Curtain call

On By wanderingcatyarns

I’m not sure if other crafters have this problem (and I’m not sure if it’s really a problem), but it seems to Mom and I that as soon as they find out we do a particular craft (ie, knitting, sewing, etc), they try to give us stuff.

“Oh you knit? Here’s all my grandma’s old needles. We didn’t know what to do with them after she died.”

Admittedly, this isn’t near as bad as the people who ask you to make stuff for them for the price they can get it at Walmart.

And we’ve been given some very nice things, including a few of Mom’s vintage machines.

But the other day, one of Mom’s coworkers asked if she wanted a some fabric for quilting. His father was in the process of cleaning out the house and had a whole box full.

Mom said yes, and the next day,  he brought it to work. But it wasn’t a box of mixed fabrics, like Mom expected. And it wasn’t really for quilting…

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It was yards and yards (and YARDS!!!) of this pretty floral jacquard. And I mean yards… I don’t know exactly how many, but I’m thinking it was enough to recover a couch, loveseat, and armchair… with fabric leftover.

Mom had no idea what it was originally intended for, or even what she could do with it. She brought it by my house, and I quickly realized it would be a good match for my living room, and I was in need of new curtains for the sliding glass door. The cats are notoriously hard on curtains, so I usually just stick with $10 panels from Giant Tiger.

I had some time on the weekend, so I set to work.

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And after removing the cat several times, I had two big pieces cut and ready to sew. I didn’t do anything fancy, just hemmed the edges and made a big rod casing on top. In no time, they were done and on the back door

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Within a minute, Rupert was testing out their tenting capabilities (they passed with flying colours.

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I still have to decide what I want to do for tie-backs (I’m leaning toward the metal ones that you just hook the fabric behind), but I’m very pleased with the nice, simple result.

The only problem…. there’s still scads and scads of fabric of left… and I have no idea what to do with it all!

 

8 thoughts on “Curtain call”

  1. Great job – the curtains look fabulous. I have a lot (but not yards and yards) of upholstery fabric that I bought years ago in North Carolina. I’ve used a lot for tablecloths and some for curtains. Most of the fabric is sturdy enough that it also makes great project bags.

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  3. Throw pillows or even floor pillows might be an option – it’s pretty fabric.

    I’ve been making curtains, too. I’m putting them behind my vertical blinds, using tension rods inside the window casing. The semi-sheer curtains provide a bit more privacy and a splash of color, too.

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  6. Shirley

    The curtains turned out great and the area between the door and curtains is a perfect spot for the cats to sun or watch outdoor happenings. Since you said the cats are hard on curtains, maybe you should save enough for a replacement curtain if needed.

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  7. Well, yes that happens here. This summer a new friend from the barn asked me to take her mom’s unfinished squares of a huge blanket. In the end, you will recall, I framed one square and she just LOVES it.
    She took me to the bedroom in her home where she hung it. IT is the room her sisters stay in when they visit so they get a piece of mom with them then.

    Zach has two openings in his class that need curtains. I wish I knew how to sew. He is supposed to create a safe space for his kids to settle down in when they require some destressing. Other teachers have told him he will never get the money spent back.
    He bought a day of the dad shower curtain and now has to figure how to hang it in that area. I’m on the look out for old bean bag chairs for his students.

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