Thursday, September 9, 2010

New Dining Room Curtains


I have to tell you that making these curtains was an exercise in perseverance!  More than once I wanted to give up, rip them to shreds and just buy some darn curtains!  I couldn't do that though because I bought the yards and yards of fabric six years ago when we lived in an apartment but I never got around to making the curtains.  When we moved into our current house, I knew the fabric would be perfect for the dining room. 

The valance gave me no trouble at all.  The panels were another story.  It started with unrolling the fabric to cut two 107 inch long pieces of both fabric and lining.  Do you know how much fabric that is?!  Way more than I have ever worked with before!  And the lining...oh my goodness.  First, I was completely stumped with the directions.  After a couple of days, I figured out what to do and sewed the lining to the panel and guess what?  It didn't work.  I can't really explain exactly what it was doing but it definitely wasn't working.  I had to rip the lining out.  It was only one panel but it was two 107 inch long seams.  I decided not to have a lining!

Next came the top of the panels.  I figured the rest would be easy...Ha!  I cut out the piece at the top of the panel and then the directions said to make a bias binding and attach it.  OH NO!!  I've been sewing for a lot of years and attaching a binding is one of those things that I just cannot do.  I was really ready to shred the cuss curtains now.  But I didn't.  Instead, I made a facing and no one will ever know that isn't how they're supposed to be!

I didn't like the curtains at all by the time I was done.  I finished them for the sake of finishing them and figured I would hate them when they were hung and I would end up buying some anyway.  I have to tell you though, that once they were up, I loved them!  They are exactly what I imagined and wanted.  I won't be making any more though! 

Have a great Thursday!!!

14 comments:

  1. They are PERFECT !!!! I don't know how people handle large amounts of fabric either. I did very simple duvet covers for the boys and I had to redo 1 seam 3 times !!! WTH ??? I love the end result - they are smashing !!! Everytime you look at them you are going to feel relief you got thru it .

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  2. They turned out beautiful! I've been sewing for alot of years too. I don't know why large pieces of fabric turn into some kind of alien project, but it does for me too! I agree- bias tape- hate it- never use it! LOL! Glad you finished..bet you are too.!

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  3. How pretty! You are brave. I've sewn a total of 4 very boring panels for our house and I hated every minute of sewing them. The seams were crooked...the black out backing was SO heavy (they were all for our bedrooms). Next time, I'm buying premade ones...or maybe I'll have you do them ;) Or maybe I'll stick to simple valances.

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  4. They look beautiful. But I hear ya on the not wanting to like them because of the amount of work.

    For years I ran a small sewing biz out of my home (when the kids were little) and people always wanted me to make curtains but them they wanted them a certain way like it was no big deal to make changes, it would drive me nuts and then they would be cranky coz it cost them money, thankfully I am done with that :)

    Have a lovely day, and you should feel very proud of your beautiful curtains :) T.

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  5. Job well done!! They look great and I really love the wide strips under the chair rail. You should feel very accomplished.

    Janet xox

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  6. They are beautiful! I would never be able to tackle something like that. We put oak shelves above our kitchen windows so I didn't have to make curtains :)

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  7. Wow, great job! I actually just made curtains last week and have been meaning to blog about it, too. Mine were a very simple, long drape --- yours look perfect (and a little too difficult for my sewing abilities :) Well done!!!

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  8. They turned out just lovely and I am releived that you think so, too. There is nothing quite so frustrating as struggling through a difficult project and then not liking it in the end. You can exhale and give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done!

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  9. Wow! I know they gave you trouble but they really turned out beautiful! I could only wish to be half as talented as you!

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  10. You were right about the color and fabric...it's perfect for that room. They look terrific, so whatever you did worked.

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  11. Wow! Beautiful. I'm very impressed with your talent.

    Thanks for your visit today.

    Hugs,
    Kat

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  12. I love those! Very unique. Lovely fabric and you did one heck of a job! I envy your sewing talent!

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  13. They are very pretty! But I'm with you...I would NEVER try something like that again ;-)

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