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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I think far too much about what I'm doing, especially when I'm designing and I wish I could just get on and 'do' more. I had a lovely day yesterday with Angela from Cocoon Home, trawling fabric and trim shops across London (literally, I slept well last night, it felt like we covered the... Continue Reading →
Just had a bit of a chuckle to myself looking at some of Captain Haddock's insults and exclamations from Tintin (I don't usually spend my spare time doing that, maybe I should, I was just looking for an interesting title for this blog post!) Well, this is a Tintin lampshade I made yesterday for a... Continue Reading →
When I first learnt how to make hand-stitched lampshades I was told, "You really should use a thimble - and one day you'll wonder how you managed without one". Well, I found them really uncomfortable at first; they made sewing feel really awkward. But now I fret if I can't find my Nan's old thimble... Continue Reading →
In fact it's so horrible and cold I haven't been out all day (which is very unlike me!) Ah well, at least this spell of hibernation means I have finally started stitching a lampshade I've been meaning to make for ages. I bought the fabric a few months ago and have just ordered some bright... Continue Reading →
