From No.23: tutorial

Since painting all the downstairs white. I am not so sure about the results.

"It looks like an IKEA showroom" said one.

"Im sure when you get your pictures up it will look better"

The pictures were up, so I thought a change of colour of my light shades might inject some much needed colour.

Ive had this idea in my head for sometime. Using a vintage embroidered tablecloth that has been sitting in my linen storage.

Here is my 1st tutorial

Vintage Lampshade Cover Tutorial

Materials

1 vintage embroidered tablecloth or similar material with embroidery.

1 lampshade

Pins

Needle and cotton (sewing machine optional)

Large piece of cotton material to make template

A tablecloth or old linen with embroidery on. This one cost me £2.00, hence me not being able to resist buying it.

If you have carefully unpicked the original cover to use as a template, the next bit wont apply to you.
Getting your spare piece of cotton and using it on the bias, lay it over one half of the shade, pulling and pinning the piece until smooth. Pin the top, bottom and sides as shown of one half, and mark with a pen the frame edges at top, bottom and the vertical struts.

Unpin, layout and cut out the pattern shape, remembering to add seam allowances.

You now have your pattern piece, being one half of your shade.
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Your now need to plan how your material is going to fit on your pattern piece. In my case I want to use this corner pattern, so this would mean adding extra piece to the sides.

Cut out 2 pieces

This was how I made my pieces. Stitch the material pieces together, machine or hand stitch

N.B. if hand-stitching make sure you make small stitches as later on the piece of material will be stretched and if the stitches arent close enough the could gape.

After joining pieces if necessary, press.

Next put the 2 halves right sides together and tack.

Turn though and try on the shade

Take note of any necessary alterations e.g. whether it is either too tight or baggy.
Adjust seams if necessary then machine.
Turn though and press seams open. If not lining the shade finish off all seam edges.

Now you are ready to attach the cover to your shade.

First make sure your two vertical seams are straight. Try and aline them with the struts. Then make sure that each piece is centred. Slowly pull the material over the top and bottom of the shade and pin to secure. Make sure the cover is as tight as a drum.

be careful with the pins. try and face then inwards so you do catch yourself on them.

Take a needle with a good thread, to avoid the thread snapping as you tug. And stitch the cover to the shade with small stabbing stitches. If you intend to put trimmings on the top and bottoms, it wont matter too much how neat your stitching is.