Attaching fabric to finished walnut w/o seams

[Dan Mitchell]

I'm building a lamp out of walnut, pic below. The idea is to wrap a band of the fabric shown horizonatally around the uprights to act as the shade, with a gap of about an inch at the top and bottom between the base & top crossmembers. I'm no "seamster", so I don't want to have to do any stitching. But of course, I want it to look as good, smooth & seam free as possible. Frame is 10" x 6", shade will be about 11" across, top to bottom. Suggestions?

TIA

Dan

Lamp.jpg

[John A. Callaway]

google the term " french seam " ... it is something you have seen before... and probably the cleanest way to go.... If not a slot seam, or a seam that has the seam line and the thread banding on each side ( dont remember the name ) like you generally see in car upholstery....

Any body that can sew at all can whip you up a shade pretty easily...

( full disclaimer : I dont sew, but my wife does..... ALOT )

[Dan Mitchell]

Thanks for the reply. Don't know anyone who sews, and I don't have a sewing machine in the house. I'd give it a shot if I had one. This stuff looks like it would work pretty well/easily http://www.save-on-crafts.com/fabritac.html

[Jerry Bruette]

I was thinking more on the line of the way screening is held in the slot on a screen door. You could cut a slot and a key of the proper width, pull the material tight and tap the key into the slot to hold the material.

You'd have to do some experimenting to find the proper slot and key width but I think it might work.

Jerry

[Dan Mitchell]

I ended up changing the design, using an inner frame of poplar and 3/16 veneered MDF, rather than wrapping the cloth around the outer walnut uprights. I like the look much better, and found that regular wood glue holds the fabric just fine.

Thanks for the input.

Dan

Walnut Table Lamp 2.jpg

[George Gyulatyan]

I like this. It has a certain kind of lightness that would've been lost had you gone with your original idea.

[Dan Mitchell]

Thanks George. Yeah I think it's a lot better, too, lots more surfaces, planes, etc., just more interesting to look at, plus I didn't have to cover up any of the walnut.