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Victorian style lampshade course

Pleats, layers and tonnes of fringe… a creative four day masterclass

 

Over-the-top Victorian boudoir style lampshades are the ultimate in lampshade making. Pleated panels, lace panels, silks, lashings of fringe and braid, tassels and beads… the creative opportunities are endless. This four-day workshop focuses on all of these lampshade making techniques. On this course you will make your own unique Victorian-inspired lampshade designed by you, and will take home the skills to make many more.

  

About the course

The Victorian Lampshade Course is friendly, industrious and creative. Whether you are a beginner to lampshade making or professional soft furnisher, you will be encouraged develop your creative style and will take home an impressive Victorian inspired lampshade and the skills to make many more. ​Our aim is to teach everyone to a professional standard. We have a maximum of 12 students on each course and Joanna is supported by an additional lampshade tutor.


This course is absolutely unique to Traditional Upholstery School. All methods have been researched by and used by Joanna Heptinstall in her own work.

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Special skills included in this course

• lampshade design: balance and composition; colour for drama

• hand colouring fabrics, braids and fringes

• pleating techniques using chiffon: fans and sunburst​

• playing with light: using voiles and laces for dramatic effect

• layering multiple fringes and braids

• handmaking tassels

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Day one

We will begin by learning how to work with chiffon to make fan and sunburst pleats, synonymous with the Victorian lampshade look. You will choose your frame and plan your design, learning how to work with composition and balance, and use colour for dramatic effect.

Day two 

With a huge range of cloths to choose from - silk chiffon to slubby linens all in shades of white – you will use hand dye to create a coordinating palette of fabrics and fringes to make your lampshade. While your dyed fabrics are drying, you will bind your shade frame and make and fit an inner lining. This pattern-cutting exercise is an invaluable lampshade making skill. 

Day three

This day will be spent sewing all your wonderful hand dyed fabric panels to the frame. You will learn to work with layers and pleated panels. Your pinning and hand sewing techniques will be fine-honed today.

Day four

We dedicate our last day to embellish shades with cut fringe and gimp braid. This final layer brings the whole glorious design into focus. You will also learn the super-useful skill of how to make your own tassels. ​

 

Our aim is that you leave well equipped for many years of inspired lampshade making. With four days together, this course is great if you have a long way to travel.

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Many of the lampshades shown here were made on the first Victorian lampshades course which happened in August 2024. They are made by Nicky Sanyal, Nicky Phillips, Sarah Clerke and Tracey Holloway.

Glorious! Thank you everyone x

Forthcoming dates

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