attaching trims, making lampshades using paper, making lined lampshades and answer any questions they may have. They’re always welcome to contact me afterwards too for advice, all part of the service.

So the two ladies last week really enjoyed themselves and went home clutching beautiful handmade lampshades for their homes. One of them wrote a lovely testimonial for my website (before I asked her to!)

“Many thanks for giving us a thoroughly enjoyable time today: making lampshades, eating your scrumptious cake and generally having fun! it was a great pleasure to meet you and spend time in your lovely home.
I am absolutely thrilled to bits with my new lampshade and now feel confident to embark on making more – you gave an excellent course.”

When I close the front door after a workshop I always feel satisfied and incredibly lucky that I get to do what I do.

Now I need to get on and draw – that’s my aim for the next couple of weeks – I mustn’t put it to the bottom of the list of things to do… (must look back at this blog post to remind myself that).

To find out more about drum lampshade workshops click here or contact me for more information and a booking form. I tend to book them when asked so I’m very flexible on dates. Anyone can learn with the right guidance, even those who say they’re no good at using their hands or not creative can make a lampshade on a workshop with gilhoolie!

Lampshades

gilhoolie is still here…

June 12, 2015February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I posted on here, well a really long time actually! In fact it took me five minutes to figure out how to login to my WordPress account to write a new blog post! ha ha…

It’s not that I haven’t been doing gilhoolie ‘stuff’, it’s just that I got out of the habit of blogging I think, and found it really hard to motivate myself to get back into it.

I started this gilhoolie blog when I wasn’t working and it was a brilliant way of motivating myself to get on with my creative ‘journey’ as I was exploring what I could do when I didn’t have to go to the office for a while. I was really lucky and absolutely loved it; my head was buzzing with new ideas and I had so much I wanted to learn and do.

That was a few years ago now. Since then things have changed… a lot. I now work part-time at a job I also love. I work for someone else who has their own business, five minutes from my house. 🙂 Well 20 minutes at the moment as I’m trying to be good and cycling there. What is my role? Doing everything really… I recently redesigned their website and had to write a biography on myself and could have written pages! From admin to social media to web design and anything else I want to get involved with. It’s great working for a small company; I get to have a big influence and can easily see the effect my efforts have on the business. And it’s not all boring stuff like customer databases and PowerPoint! Plus I get on really well with ‘the boss’ and we’re visited by her two lovely dogs occasionally too…

So working has definitely affected my creativity but I feel as though I am getting back into it now, it’s amazing what you can do once you just get on with it and stop procrastinating! Actually, I probably haven’t written on here for so long partly because I haven’t done as much gilhoolie stuff but also because I do a bit of writing at work (I write some of the mailings we send out to clients) and I also write a blog for an Interior Designer now too. That’s great fun, really interesting and sometimes involves going to venues to look at the interior or visiting art shows, then going home and writing about it. So it’s understandably hard to find the time and motivation to write here sometimes. But I have decided I am going to try and write every other week; should be a doable target I think, don’t want to stretch myself too much!

So what is happening at gilhoolie right now? Well, I made a lovely big tartan lampshade this week for an Interior Designer in Henley. It’s really hard to photograph lampshades well I think – it’s not on a stand for a start but I did my best! It’s lovely, 45cm in diameter and 25cm tall, made from a soft wool grey and blue tartan fabric by Sheila Coombes called Hamish. I have a big soft spot for tartan as I had a much-loved pair of tartan trousers at university. I bought them on an outing with a good friend (you know who you are!) to Kensington market in London. Anyway, it was a bit of a funny experience as Ronnie Corbett was buying some at the same time, not to mention all the zips on them (which I removed as soon as I got back to my room!)

I am also making a huge effort to get back into drawing and actually doing quite well at fitting it in with job, school runs and exercise (and the odd coffee with friends). This is brilliant as it really helps me escape and I now realise how much I miss it. I’ll show you more of that on another post, along with machine embroidery and helping a friend design a logo for her new business. So you know when you think, I haven’t done much, just list what you have done and it usually adds up to quite a lot!

At least I can tick off ‘write a blog post’ now at last. And I really enjoyed it, hope you did too!

Lampshades

Bling it up!

July 18, 2013February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I was recently asked to recover a traditional lampshade to go in an Art Deco living room. I just thought I’d show you some photos of how the lampshade developed, because it really did develop over time as various fringing and braiding was chosen for the design. It had been bought, along with the stand (not photographed here), from eBay, and was definitely a bit of a floral granny shade with a gold tassel trim. Nevertheless, it was a lovely shape with scalloped top and bottom rings:

From here on the design was down to the client along with her Interior Designer, Kate Lovejoy. I have to admit it wasn’t my style, but I also became quite attached to the finished lampshade – especially after working hard attaching so many trims and fringing! It was also great to make something a bit different, with strict instructions to ‘bling it up’!

The body of the lampshade is made from pink herringbone tweed which I love. Here’s a shot of it pinned to one side of the lampshade frame:

Next I added purple braiding to the top ring of the lampshade (this is a good close-up of the fabric too, oh and a gilhoolie tag with matching purple ribbon added at the end):

Followed by two layers of different length fringing in grey and purple:

Then more purple braiding on top of the fringing and a silver sequin trim (the bling):

Finally, the finished lampshade in all it’s burlesque glory:

I’ll post a photo of it in-situ soon hopefully; it doesn’t really go in my conservative looking dining room does it?! I was sorry to hand it over in the end though, maybe I should think about adding a bit of bling more often…hmmmm…