Light Up Your Life

It had never crossed my mind to make my own lampshade...I've always just popped to Laura Ashley or John Lewis when we needed a new one. However, after discovering this book I think things might be about to change!

It was the cover of Judy Lake's The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life that grabbed me...the colours, the fabrics and the thought that I too could create something with the fabric scraps that sit in a basket by my work table hoping they'll one day be put to good use.

The glossy pages of this book are full of the most inspiring photos of what you could make, as well as giving you great instructions, tips and some helpful step-by-step photos. Judy has a really friendly writing style and after reading just the introduction, I felt entertained, inspired and thinking that perhaps even I could have a go at making a lampshade! It's always reassuring when a book has a good start...and this one has a good middle and ending too!

I thought the 'Whimsical Floral Embroidery Shade' was fabulous. What a great use for a vintage table cloth that's perhaps a little worn (the only way I could justify cutting up a vintage embroidery to myself!) or unused. This design would fit perfectly into the house in the country that I often daydream about!

My favourite type of trimming in the whole world is ric rac, with pom poms coming in a very close second. This is therefore my perfect lampshade as it features both!

There were so many lampshade designs I wanted to show in this post, but in the end I had to choose my tip top favourites. This is definitely one of them. Who knew a vintage tea towel could look so elegant?! I love the idea of taking something ordinary and making it into a piece for the house that could take centre stage somewhere.

This lamp made me smile. I love wooden toys and these blocks are so colourful...never mind making this for a child's nursery, I'd happily have this one in my work room!

This book not only shows a basic lampshade-making technique, it also provides a wealth of ideas for easy, intermediate and advanced shades. There's a great section on 'The Language of Lampshade Making' at the start of the book, which talks you through everything from shapes and supplies to fabrics and trims. As a complete beginner, I found this book to be very reassuring and encouraging.

Feeling utterly inspired, I think I'm going to have to have a go at making one of the lampshades in this book...as soon as I can stop myself from flicking through the pages to look at all of the photos again!

A bit of info...

The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life

by Judy Lake with Kathleen Hackett

Published in the in 2009 by Potter Craft (distributed in the UK by GMC Publications)

ISBN: 978-0-307-45232-0

£19.99