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Liberty fabric needs no introduction and whatever your style, everyone can enjoy one of the many famed floral or graphic designs, either at home or to wear.
We're fans of traditional ditsy florals with eye-catching colours and decided to mix things up a little with some easy patchwork techniques to create our Liberty Patchwork lampshade. The prints are the perfect scale for a bedside light (we've used a 20 cm drum shade kit) and pieced with a few coordinating plain fabrics, create a shade fit for any modern home, with a dash of British fabric history.
What you'll need to make your Liberty Patchwork Lampshade
4 x Fat quarters of lightweight cotton fabric.
We used Alice Caroline Liberty fabrics :
Tana Lawn Petal and Bud (fabric A)
Fabric Plain Mauve (fabric B)
Fabric Plain Yellow D (fabric C)
Tana Lawn Margaret Annie X Turquoise Pink (fabric D)
Tailor’s chalk or an air-erasable marker
Fabric Cutting:
From fabric A, cut: 1 x 8x30cm piece , 3 x 6x30cm pieces
From fabric B, cut: 4 x 6x30cm pieces
From fabric C, cut: 4 x 6x30cm pieces
From Fabric D, cut: 1x 8x30cm piece, 3 x 6x30cm pieces
How to make your Liberty Patchwork Lampshade
1. Decide on the order of your fabric and cut the fabric strips as shown on the cutting list. The 8x30cm strips will be the start and end strips.
Top Tip
Cut your fabric strips using a quilting square and rotary cutter or measure and mark the strip with tailor’s chalk.
2. With right sides together, place the raw edges of the starting strip with a strip of fabric B and pin. Sew together using a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat by sewing fabric B to fabric C. Continue with each fabric in order, finishing with the end fabric strip.
3. Trim back each seam to 0.5cm. Press each seam allowance to the same side.
4. Using tailor’s chalk or air erasable marker, draw a line 2cm in from each short end on the wrong side of the fabric. Lay the fabric face down on a clean flat surface and place the lampshade self-adhesive panel between the two lines with the paper backing face down.
5. When you’re happy with the placement, peel approximately 5cm of the release paper at one side and match up the short edge with your drawn line.
6. Slowly remove the release paper from underneath 10cm at a time, pressing into position firmly with the base of your hand. Continue until the whole panel is adhered to the fabric. The panel should sit just within your drawn lines. Flip the panel over and check for creases. The seams of your strips should sit at right angles to the panel top edge.
7. Using scissors or a craft knife, neatly cut away the surplus fabric to the edge of the panel. Snap back the kiss cut at the panel top and bottom and remove the strip carefully to avoid fraying.
8. Apply double-sided tape to the short side, which is the starting fabric. This will be used to stick the seam. Remove the tape release paper.
9. Apply double-sided tape so the ring sits in the centre of the tape. Press the tape down firmly around the frame. Repeat for the second ring and then remove the release paper.
Top Tip
Before rolling the rings, decide whether you’d like a pendant or a table shade. Decide which side of the shade you would like to position the utility ring and ensure the utility section is facing inwards towards the plain ring
10. Starting at the un-taped short edge, place the rings on the PVC as near to the edge as possible. Roll the rings simultaneously, keeping them in line with the edge. If you go out of line simply pull back and try again.
11. 10cm before reaching the taped edge, turn the shade to face you. Pull up the panel towards so the panel meet, making sure the frame stays in place. When the short ends meet, gently push the seam closed from both sides. Turn it over so the seam is on a hard surface and apply firm pressure on the taped seam with your hand.
12. Sit the shade on the plain ring and, where the fabric overlap, at the seam, cut away a small box of fabric from the INSIDE overlap. Also cut into the fabric where the struts in the frames are positioned. Cut the box away on the plain ring side.
13. Pull the fabric margin down and press under the ring onto the sticky tape. Starting at the seam, use the sharp point of the finishing tool to tuck the fabric under the ring, so it’s longer visible. To tuck under and loose threads or fabric, sweep the tool around the circumference of the ring until your happy. Repeat on the opposite ring.
14. Volia, you've finished your Liberty Patchwork lampshade
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