Penny Fitzmaurice

Lampshade maker and designer

Hawthorn Shades has been established for 5 years and produces quality, handmade lampshades to order. I have been selling successfully through Etsy and have consistently reached ‘Star Seller’ status since it was introduced. This means that I have excellent scores for message response, on time dispatch and for 5-star reviews. I now wish to manage my own selling through this site as well as my Etsy shop.

I trained in art and textile design and worked as a woven textile designer before having my family. I have a keen interest in interior styling and in more recent years have worked as a curtain and roman blind maker. I now concentrate on making a wide variety of lampshades and work from my garden studio in rural Lincolnshire.

I love nature, hedgerows, wild and garden flowers - this is reflected in the fabrics I choose to work with to make my lampshades. I am pleased to be able to combine my creative ability with a passion for working with natural fabrics, good design and colour to produce beautiful and useful home decor that will stand the test of time.

All lampshades are handmade in small numbers using fabric from a variety of sources. I seek out well designed cotton and linen fabrics that are influenced by the natural theme, from vintage to contemporary, and use these to create shades to suit many interior styles.  Some are ‘one-offs’, some available in small runs or sets, and others easier to repeat. So, if you are looking for something a little bit different and made with love, you have come to the right shop. The range of lampshades will be ever changing as new fabrics are introduced and others discontinued.

With a few exceptions, all lampshades are made to order in a variety of sizes from 15cm - 40cm diameter, mostly drum shape (but also coolie and empire shapes and larger sizes to commission). Note, fashions change but the cylinder/drum shape is much less wasteful of materials and thus is my preferred shape. All made with utmost care, strongly glued seams and neatly rolled rims to achieve an enduring, professional finish.

I have made lampshades for artisan lamp makers and interior designers, if you are a designer or lamp maker interested in collaboration, please get in touch.

Also, another selection of lampshades including ‘one-offs’ and SALE items, available through my Etsy shop:-www.hawthornshades.etsy.com

Every endeavour is made to be as environmentally friendly as possible, sourcing natural fabrics (preferring linen as its production is more sustainable), using up small pieces of designer fabrics and quality vintage finds, as well as buying from larger UK suppliers, off the roll. A UK supplier is used for metal and PVC components and bulk ordering is done wherever possible. Waste is kept to a minimum. Eco packaging boxes and void fill is used and on occasion, reused clean bubble wrap/backing paper. All packaging comes at a cost both monetary and environmentally, please reuse packaging wherever possible or recycle.

Penny