Lampshade Restoration

Colonial Lampshade, Ballerina Lampshade, Early American Lampshade;  I have heard this particular style of shade referred to as any of the above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These shade are in for liner repairs.  No easy task.  I am not sure exactly how much I will have to take apart to get to the liners.

 

 

I have started by just cleaning the dust off.  I have swept them with a vacuum (light suction).

I then started with the lint roller on the crowns.  I used individual sheets to work on the (what I believe to be) tulle netting.  Nothing fast about this project.

 

One crown cleaned up pretty good and still had some color, pink.  The other shade must have sat in a window and near a heater.  The netting is faded and not quite as clean as the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The netting is sewn under the trim, so removing it and washing it is not an option.  This is a liner repair but I will do all I can to get as much of the dust out as possible.  This is just my first swipe at cleaning the netting on the top of the lampshade.

I will be posting throughout the next month as I tackle this project.

 

So that was the crown netting.  The bottom netting has dust debris as well.  I used the lint roller, moving probably 1/4” at a time.  The bottom netting dust didn’t seem to want to let loose as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following are the shade dimensions.  The first number is the actual lampshade wire, the second number includes the ruffle.

Top 9” / 16” x Bottom 20” / 30” and height is 20.”

 

Again, this just my first attempt at cleaning.  I got what was loose, but there is along way to go.  The netting is pleated and makes it difficult to get between the folds.  For now, I am just going to move forward and go back to the netting later.

My next step will be to remove the crowns.  To remove the crowns the center braided satin decorative fabric will have to come off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crown restore:

I have removed the crown and crown cover.  While the crown cover was loose from the crown frame, I was able to do a deep clean on the outside and inside of the fabric.

 

 

 

The crown  lined with blush silk charmeuse as the original was also lined with a blush fabric.  The outside of the crown is covered with a poly.  The crown does not actually light up, but tends to be a dust collector.  Using charmeuse silk will allow the restored shade to age gracefully and not absorb dust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most difficult tasks on this project, is tacking the ruffles back in place,  Sewing through a heavy cover fabric, trim, through the replaced fabric, to the wrap that is on the wire is no easy task

 

 

This is only one of the restored crowns on this pair of Ballerina Lampshades.  I have kept the other shade in tack for reference.

 

 

The next step on this restoration project is the bottom part of the shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom Tier Restore:

Underneath the ruffled cover is the wire frame.  The inside of the lampshade has deteriorated.  As old as these shades are, they are in awesome condition.  Only one of these shades has a torn liner, but while doing the one, it was the best idea to do them both.

I removed the ruffled cover.

 

 

Keep in mind the actual frame is only 20” in diameter or 60” around.  The ruffled cover is 180” around the bottom.  It is so large that is nearly covered a 42” round table.

 

 

 

I replaced the cover and liner on the underneath wire frame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I reattached the ruffled cover and crown.  It has been a very tedious project and there is one more to go!

 

 

I will post the finished two shades on a new blog when both shades are restored.  I will be posting the second repair from “Lampshade Chronicles.”

Thank you for your time and interest.  

illona