Hello 2013!…

January 1, 2013February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

It’s time to look back at the last twelve months at gilhoolie and make some real plans for 2013. Sometimes I can’t believe some of the events below only happened a matter of months ago and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to more fun and learning in the next twelve months.

So, goodbye 2012, when gilhoolie (kind of in order)…

1. …drew lots of retro kitchen drawings that I later machine embroidered onto tea-towels; I still have my favourite ones on display in my kitchen and you can buy them on etsy…

2. …learnt how to make hand-stitched lampshades at Homemade London. I was taught by the very lovely and incredibly talented Angela Constantinou from Cocoon Home. I think this was a real turning point for me in terms of where I wanted gilhoolie to go…

3. …taught my first lampshade workshop which was featured in From Britain With Love coursenotes. I now teach regularly at Make & Do in Caversham and will be teaching at Hands on Art Adventures in Old Windsor this year too. I taught a lot of 1-2-1 lampshade lessons at my house in Maidenhead in 2012. I love it; it’s so nice to be with other people and see their faces light up when a lampshade comes together looking beautiful!

4. …felt ready to change my logo to represent what I wanted to do with gilhoolie. I still like it a lot, luckily, it’s very me!

5. …dabbled with machine embroidery a bit more, to give my drawings another dimension – I really want to do more of this soon…

6. …made my first big hand-stitched lampshade commission for an Interior Designer in Maidenhead. This was very exciting, if a little nerve-wracking but it turned out amazingly after an awful lot of hard work and dedication…

7. …made lampshades from wallpaper and comic books including Tintin and Spiderman…

8. … drew lots and lots of house pictures for various people – more on those soon…

And hello 2013 when gilhoolie plans to…

…make a collection of big hand-stitched lampshades to sell on my website

…improve my website to make it more professional but carry on blogging too

…continue working with Interior Designers to make beautiful lampshades that match a room design

… do more of the following – drawing, teaching, sewing, machine embroidery, decorating my house

… learn a new skill – can’t wait for my crochet workshop at Make & Do later this month!

So you see, still lots to do and lots to learn in 2013, Happy New Year everyone!

Uncategorized

A labour of love lampshade…

April 18, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie Gardner4 Comments

This lampshade was most definitely a labour of love. Now it’s complete I love it, but making it wasn’t an easy experience… but then the reward when I finished it was great! When you know what you’re doing these hand-stitched lampshades aren’t actually as difficult to make as you’d think but when you don’t know what you’re doing (or can’t remember exactly how you learnt what to do as in my case!) it can be quite frustrating. I really wish I had made one straight away after the course at Homemade London but I guess I have learnt a lot from my mistakes and hopefully won’t make them again next time. Before I went on the course I really had no idea how these traditional lampshades were made; I thought each panel was attached separately and I remember hating to remove all the pins I had used to pin the fabric to the frame to get the outline.

I breezed through attaching the outer Liberty print fabric and I could do streetly stitch in my sleep now, but I remember from the course the lining was much trickier and easier to get wrong. It’s not perfect but I have now made notes on my notes (!) so I just need to find another frame to practice on before I tackle recovering my big lampshade. I think another trip to a local antique shop is in order!

I’m really looking forward to teaching at my next drum lampshade workshop at Make & Do in Caversham, Reading next Thursday evening (26th April, 6.30pm). Maybe one day I’ll feel confident enough to teach others how to make hand-stitched lampshades too – better keep practicing (how many lampshades can I fit in my house d’you think?!)

Uncategorized

My lampshade obsession continues…

March 21, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Since I attended the amazing bespoke lampshade course at Homemade London I’ve been itching to find an old lampshade to restore and bring back to life. Well, last week I was happily wandering in and out of shops in a town near me, when I stumbled across this old lamp base and shade in an Aladdin’s cave of an antique shop.

Most people would just put it in the bin (and I have to admit, the shade especially is pretty horrid, even though the antique shop owner tried to dust it down and said it might be ‘saveable’!) but I’m hoping I’ll be able to restore it and it’s base to it’s former glory. This might take a bit of a miracle but it’s good to have a challenge isn’t it?! I just have to decide what fabric to use and I think a tassel trim like the original one will look lovely. I think Angela from Cocoon Home might be wishing she never met me when I ask for advice on this little project!

