Making lampshades

A friend of mine went on a course a year or so again to make lampshades.  Hers was a huge success and ever since then I've been dying for an opportunity to also make my own.

We recently bought a new standard lamp for the dining room.  It was one of those that has 3 legs merging together at the top.  It's called a tripod and we got it in the sale from Habitat (result)!  The only thing was that you had to buy the shade separately and because the base was pretty tall, it needed a really big shade to finish it off...and they are expensive!  Plus I really didn't want some bland beige or white shade.  I wanted something that would fit with the new decor and add in some of the brighter colours, so it was a great opportunity to make my own.

I got the kit from a great website called Need Craft.  They had a superb range of shapes and sizes so I opted for a modern drum shade 45cm diameter.  At the same time I also got some extra kit materials as I decided to re-do the shade on a pretty glass lamp base that I already had.  The next step was finding the right fabric.  I had an idea in my head but couldn't seem to find what I wanted.  Our dearest friends have an interior shop in Cheltenham Upstairs Downstairs and they let me have a rummage in their offcuts pile.  Luckily I found 2 bits of fabric that were just the right colours.  The only problem was that they frayed really badly.  The one piece wasn't too bad but the larger stripe was awful (more on that in a mo...)

So this is what you get in a kit - 2 rings, double-sided tape, backing sheet (which has a sticky side) and a little triangular piece with a jagged edge that you use to push the fabric under the ring edges on the inside.

Next place your fabric wrong side up (I find it helped to iron it first) and then start peeling off some of the backing on the sheet provided.  This is quite stiff and is the inner of the lampshade.  Carry on peeling off the backing and stick the sticky side onto the fabric as straight as you can.  It's not difficult, but I had to be careful because my fabric was striped so I didn't want to skew it.  Roll the sheet along the length of your fabric, firming it down with your hand.  It's quite sticky but you can lift it up and re-position if you need to (which I did on my smaller shade).

Once stuck on, cut around the edge of the sheet (you can see in the above photo how much my fabric was already fraying.

The backing sheet has a partially cut line along the 2 lengths.  You need to 'crack' this edge and peel it off leaving an edging of fabric along each side (see below).

Then place some double-sided tape along one of the shorter edges and peel off.  This will be the edge that sticks the lampshade all together so make sure you choose the edge you want to show on the outside.  You can see my edges are really fraying at this point so I actually placed double-sided tape along the edges to stop them unraveling any more. My sister has since suggested I use something like Aleene's stop fray fabric glue.  Hindsight, eh?

Next, take the roll of double-sided tape and place it all around the outer edges of the lampshade rings. I don't know if this is normal double-sided but it is super sticky!  Peel the red film off.

Now the slightly tricky bit.  Take your two rings and place them at the start of the fabric (NOT the edge with the double-sided tape) and start rolling.  Keep rolling all the way keeping your rings straight along the edges of the backing sheet.  When you reach the end then stick the overlapping ends together.  So the edge with the double-sided tape then sticks on top of the start edge.

Next roll over the top and bottom edges of fabric over the edges of the rings.  It will stick onto the double-sided tape that is on the rings.  You then use the triangular piece of card with the jagged edge to tuck under the ends of the fabric inside the shade.  However, because my fabric had frayed I didn't have enough fabric to really roll over neatly and then tuck into the underside of the rings, but it doesn't really show so I can ignore it!

And the finished result!  The larger drum shade (instructions above) and the smaller shade that I re-covered.  Pretty darn pleased :)

Seville Orange Marmalade

I think one of my favourite things to do on a cold January day is to make marmalade.  It's become a bit of a yearly tradition.  I personally like Seville Orange because of the slight bitterness combined with the sweet sugar.  Last year I felt mine had a bit too much peel in it - every time I put a dollop on my toast, I seemed to have more peel than jam, so this year I tweaked my recipe and made it with less peel and a bit more water.

Here it is....

I used 8 Seville oranges (just over 1kg in weight), 2 lemons, 2 kg sugar and 4 1/2 pints of water. You will also need a large heavy weight pan.  I use a maslin or jam kettle because I make jam and chutney through the year so it was worth me buying one and I've had mine for years now.

I cut each orange into quarters but only enough to go through the skin, rather than cut through the whole orange.  I then peeled each quarter away.  This was a new method for me.  I normally half each orange and the squeeze out the juice before cutting into shreds.  Got to say, this was a lot easier and cleaner.

I then cut each quarter into shreds, as fine or thick as you like.  Personally I prefer mine thin.  These were then added to the maslin or jam kettle.

I then squeezed the juice from each orange.  The best way was in my hands over a bowl and let the juice and pips fall into the bowl.  Additionally cut up the lemons and squeeze out all the juice from these.  The lemons provide extra pectin that helps the jam to set.  You could also cut the lemon peel up and use in your marmalade but I didn't for mine.

I then strained the juice through a sieve into the jam kettle and placed all the pith and pips (including from the lemons) into a muslin cloth that was then tied up and placed in the jam kettle along with the juice and shredded peel.

Add the water ( I used a little extra than the 4 pints my recipe specified) and bring everything to the boil.  Simmer for about one and half hours to two hours until the peel is soft and easily breaks in half with a spoon (yours could be less time so keep checking).  Once the peel is soft, remove the muslin cloth full of pith and place in a bowl.  What you need to do now is squeeze as much of the valuable pectin out of this as possible into the jam kettle.  I put on rubber gloves and did this as it is quite hot.  Some recipes suggest squeezing between two tea plates..  When you think you've got out all of the jelly like substance, it's time for the sugar.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  To check it's dissolved coat the back of a wooden spoon.  If it's clear then the sugar has dissolved, if it's grainy then stir again and wait until it is.  If the sugar isn't dissolved properly then the marmalade will taste grainy.

