Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Spiral Restoration

A lot of my work is restoration, each lamp needs the right shade.  There is a reason why there are so many lamps w/o shades and shades w/o lamps at tag sales.  Shade making is a lost art!

If you still have the lampshade frame for your lamp save it, this is the perfect pairing.  Also, even if the fabric is falling apart on the shade, save it too, it helps in drafting the pattern for the new shade.  From here just select your fabric and voila!   Up cycling at its best!

Thankfully, the fabric on this shade was in great condition to draft a pattern!  I always say, just when you think you have done every shade possible, a new challenge arises.  Case in point, a spiral cone.  If I didn't have the pattern for this one, well, I just don't know.  This shade was truly a challenge!


Original shade, the fabric was glued to the frame and the heat from the light bulb caused the fabric to pull away from the frame.


First, carefully strip the fabric from the frame, and in this case, trace around each half of the pattern, remember this is a spiral cone and the seams are directional.


Next, sew the to halves together.  Remember though, since it is a spiral, you are fitting the convex to the concave and the shade will look like this after sewing.  Kind of wrong looking, but when you stretch it on the frame.....right!


But first we need to wrap the frame,  we need a base to sew the fabric too.  I use hug snug rayon seam binding, measure the circumference of the frame and multiply by 3 to estimate the amount of binding you need.



Next, drape, stretch and pin new fabric on frame.  Do this in a very balaced way, first one side then the opposite side and so on. 


Now, using a double threaded needle, sew using a lock stitch to adhere fabric to frame.


And here it is, voila!  Trim added to finish the top seam and the original tassel to finish!