Eclectic Elements Dapper Lampshade

The new Eclectic Elements Dapper Collection was released at Quilt Market this last weekend.  The booth at market looked absolutely spectacular with many beautiful projects and a stunning quilt all made from the new fabric.  

Today I thought I would share a quick tutorial on how I made the patchwork lampshade.

I started with the Oak Wood Tripod Floor Lamp from Target.  The lamp came with a generic white barrel shade.  Perfect for this project because the sides are straight up and down which makes the pieced shade so much easier to make!

I used 1/4" yard of each of the eight Dapper fabrics, along with a couple prints from the Correspondence fabric line: the red fabric seen here (Symmetrical) and another seen in the second picture (Royal Mail).
I measured the lampshade from the top to the bottom and added two inches for fold over to get the right height (circumference does not matter at this point).  Using a Rotary Cutter, self healing mat board and quilting ruler (clear plastic), I cut up random pieces of fabric.  I sewed the pieces together to create a patchwork of prints.  You can see here that I sewed some seams with wrong sides together so the raw edges would be on the right side of the fabric.

I think its best to work in sections (because the fabric can get really long by the end) then sew the sections together till you have enough to go all the way around the lampshade.  Once I tested the fabric to make sure it fit the shade snugly, I went back and added details like the red stitching with Tim Holtz Craft Thread and few bits of vintage lace.

The next step is to pull the fabric over the shade like you are putting on a skirt.

I always use binder clips to keep the shade in place at the top and bottom.  This way I can make sure my seams are straight as I adjust the fabric around the shade, left to right and top to bottom. 

Once you get one section straight, clip it and move on to the next section.

Now to secure the fabric to the shade,  I used my Surebonder Mini Detailed Glue Gun because it puts out a smaller bead of glue (and has an on/off switch).  I work in 5- 6" sections to secure the fabric to the shade (the glue dries fast so working in a small section at a time is best).

Run the glue along the metal edge of shade, press the fabric into the glue with out burning oneself and move to the next section, removing clips as you go.  Its just that easy.

When you get to a support arm just clip the fabric so the fabric will lay down around it.

The last step is to use Single Fold Bias Tape to cover the raw edges of fabric.  I used black here but you can use any color from beige to red for this step.  The glue gun works perfectly to secure the Bias Tape in place.  NOTE: One package should be enough to go around the the two edges of the shade. 

And there you go...one lampshade ready for it's debut!

Little details can make a difference.

Hope you like this simple tutorial.  It really is easy to create your own lampshade, whether on a new lamp or an old one. 

Remember, it's always easier to create this type of shade with one that does not slant at all (all barrel shades are not created equal).

If you don't have a local quilt shop that is carrying Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric you can find the Dapper collection at these two online shops (and I am sure many more).

Hawthorne Threads

Fat Quarter Shop

Hawthorne Fabrics has a fat quart bundle too!

now carry on,
paula

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