My hand screen-printed lampshades are all ready to go to The Bowery in Leeds next weekend, each carefully wrapped in cellophane, don’t they look pretty?! These ones are all 30cm diameter pendant lampshades but they can be made in different sizes and for table lamps (and different colours too if you like). You can also buy them in my new Etsy shop – come and have a look!
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!
I’ve had a very productive morning, printing strips of fabric to make into lampshades. These are for a gallery in Leeds called The Bowery who asked me to supply them with some of my handmade lampshades. I’m really excited about this opportunity to see some of my lampshades and gilhoolie patterns in a gallery. I decided to go for a deep pink for the tulips, a dusky purple for the butterflies and a bright turquoise for the windmills. The only problem is I never seem to be able to screen-print without holding my breath in case I mess up! I’m sure there must be some breathing techniques I should practice… All done now, just the lampshades themselves to make. And breathe….
Just to let you know I will be running lampshade workshops in the New Year for Sophie from Arts and Laughs. You’ll be able to make your very own 20cm diameter drum lampshade to take home with you. Oh yes, as well as chat, drink tea and eat cake, all in Maidenhead.
All you have to do is bring 0.5m of your own fabric (check out the links on the right-hand-side of my blog if you need ideas or get in touch with me if you need help choosing).
Click on the Arts and Laughs link for more details on dates and times.
Email sophie@artsandlaughs.co.uk or ring 07837 449 319 to book a place, it’ll be such fun!
My favourite seasons are definitely Autumn and Spring but if I had to choose between the two I guess it would have to be Spring, with the last remnants of Winter fading away as the days gradually get longer and the sun’s rays get warmer. My favourite flowers are tulips too; I love their sleek curves, simple lines and bright, cheery colours. So it’s no surprise my first designs included tulips; at least I can dream of Spring…
And while I’m dreaming, here are some of the things I have made from my gilhoolie tulip screen-printed fabric. The large turquoise tulip lampshade and the pouffe are for an order I took at the shopping evening last month. They’re a Christmas gift for a little girl’s bedroom, I hope she likes Spring and tulips as much as I do!
I have finally set up my gilhoolie shop on folksy! HOORAY!
You’ll find a few gilhoolie things on there so far but I’m still working on adding some more including my bags, bunting and the rest of my lampshades. So please come back in a week or so and have another look (don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll put another update on here anyway to remind you!)
You just need to search for gilhoolie on folksy or click on this link: gilhoolie shop.
Here is a screenshot of my shop, please come and have a peek! Then you have my permission to browse all the other lovely things on folksy!!
This week I’m putting the finishing touches to things and I thought I’d practice arranging all my creations ready for Thursday evening. I put this display together in half an hour before I rushed off on the school run, but you get the idea! As you can see, I got the bunting bug last week and made some more out of scraps of fabric from our bedroom (Romo Quadra Dahlia and John Lewis chevron in sulphur).
I guess it isn’t a coincidence as I’ve made lots of things from the same fabrics, but it does feel like gilhoolie has some kind of identity now don’t you think?
My next task is to take some more professional looking photos so that I can sell gilhoolie things on-line; I might need some little models to pose on the beanbags and pouffe!
As we’re having a second summer this week, I just had to show you these flowery lampshades I made from Amy Butler and Heather Bailey cotton fabric. They measure 20cm in diameter by 18cm high but I’d like to see them on a big drum lampshade, hopefully someone else will too?!
It’s been a lovely week; not just because the sun’s shining; I’ve had so much fun making lovely things. Next on my list are another bag and a pouffe. Hopefully soon I’ll be all stocked up for my stall in three weeks time…
Alice, Amiee, Asha, Amelia..
I made a beanbag yesterday in indigo denim fabric with a personalised pocket. The idea is you can choose a fabric and your letter to have sewn onto the beanbag. The beanbag itself is a pyramid shape with a square base and a handle at the top (plus a zip in the bottom for refilling and the seams are all top-stitched for extra strength). I made them for my boys earlier in the year and they (and the cat) are always on them so they must be okay!
I’m pleased with the result but in the middle of stitching on the ‘a‘ and struggling to go round the corners, I did think it would have been much easier to start with an ‘l‘!
Ah well, it was good practice and I think the pocket goes nicely with the adorable lampshade I made at the weekend…
No I haven’t started tweeting on Twitter (yet?), but I did make a lovely bird today to fill with lavender. Oh yes, and a matching lampshade all handmade from Amy Butler fabric.
I went to a craft fair on Saturday and decided I need to make some small items as well as lampshades, beanbags, bags and pouffes. I loved making this little chap with an appliqued wing and button eye even though it was a bit fiddly, lampshades are so much easier!! I think I’ll make some hearts too.
It feels good to be back behind the sewing machine but I think I have a lot of work to do if I’m going to fill a stall at my first event (20th October – mini pamper and shopping evening run by Alwyn and Courthouse PTA), the next few weeks could be very busy!
