Currently I have all of the materials I need ready to go! I removed the original black plastic umbrella fabric and have used it to measure and cut all eight white lace panels needed to construct the parasol.
During this process I discovered that the frame isn’t actually made from wood like how the product description… Its made from some kind of synthetic fibers with a layer of paint on top and I accidentally stabbed my thumb with it. I’m pretty disappointed.
As for the panels, I first separated a single panel from the original umbrella and measured its triangular dimensions.
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I replicated this dimension and cut out all of the panels as demonstrated below.
I specifically wanted to use the thick white edge of the bottom of the lace sheet to make the lace less delicate.
My pink lace was not quite the shade of pink that I wanted, so I dyed it to be pinker which turned out great!
^ that’s actually not a great picture of it, but it’s more pink than that now!
The next thing to do is learn how to operate my sewing machine and sew all of the white panels together. Once that is done, the pink layer will be cut using this complete sewn panels as a template. Then I would just need to spray paint the edge brown and add the design.
I’ve decided on how I’m going to waterproof the parasol and make it into an umbrella. I will be using a shower lining since they are entirely clear and thin but also a lot of material for the price (about $2) and definitely water proof. I don’t want the lining to be permanently attached, so it’ll be hooked around each of the ends of umbrella frame.
As for the aesthetic of the project, it’s very inspired by Victorian and feminine aesthetic.
Between the waterproofing lining and the lace, I may add extra decoration that is attached to the lining so I may always remove the lining and make the parasol true to the original source. Some extra decoration I was thinking of was flowers or lights. Both have a very romantic feel that is present in this Victorian age aesthetic.
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Great progress so far, I like how you included the picture of what you imagine the final product looking like. I also liked how you ended up using the pink dye, was it pretty easy to use? I’d like to dye some fabrics in a future project I have planned.
Hey this is a really cool project. I like the aesthetic you are going for the Victorian era was an amazing time for fashion. I think its very smart to make it function as an umbrella as well, but I don’t think using shower lining is the best option. It would make it waterproof, but you lose a bit of your aesthetic. Even if the lining is clear the texture is lost and that is a big part of the design. To solve this issue I recommend using some sort of hydrophobic coating. You can buy cheap waterproofing sprays at target or you can order more expensive ones, that would probably last longer, online. This may not stop all water from getting through as I do not know how perforated the fabric is. You may want to use the shower lining on the inside rather than the outside so you preserve the aesthetic. Anyways this looks like a really cool project. I can’t wait to see it finished!
Wow this looks so amazing! My recommendation for sewing the lace would be to make sure you cut the pieces big enough so that when you sew the pieces together you can leave about 1″ of lace in the middle then sew those ends to each other creating an opening to slide the umbrella rods through. So basically you almost hem it and run the rod through much like you would for a curtain! If you haven’t already done this I would recommend looking up on youtube how to sew lace. It can be quite tricky since it isn’t a solid material like regular fabric and the needle can snag the lace sometimes.