NOTE TO SELF: I must stay away from antique shops; this could become a bit of an obsession, how many lampshades can you have?!

antique lampshade and base — My latest challenge!

Creative Courses · Sewing projects

Streetly stitch? Never heard of it!…

February 21, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

Well, I hadn’t until ten days ago. It’s a stitch used a lot in making hand-stitched lampshades and now I have finished making my first one, I can (almost) streetly stitch like a pro! I attended the second day of the bespoke lampshade course at Homemade London on Sunday and I have only just recovered. Not because of sore fingers this time though. It was really good fun again, but also quite intense trying to finish the lampshades and not make any mistakes along the way, I was exhausted by the end of the day. Thank goodness our lovely tutor Angela, was brilliant and calm as well as extremely knowledgeable about sewing and lampshades.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will treasure my handmade lampshade (must find a suitable base to go with it now). It felt like we learnt a skill that’s becoming lost in the mass production of everything and I hope I can carry it on. I already have another frame ready to make another one so that I don’t forget how it’s done, you can never have too many lampshades! Hopefully I’ll get a bit quicker this time, these lampshades definitely can’t be made in a hurry!

Creative Courses · Sewing projects

It’s good to learn something new…

February 13, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I had the best day yesterday on the first part of the bespoke lampshade course at Homemade London. It is being run by Angela Constantinou from Cocoon Home who is lovely; a brilliant teacher who is passionate about sewing and making lampshades.

I really had no idea how traditional lampshades were made but after reading the rest of the instructions on my way home on the train it is starting to become clear! All I can say is it can’t be done in a hurry, involves a lot of pins (and I mean a lot!) and can make your fingers sore but the end result is beautiful. I’m sure my fingers will get used to it, I definitely intend to make more in the near future. It’s funny because I always liked the simplicity of drum lampshades but I am being drawn towards the more old fashioned hand-stitched ones. I think it’s a lot to do with the skill and time that goes into making them but it’s also their pretty shape and pom pom trim that I’m hoping to learn how to attach next week!

Homemade London is lovely too, I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to learn a new skill, from bag-making and lingerie to signature scent creation, upholstery and chandelier making. We had a great time, the class was nice and small, everyone was very friendly and keen to learn. Angela even brought in homemade chocolate cookies and lunch was scrummy, as were the cream cakes in the afternoon – we did do a lot of making and didn’t just sit and eat all day, honest! Can’t wait for the second installment next Sunday…

Creative Courses

Three weekends of lampshades…

February 8, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

It’s nearly half term and, like most parents I’m looking forward to a break from the usual routine and a bit of a rest. The week before a school holiday is always a bit manic though, as if I won’t ever be able to do gilhoolie stuff again… (sounds like a nightmare to me!) But, don’t panic, I just realised I have lampshade courses or workshops over the next three weekends, phew!

The next two Sundays will be spent at Homemade London learning how to make a traditional style lampshade with Angela Constantinou from Cocoon Home. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and even the homework in between! It’s nearly a year since I learnt how to make my first drum lampshade and I’ve always wanted to know how the traditional ones are made – look out for updates on here, as long as my efforts are good enough, got to have pom poms for sure.

Then, on the 25th February I’m running my own lampshade workshop in Maidenhead with Arts & Laughs. I’m looking forward to that too, in a different way, and am prepared with instructions and a list of equipment. It’ll be really nice to show people how it’s done and have a chat, eat cake and drink tea. Oh yes, and the workshop is being featured by FromBritainWithLove, which is ‘an online magazine and directory dedicated to showcasing Britain’s most talented designers, craftspeople, producers and retailers’. How exciting, no pressure then! I’ll let you know how it goes…

Creative Courses

Lampshades with pom poms – thanks Mum!

January 16, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

I’ve just booked a place on a traditional lampshade making course at Homemade London, and I’m very excited! My Mum gave me some money for my (big) birthday this year and I’ve been looking for something to spend it on. I love this Liberty Lampshade made by Angela from Cocoon Home who runs the course and I’m hoping it will be something gilhoolie can offer in the future, with pretty fabric and pom poms!