The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life: 50 Custom Lampshades & Lamps

I am not a friend of Judy Lake, but I would like to be:) I am a professional embroiderer and have written two books on that subject so I appreciate what goes into the writing of a book. I can honestly say this was a "how-to" book that I read like a novel...I didn't want to stop reading. I love the way she repeats each caution and direction for every shade until the lampshades at the very end where she knows you've "got it." I won't forget what kind of grosgrain ribbon to buy...One of my favorite pastimes is taking old linens and re-purposing them.."beautiful old things and old things made beautiful." I am always looking for new things to fashion from those treasures so I got the idea of a lampshade. I bought the book to see if I could adapt Judy's teachings to that end and was enchanted to find she was a few steps ahead of me.I disagree with the reviewer who suggested that the book doesn't encourage creativity. It certainly does inspire for the reader to see what the writer does and then think,"Well, what if I did this instead?" Any artist or artisan can only show what they do/have done and let you take it from there. They can't conjure up every thing others might think about doing and address each one...the book would never be finished!I am looking forward to trying some of the ideas in the book - and some of the ideas the book has inspired in me. Thank you, Judy, for a treasure of a book. I will be speaking at a Navy function in New Hampshire in September and have already thought about a side trip to Vermont to thank you in person and see your lampshades in person. I don't know if I can make that happen but it would be an honor to meet such an inspiration.

After reading this wonderful book, my wife ordered three of them as gifts and wrote the following review for Amazon.com:"The Lampshade Lady's Guide does light up your life. It is delightful book that you can initially leaf through and enjoy the beautiful photographs and creative descriptions of fifty unique lampshades. As the author introduces each lampshade, her personal story brings the shade to life.Not only did I learn how to make a lampshade, I learned the importance of considering a lamp and its shade an integral part of a room's décor. The book's introduction explains the terminology and helps the reader select the right style shade and fabric for the lamp. The book is organized by level of difficulty. Following a list of the required materials, the instructions are clear and include photographs of various steps. A well written glossary and resources list help the reader identify and locate the supplies needed.It is hard to decide which lampshade to make first, but after you've completed one, you can't wait to make another."

dated styles and fabric combinations - good if you are doing funky granny or something retro.

After following a few online tutorials for updating lampshades, I fell in love with the results. I decided I wanted to get more adventurous and purchased a few lampshade making books. Judy Lake's book has served as a terrific resource for creating small lampshades that cover a broad range of design ideas. My first project was the first project in the book, which was a wonderful introduction to using all of the basic techniques she employs in her lampshade design. After that, I rehabbed an empire shade following her instructions and was so excited with the results. Highly recommended for the beginner!

Would have been helpful to have had more identifying descriptions of hardware. Probably are more explicit books on lampshades out there.

I am amazed that this woman has made a life career out of lamp shades -- and she has. But, If you're hoping to travel that road, read her blog -- don't buy the book. There is no part of the book that explains how to do something differently (given your materials) than she did. Kind of like an advertismetn for the shades she made that you can copy. If you have an imagination, this might/could work -- but so too could an adult ed course at your nearby high school.

Very well written and simply informational with beautiful examples. It's not easy to make a book about lampshades very easy to follow, with great detail and this author has done so. Wish I had this book before I made any lampshades!!!

I was very impressed with Judy's book on making lampshades. She was very thorough, down to the smallest detail. The difference between "homemade" and "custom" is HUGE, and Judy guides you through the entire process for a real professional look. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a real desire to make custom lampshades and put a designer's touch on their total decorating.A satisfied customer,Judy Caccioli, from Cape Cod.

Delicious for the eyes... got inspired, will create some lampshades at some point. Very good book

Creative and useful, this book will enrich your carft skills or be a helpful quide to lamshade making. Very pleased with this purchase.

As a beginner I need all the help I can get and this book certainly gives the extra help would recommend to anyone

Nice book but had to google some of the terminology and item descriptions

The book is well documented and explains step by step how to make the lampshades (with pictures). The book is therefore really helpful and I will use it. However, I didn't find the models very trendy (from the perspective of a 30-year old). Actually, the one on the cover is one of the few ones I liked, but it's all a matter of personal taste.