GREEN PROJECTS

Hello ladies and gents this is the Golden Crafter telling you that today we are talking about

Sew a Slipcovered Lampshade

Step 1: Materials

Materials

• Fabric (Nature Garden - Trellis in Aqua)
• Thread (I used white)
• Scissors Paper for pattern
• Cutting table (I use my dining room table)

For Trim:

• Mini Binder Clips
• Hi-Tak Glue (if not sewing on trim). Any tacky craft adhesive suitable for fabric will do.
• 1/2" and 1/4" Fusible Web Tape
• 1/2" and 1/4" Clover Fusible Bias Tape Makers

Step 2: Before You Start

 I would recommend keeping the pattern very simple or going with a small scale pattern (like the fabric shown in the previous step; as you can see the scale of the pattern is much better). If the lampshade will be seen from the back, you might want to rethink using a patterned fabric at all. As you can see in step 5, the pattern will never meet if the lampshade tapers and there is the slightest curve on the final pattern. In that case, if a mismatched pattern bothers you, use a solid fabric.

Step 3: ​Creating & Cutting the Pattern

Sometimes a drum shade looks perfectly even, but this one looked like it might have a slight taper. Just to be sure the fit would be perfect, I traced it out onto paper. I added 1 inch of seam allowance onto the sides and half an inch on the top and bottom.

I then cut the pattern and folded it along the centre so it would be symetrical. I also folded the fabric, then pinned the pattern to the fabric along the fold. Cut it out.

Step 4: Dry Fit

Along the top and bottom iron the 1/2″ seam allowances.

Pin wrong sides together at the 1″ seam allowance and do a test fit before moving on. Note that if your drum shade does taper, mark the bottom so you know which way it goes onto the shade. If you're happy with the fit, stitch the side seam with wrong sides together so you can sew a flat felled seam on the outside of the fabric. A flat felled seam is the kind you see on the outside leg of jeans. Cut one side of the seam allowance back to 3/8″ then fold the other side in 1/2″ as you see in the 2nd picture and iron it.

Step 5: Construct a Flat Felled Seam

If you're happy with the fit, stitch the side seam (1" allowance) with wrong sides together so you can sew a flat felled seam on the outside of the fabric. A flat felled seam is the kind you see on the outside leg of jeans. Cut one side of the seam allowance back to 3/8″ then fold the other side in 1/2″ as you see in the 1st picture and iron it.Fold the wider edge over the cut edge and topstitch along the fold. The seam should look like the 2nd picture.

Step 6: Serge

Because this is a slipcover and will get wear and tear, I serged the top and bottom before folding and topstitching on the outside. I topstitched just shy of 1/2″ so the bias tape trim would cover the stitching.

Step 7: Put Slipcover Back On

Put Slipcover Back On

Put the slipcover onto the shade so you can attach the trim. This is how the flat felled seam and the rest of the topstitching should look.

Step 8: Add Trim

If your lampshade already had trim that's still in good shape, you can reuse it. Otherwise, you can use any pre-made trim, like grosgrain, to finish the edges or make your own bias trim using fusible bias tape makers in two different sizes.

Bias trim is easy to do with a fusible bias tape maker. Just cut fabric on the bias and follow the package directions to create your trim. Once the trim is made, you can glue it around the edges of the fabric with Hi-tak glue (covering up the topstitching). My trick is to use binder clips to help hold the trim in place while you’re attaching. Leave them in place while the glue dries