Saturday 22 September 2012

It's Curtains ...

Good morning Ladies.

I have been meaning to show you this curtain refashion for a little while.
For one reason or another things here have been a bit hectic and I have so much to tell you about.
All in good time.
For now, It's curtains ...

As you know I'm not a whiz on a sewing machine. In truth they make me a bit nervous!!
But I faced my fear to give these curtains a face lift.
I have two windows in the dining room, before they were hung with some green curtains that had been passed on to us from a family member. They never really suited the room and made it feel quite dark.
I didn't want to get rid of perfectly good curtains, but they weren't suitable.
One morning while tidying in Charlie's room I had a brain wave. Charlie's room also has two windows, the curtains where light which meant he needed blackout lining to avoid very early morning during the summer!
Blooming things!! These liners were so heavy and bulky they just looked awful.
So killing two birds with one stone the dark green curtains retired to Charlie's room and block the light perfectly (no more blackout liners!) and the light curtains from Charlie's room would look much better in the dining room.

But there was a problem ... the light curtains were better, but they had pencil pleated tops.
I don't like them. So thought I would TRY converting them to tab tops.



I used my sewing machine to make the tabs for all four curtains. All 64 of them!
They were turned right side out and pressed (again).
Then I chopped off the pencil pleat from each curtain, turned it under and attached the tabs at regular intervals. Then more pressing and whizzed each one through the sewing machine once more.

Sounds simple right?! Well it was, but it did take me ALL day to finish them all.


I was chuffed with my attempt at converting the curtains and like the contrast between the creamy yellow curtains and the pink gingham tab tops.
But they needed a little more pink to bring them all together.
So I turned my thought to the tiebacks. I knew in the depths of a vacuum storage bag they would be tiebacks for these curtains. I hunted them out and went to work demolishing some crocheted tiebacks I had made for the original green curtains.


For each set of curtains the tiebacks were slightly different.
I simply sewed the flowers to the ready made tiebacks.



The room feels brighter, I spent nothing and I'm getting over my sewing machine fear!!
Can't be bad hey?

Sorry for the waffling Ladies.
Until next time.

Love Katie
xxx


P.s I brought this little embroidered hankie from a vintage fair. I really love it and I was lucky to pick up a teeny embroidery frame on a charity shop trip for 20p! Bargain.
This now hangs from a length of ribbon hung from a tieback hook next to my "new" curtains.

21 comments:

  1. Well done Katie these curtains are beautiful great job! there is nothing better than putting your own spin on things. Great post. Tracy x

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  2. They're gorgeous, love the tie backs too, your flowers are so pretty. x

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  3. What a great idea..I love the crochet flowers on the tiebacks, so pretty!
    Lovely Embroidery as well..just perfect with the 'K'..great find!
    I hope you are having a nice weekend...x
    Magie

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  4. They look gorgeous, lovely! You can come and do mine now! Have a lovely weekend. xx

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  5. Katie I absolutely love the crocheted flowers on the cream tie backs they look fab.
    Dx

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  6. Great idea to transform your curtains and the flowers finish them off perfectly.

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  7. They look fabulous. I much prefer tab tops or eyelets to pencil pleat. The little framed hankie is gorgeous too.

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  8. Well done you!
    I would say a job well done Katie.
    Love the crochet flowers, they make them look individual.
    Have a happy week..
    thanks for sweet words over on mine too.
    love Maria x

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  9. Wow, you clever thing - those curtains look fabulous :) and I adore the pretty tie backs too xxx

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  10. So good idea.. And very soft colors... So so cute... I like it....:))
    Happy days...:))

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  11. they look gorgeous :)

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  12. You did a fantastic job with these curtains, Katie! Facing your fear of using the sewing machine worked well for you. ^__^ I also adore the flowery tie-backs that you did! It gives that “homey” feel to the entire look.

    Roxie Tenner

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  13. The design of your curtain was simple, but it was the drapery panel and tieback’s design that made your curtain fabulous. I really love it; it’s so refreshing! Your style simply proves that you don’t need to have too much detail for your curtain. Doing this is just perfect!

    Lenore Rushford

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  14. I also use curtain tiebacks! :D What’s nice about them is that even if your curtain only has a simple design, tiebacks can upgrade it to a high new level. It’s beautiful and functional at the same time. Well, I purchased a black star tieback last weekend. I’m gonna use it on my bedroom curtain.

    Rodney Orton

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