Hand Stitched Lampshades with Joanna Heptinstall

On this busy and creative two-day course you’ll learn all the techniques for making a super-precise knife-pleated shade. Your tutor Joanna will take you step-by-step through the key stages: binding the frame; measuring and cutting; accurately folding, pinning and hand-stitching the pleats; applying a traditional informally-pleated lining; and then trimming using a useful and versatile bias binding trimming or your choice of decorative braid. Throughout the course Joanna will give masterclass demonstrations showing how the method can be adapted for other styles of decorative pleating, including fan, sunray and box pleats.

At the end of the course, you’ll take home your own finished pleated lampshade in your own fabric, plus the skills to make many more. Suitable for beginners and professionals alike.

Joanna trained as an upholsterer 25 years ago and has enjoyed a successful career restoring furniture working from her studio at home. In 2016 she set up her own training centre Traditional Upholstery School which is based in rural Wiltshire. She is proud to be a member of the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) and to deliver its three-stage diploma. Traditional Upholstery School also delivers a range of shorter vocational and creative upholstery courses.

Alongside upholstery, making and restoring lampshades is a major part of Joanna's creative output. She is author of Sewing Lampshades, a best-selling craft book published by Search Press.

What to bring:

All the specialist sundries required for lampshade making, including threads, pins, needles and tape are available for students to use. Cotton lawn lining fabric in white/ivory/cream is also provided. But we would suggest bringing your own fabric shears and small snips if you have them.

Fabric: You should bring 1m minimum (fabric width 115cm or 140cm) but it’s always good to bring a bit more if the fabric is patterned. The best fabrics would be cotton lawn, silk dupion or similar, very lightweight linen.

Trimming: You will learn how to use your fabric to make and fit a bias binding to trim the top and bottom rings. If you would like to use a decorative tassel trimming or gimp braid, please do bring something that will work well with your chosen top fabric.

Additional Costs

A selection of frame shapes will be available for students to buy and then work on. These will be specially chosen to be ideally suitable for the pleating technique, and manageable in the two-day course. Prices start at £14 for a 10in French drum frame. Payments to be made in person on the day.

Skill Level

No experience required.

Dates: 6-7 October 2025 9.30am-4.30pm

*Please note that by purchasing a ticket to this course, you also qualify for free entry to the main Festival of Upholstery on the 10th & 11th October 2025. Please ensure you have completed the order form fully when you book your course tickets, if you wish to attend. Please also bring with you, a copy of your ticket , together with one form of photographic identificiation. Full details of the event can be found at: www.festivalofupholstery.co.uk