Lampshades

Talking of lampshades, at the weekend, my friend Chloe and I traveled down to Lewes in East Sussex (I just can't keep away from that place!) to visit basket maker extraordinaire, Annemarie O'Sullivan to learn how make our very own (lampshades)!

We were both really excited about this course and had been looking forward to it for a couple of months! I went along with an idea in my head of what I wanted my lampshade to look like, pretty much like one you may have found in a home in the 70s, incorporating traditional basket weaving techniques, but wasn't totally clear about the shape I wanted.

When we arrived we were opened to a whole world of different ideas; techniques, materials and shapes from the books Annemarie showed us, to the different examples she had, both lampshades she had made herself or picked up from various places. There is just SO much you can do, the possibilities are endless. I discovered weaved lampshades, lampshades made from willow, cane, round shades, long shades, different coloured shades, more sculptural shades... I very nearly became completely overwhelmed by what can be achieved, but I regained control and stuck to what I first envisaged, so the only aspect that developed was the shape I wanted it to be. For this, I was inspired by a willow pot in Annemarie's kitchen, it was lovely and rounded and I could see the shape being able to work as a lampshade, yes, this was the one, so I measured out everything and got started!

It was really nice, because Chloe had similar ideas, in terms of the materials and techniques she wanted to use for her lampshade, so we were able to talk through our processes together, and it was so great to see them both taking form - Chloe opted for a beautiful organic, pumpkin shape. And in the end, they both turned out completely different from each other, and also slightly different from what we had expected, each with a character of their own completely!

Here's just a few photos of our progress throughout the day...

Selecting your willow...

Securing the base

Weaving the first band

Weaving the second band

Finishing offA lampshade!