DIY Network

Embroidered Lampshade Here's a bright idea: embroider a transferred design on a lampshade! From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-127

Andrea Keller creates an out-of-this-world lampshade design by creating a large-scale alien form and nebulous clouds to embroider on a plastic lampshape. Once again she lays out her pattern, drills the holes and cross-stitches with a fuzzy yarn to play against the hard texture of the plastic shade.

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Materials:

Embroidered Lampshade

fabric or plastic lampshade (any color, shape, size or texture)
photocopy of pattern (enlarged or reduced as required)
masking tape
tape measure for centering design
hand drill (not required for fabric shades)
drill bit (approximately 2 times the apparent diameter of the thread--not required for fabric shades)
awl (for fabric shades)
tapestry needle
Sirdar Snowflake Glacier yarn in Alien and Clouds, or preferred colors (less than a skein)
Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn for backstitch border (less than a skein)
Alternative to yarn: you can stitch with wire, jute cord, plastic lace, leather cord, fishing cord or any other type of craft or hardware string. Size holes accordingly: you may have as many as 8 threads coming through each hole, so test the hole size before you begin drilling or punching.

1. The design can be prepared on basic graph paper, following patterns from books or available for free online (see Resources list, below, for two websites offering free patterns). Cross-stitch and blackwork are especially well suited for stitching on solids, as you can create the pattern with a simple grid.

Remember: As you will be drilling every hole for the design, keep the overall scope of the project fairly limited. Each stitch on a solid surface will be bigger than a stitch on canvas or Aida cloth (I recommend a grid of at least 1/4", which is the same as most graph paper available in stores.)

2. Mark with a dot each corner that will require drilling; photocopy the pattern so that you do not destroy the original, sizing it up or down as required to fit your drawer or cabinet door.

3. Tape the original to the lampshade and secure well with masking tape (figure A).

4. Carefully drill every hole to be sewn (figure B), taking care to let the drill cool if it gets too hot (a hot drill will melt plastic if you are stitching on plastic or Plexiglas®). Melted plastic may mean that your pattern will stick to the surface, so be careful and check the holes once you start.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

5. Once every hole is drilled, remove the pattern and carefully brush off all dust or debris from the work, wiping with a soft cloth. You are now ready to begin stitching.

6. Knot the end of the string to secure it behind the lampshade and, using a large tapestry needle, stitch the shade just as you would a piece of fabric (figure C). Weave in all ends when you have completed each string.

Note: Because lampshades are translucent, you will see the threads on the back of the piece, so stitch accordingly, i.e., don't jump from section to section, but weave in each piece carefully and try to approximate the pattern on the front of the piece as closely as you can on the back.

7. When you are finished, carefully trim any excess fibers from the back of the lampshade, as they will be close to a light bulb. Always use a low-wattage bulb and don't exceed the wattage recommended by the manufacturer of the light fixture.

RESOURCES :
Free cross-stitch patterns
www.freepatternsonline.com/xspatterns2.htm

Free blackwork patterns
www.blackworkarchives.com/bw_bord.htm

Sirdar Snowflake Glacier yarn
Website: www.sirdar.co.uk

Lion Brand yarns
Website: www.lionbrand.com

GUESTS :

Andrea Keller
E-mail: andreakeller@earthlink.net