New embroidered lampshade

July 30, 2021March 30, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

Most of the time I’m working on orders that come in from interior designers who I work with regularly, and clients that find me on Google, from all over the UK. But when I get some free time I always go back to doing something creative, like drawing or working on my machine embroidered lampshades. I even bought a new shelf for my workshop to display them on (which I’m hoping my lovely husband will put up above my desk for me this weekend). Don’t get me wrong, as I don’t work full time I also get to do most of the errands and driving around, and housework, washing, ironing, gardening, cooking etc etc (but I’m not complaining!) I’m very lucky that running a creative business lets me do a bit of everything, including volunteering once a week which I love and find really rewarding (and lots of dog walks with friends, with the odd coffee thrown in). Can you tell I like to be busy?!

My next task for gilhoolie is getting kind of urgent now and it is to set up some kind of shop page on here so that you can buy these embroidered lampshades, or maybe I’ll just put them on Etsy, I’m not sure yet. They take a long time to make and the process itself is all very organic, that’s what I love about them. No two will be the same and they all feature my illustrations of flowers, taken from gardens I visit as well as the botanical books I seem to be collecting. I feel very lucky that I have the time to do this and now that I have my workshop to work in there are simply no excuses! The new space is working out brilliantly for making lampshades and being creative too, especially as I’m in the heart of the garden which is looking lush right now by the way.

Here is my latest lampshade creation in front of our new veg patch (lots of scrummy courgettes, tomatoes, beetroot, rhubarb, peas, French beans and broad beans in our cooking right now!)

And below are a few close ups going around the lampshade. The first is an allium as it’s opening up. The second is supposed to be a hellebore but it changed a bit as I started working. And I’m not sure what the third yellow one is but it’s out of an amazing book I found in Waterstones when we were in Bath recently. Spot the buzzy bee too, about to land on the hellebore!

This time next week I’ll be on a lino printing course in Oxfordshire as I’d really like to have a go at printing my own fabric again. I’m thinking about combining the machine embroidery with printing but not sure if I’m being a bit too optimistic, we shall see, watch this space! Thank you for reading…

Please visit my new shop to buy this embroidered lampshade and other one off gilhoolie designs.

Lampshades

Embroidered Lampshade Commission – Cheeky Cracker!

May 12, 2021February 11, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

Last week I finished working on a rather special embroidered lampshade commission for a lady in Wimbledon. The brief was to make two large drums for her daughter’s bedrooms using ticking fabric that matched the roman blinds. They could be slightly different but with the same theme – Cracker the much adored family pet – a cheeky black working cocker spaniel. The design was to be a story along the bottom of the lampshade, with Cracker walking through flowers on one side and more flowers, a watering can, bone, ball and toppled over (I wonder who by!) plant pot opposite.

The design developed as we emailed backwards and forwards and spoke over the phone – I worked on sketches from photos of Cracker and we decided on the story we wanted the lampshades to tell. All part of the creative process which I love. Even down to the colour of her collar (orange) and her little name tag with a letter C on it.

Most of the stitching is in a dark grey but I also added some black to draw Cracker’s fur, and some white on the darker flowers to make them stand out. I added a mustard yellow French knot on each of the daisy flowers.

They were finished off with a beautiful simple plain straight braid from JA Milton in a gorgeous green on the top and bottom rings. We thought it looked a bit like Cracker was walking on grass and it contrasts really well with the other colours in the stitching and appliqued fabric.

See for yourself on the many photos below, from the initial design drawing to the finished pieces of art in situ. I hope the little girls love and treasure them as much as I enjoyed making them! One of the girls is apparently angling for anther puppy, spot the sign behind one of the lampshades 🙂

If you would like to commission your very own piece of art on a lampshade do get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!

Inspiration at Liberty, London…

May 2, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie Gardner3 Comments

I had the best day out last Saturday in London with my husband. We started off by catching the train and sitting and chatting with a cup of tea, very civilised and bliss to have some rare, quality time on our own. We were on our way to meet some friends for drinks and dinner just off Oxford Street so decided to take a trip to Liberty for some inspiration. I used to walk past the building all the time when I was a student, on my way to trendy Carnaby Street but believe it or not, I had never stepped foot inside. Now I have I’ll never walk past it again! Anyway, here are some photos of things that caught my eye.

First, of course, lampshades (what else?!) I really liked the birds on this lampshade and we happened to be on our way to meet a very talented friend Ella who draws the most beautiful pictures of birds and makes divine stationery so I had to take a photo. The one on the right on the shelf in the background is a lampshade from Lush Designs in Greenwich. I remember seeing their lampshades when I first started out and would still like to have a go at printing my designs onto parchment paper and making them into lampshades, I will one day.

Aren’t these tube lights pretty? I love the intricate designs too…

Liberty tube lights — Lovely tube lights

Hmm, I’m not sure I’d be able to make one of these just yet, better get practicing!

And these teapot lamps are just for fun but I was also really in awe of the building that you can see in the background, you don’t find many shops like it do you?!

Liberty tea pot lamps — Cup of tea anyone?!

Of course I spent a good amount of time browsing and looking at fabrics too and these pictures by Naomi Avsec caught my eye so I had to include them on here. Her appliqued and embroidered pictures are quite quirky and there’s so much detail involved. I have an idea for a picture I’d like to do after being inspired by these, more to follow soon…