curtains

dropcloth = restoration linen

10 October 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

This weekend I was perusing the The Restoration Hardware 2011 Source Book yet again (think back to the days of reading the Sears catalog toy section over and over and over…this is the adult version, courtesy of Restoration Hardware), when I happened upon their Belgian Linen Drapery Collection (page 514 in the Source Book).

I couldn’t help thinking how much my drop cloth curtains look like the Belgian Linens…

Even the textures look similar. Here’s the drop cloth up close and personal…

And the Belgian Linen texture…

Looks pretty similar to me, and at $10 per panel, the price sure is right! What do you think?

Let the drop cloth revolution continue!

no more peeping toms

13 February 2011 by Andrea 5 Comments

This weekend I picked off another home goal from my 2011 list and put an end to any peeping tom foolery in my master bathroom windows.

OK, so maybe I’m a little bit paranoid, especially since the master bath is on the second floor, but I feel as if people can look in between the blinds and the window and see me all nakey.

I decided that this year I would add some curtains, so I could rest easy when I’m waltzing around in my birthday suit, plus it would warm up the room a bit and the windows wouldn’t look so nakey either…

The tile on the floor and in the shower & surrounding the tub is a slate-like ceramic tile with a hint of light blue & teal blue…

…so I opted for teal blue as an accent color for an otherwise neutral room. I purchased 4 curtain panels for $9.99 each as well as 2 curtain rods at Target…

The wild fabric behind the box is the ironing board cover that I made…

…and got to work prepping to hang curtains.

Of course, I hit a snag. Literally.

Usually this would send me back to the store to return the item in a fit of frustration, but since I’m basically a lazy human being, I decided to see if I could remedy the problem myself with the help of my knitpicker.

At least that’s what I think it’s called. It’s what my mom the knitter calls it. The handy dandy knitpicker is a tool used to pull snags through knits. It can also be used on looser weaves such as this one.

So I knitpicked the snag…

And pulled it through to the other side of the curtain…

Crisis averted. Then I went about the business of hanging the curtain rods and the curtains. No small task considering that I had to work around this large garden tub…

I suppose I could have put a stepladder in the tub to work on, but that would have meant stopping the project & going downstairs, and as I’ve already stated, I’m basically a lazy human being, so I did it the hard way, precariously balancing, rockclimbing my tub like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2.

Nevertheless, the curtains were hung by the bathtub with care.

But I didn’t like the way the inner part of the curtain looked on the rod. Not as gathered as the rest of the curtain.

Simple enough to solve with some large safety pins.

Since these curtains will be remaining open, I pinned the back of the pocket to make it more gathered up. Here’s the end result…

Definitely solves the problem of covering the openings on the sides of the blinds. They warm up the room and they have great texture.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’m in love with the color. Seems a wee bit too bright. I’m usually not crazy about short curtains, and these seem to have a highwater feel to them, but considering that they’re right by the tub, and that the tub is used exclusively by my 10-year-old son who doesn’t care a whole lot about whether or not curtains get wet, they probably should be highwaters.

For now I’m keeping them. Maybe someday I’ll switch them out if they don’t grow on me more.

Also, I’d like to give a shout out to my special helper, Max, who was with me through this entire project…

Another 2011 house goal complete!

joining the drop cloth curtain revolution

30 January 2011 by Andrea 1 Comment

I’m finally joining the drop cloth curtain revolution that is making its way across Blogland, like here and here and quite a few other places. Official name is the Internet Bloggers Drop Cloth Revolution (IBDCR). Viva la revolucion!

With two 8-foot tall windows in our family room and not much more than an $8 budget, I thought drop cloth curtains would be a terrific option, plus I love the grey-beige color and believe it or not, they look like linen!

Of course I forgot to take a before pic, so let’s just jump right in…

Click on the photo to enlarge

These curtains are so simple, just about anyone could make them!

Step 1. Buy 6′ x 9′ canvas drop cloth. I purchased 4 at $9.97 each from Home Depot. Get out clearance curtain rods ($12.97 each) from garage, where they’ve been “curing” for a year.

Step 2. Wash & dry drop cloths. Iron drop cloths.

Step 3. Hang curtain rods.

Step 4. Attach curtain clips to drop cloth panels. If panel is too long, fold a length toward the front of the curtain to the desired length (see photo). Slide rings on to curtain rods.

Step 5. Stand back and admire your handy work!

Did you notice? No mention of a sewing machine anywhere. This is a no-sew project!

Don’t they look fabulous? Really dresses up the windows, giving them a touch of class. and really warms up the room! No one would ever guess they weren’t linen!

Click on the photo to enlarge. And no, the left curtain rod is not uneven…that’s just the camera angle!

So, I added gorgeous window treatments to two 8-foot windows for less than $65. Plus, these curtains were so quick & easy, I might move on and use them on the sliding glass door in the kitchen!

Edited to add – This project is the first 2011 House Goal that I’ve completed. One down, 11 to go!

no sew curtains

27 July 2010 by Andrea Leave a Comment

I’ve been reading a great blog that I love – Funky Junk Interiors.

Funky Junk Interiors blogger, Donna, is inspiring in so many ways. First, she’s made living small an art form by transforming every day junk into fabulous interior decor.

Even more than that, Donna has overcome adversity, yet she’s still cheerful and upbeat, and inspires so many through her blog.

More recently, she’s inspired me to complete a project I’ve been putting off with her “Gitter Done” challenge. What was the project?

No Sew Curtains!

While my bedroom has blinds, I wanted to add some curtains to soften the harsh look of the blinds and hopefully to prevent some draftiness in colder weather. And I wanted to do it simply & inexpensively.

So, a couple of months ago, I purchased 12 yards of unbleached muslin, cut in 3 yard lengths. Unbleached muslin is typically inexpensive, and this was no exception at $1.99 per yard. Plus I had a 40% off coupon, so including tax, my total was just under $16 for 4 curtain panels. Not too bad.

(Then my fabric sat in the bag, um, “curing” for a couple of months.)

Last month I found 2 clearance curtain rods for $9.76 each.

But here’s the best part of this project (aside from not spending a whole lot of money for glamorous window coverings)…I pinned the curtain panels on to the rod with fabulous vintage brooches. A couple were my mother’s, and a couple I picked up here and there over the years.

So finally, after months of contemplation, the big reveal…

A close up of the individual brooches…

Since I’m trying to live small, you may wonder why I even bothered to spend the money on the curtain panels. Why didn’t I just spend no money and keep things as they were?

Well, if I continue to live in this house, these curtains will last for years. So for less than $40, I’ve created curtains with staying power for two windows.

And, if at some point I decide to sell my home, the curtains will give the bedroom a more elegant look, one of the many things that can help sell a house at a good price. (Of course if I sell the house, I will replace the brooches with some that aren’t family heirlooms!)

But most of all, I love them, and they make my bedroom so peaceful! There’s nothing quite like retiring to a peaceful bedroom at the end of a long day. And that’s worth $40 to me!