NB: I used 2 kg of sugar.  My marmalade is quite sweet.  If you want it less sweet then I suggest you don't use quite the whole 2kg.

Once the sugar has dissolved then you need to bring the marmalade to a rolling boil.  At the same time, pop some small saucers or plates into the freezer to cool right down.  You will need these to test if your marmalade is set.  Boil the marmalade for at least 15 mins then start testing the set.  Bring a plate out of the freezer and pop a teaspoonful of marmalade on to it and put in the fridge for a few minutes.  Bring it out and push the marmalade with your finger or a spoon.  If you get a defined crinkle or rippling as if a skin has formed then it's set.  If not then boil the marmalade for another 10 minutes and keep checking until you have the consistency you want.  Be careful not to over boil otherwise your marmalade will cool in the jars and be more like toffee!  It's hard to be precise as it depends how much pectin is in your marmalade to begin with.  Mine took 25 mins in total, but it is quite a soft set.  I like it like that but it's not every one's taste!

Once your marmalade is ready, turn the heat off and put your ready washed jars into a low oven for about 10 mins to sterilise.  If your marmalade has developed a bit of scum (which is quite normal), then a teaspoon of butter stirred into the pan will disperse it.  Once your jars are ready, then it's time to fill them.  I've got a handy funnel, but you can just spoon directly into the jars.  Fill the jars, place a waxed disc directly on top of the hot jam (it helps seal it) and pop the lids on (I do this whilst hot).

The finished result!  Mine made about 10 jars but they were of varying sizes.  I then created these sweet little marmalade labels.  You can find them in my Etsy shop.

Now for the toast..... :)

Snowdrops

Today has been one of those lovely cold but bright winter days.  I took a quick stroll in the garden (more of a bog at the moment with the rain we've had the last few day) but my heart was gladdened by the sight of snowdrops, hellebores and daffodils heading skywards...

It never ceases to amaze me each year how, despite the dismal winter weather, Mother Nature still pushes forth those budding shoots of spring.  It's only mid January but I can already see the first sights of spring around the corner.....

Decorating!

So, at the start of December, I decided that the living room/dining room needed a bit of a make over. It had been painted a grey white for many years and I'd always been quite happy with that but it was feeling a bit lack lustre without any real focus and I thought it needed a more 'pulled together' look.

I have some dear friends who own an interiors shop Upstairs Downstairs and they kindly came round one evening with large paint samples to pin to the walls.  I wanted to use Little Greene paints because the coverage and quality is so good and I've messed up in the past using cheap paint.  Let me tell you, it is just not worth it....

So we came up with a colour that we thought would work and I did the classic thing.....I didn't get a sample pot!  Oh no, I was so sure I had the right colour (and I'm just so damn impatient), I just bought the whole tin (all 5 litres) and went for it.  Big mistake.  After painting two walls with two coats each, I hated it.  It just wasn't right at all.  Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely colour (perennial grey) but it had a warm tinge and just didn't work with the furniture or the room.  Our room is a reasonable size and south facing with almost a whole wall of bi-fold doors, so we get a lot of light in the day.

So, after much thought and discussion with the other half, we decided to try again.  This time I got a paint sample pot and painted the new colour in several places, sat back and then went for it!  This time we went for the mid lead colour.  Quite a dark grey and a brave choice but I just knew it would work.  Then rather than the whole room being painted in grey, I decided to define the dining room end by painting the back wall a lovely green (Boxington is the colour).  Finally I made some new cushions, bought some new throws to complement and rearranged a couple of areas.  I love artwork on the walls and we already had quite a few pictures with turquoise, teal and green colours in so I wanted to use accessories that brought those colours into the room some more.

Next job is to re-paint the dresser.  It's looking a little tired.

I rearranged my shelves and added a few Christmas ornaments (as this was December).  Ignore the very messy before photo!!

I found this great knitted pouffe in this amazing acid green.  It helps bring the green down to the other end of the room.

It's hard to capture the whole room in a few photos, but I'm loving the grey.  It really helps all my paintings and ornaments stand out and with all the new accessories I feel the room is really pulled together now.  We just need to sort out a new rug, but that's taking some time and I don't want to get just anything.  So glad I didn't stick with the first colour!

New Year

I've been a bit lax in updating the blog recently.  This is partly due to the holiday period but also because I was away for a week visiting family.  My lovely big sister recently celebrated (?) her 50th birthday and I flew over to sunny Crete to surprise her.  I'm not sure she wanted to celebrate it at all but she was very happy to see me.  As for sunny Crete, it was cold, wet and windy the week I was there and the day I left they had snow! Crazy, huh?

Anyway, I never got round to posting some stuff I wanted to before I left, so, a bit belated but here it is...

A few days before Christmas I went on a lovely half day course to make a Christmas wreath at the Cotswold Gardening School.  It was a lovely morning and I was pretty pleased with the way mine turned out.  I went for more of a natural theme.  I particularly loved the small empty birds eggs that I hot glued on.

I also bought a few new baubles this year.  I like my tree colour schemed and for the last 7 years I've used a lovely aubergine scheme but this year I had decorated the living/dining room (more on that in another post) and I wanted to stick to silver, glass and natural.

There seemed to be a huge deer and antler trend this year so I just had to have these resin antlers from gorgeous online shop Cox and Cox as were the beautiful glass bauble below and the glass dome at the bottom.  The beautiful spun glass birds were from Sarah Raven (she had some lovely decorations this year).  The large silver urchin above also came from there.

My lovely Christmas tree which I actually bought from Plantify this year and had delivered,  It was a Nordic spruce and was a super tree and a great shape.  Delivery was very quick too and inexpensive. The tree maybe looks a little plain to those who like more colour but it suited me and it suited our room and looked lovely at night with the lights on.