Curtains & cushion, UPDATE - Candi added a link to her project!

[TigH]

After living in our house for several years with almost no window treatments (just the blinds that came with the house) I finally decided to make some curtains. Well, they are just valances.

The original window treatments were plain old vertical blinds with an ugly "cornice" (if you could call it that). I was checking out the BHG site one day and found a really nice looking valance hung under a small shelf. All of the windows in our house are very plain, with no frame around them. My father and my husband framed two huge windows for me and added a small shelf above each one. At first my husband was very much against the idea (he has a hard time visualizing how things will look after the project is completed) but now he is very pleased with the look we have.

Anyway, here is a link to a few pictures of the project. They aren't the best pictures, but it's all I have. I am so happy with how things turned out!

http://www.rossandkaren.org/newcurtains.htm

 

[jipsy]

That's very nice! I like it.

 

[chessie]

It's it surprising what small touches do to a room. The valances and cushion really changes the whole look. I like it. You should be proud.

 

[cinlee3]

Very nice. You did a great job!!!

 

[yummy72]

That looks great! I am working on something similar in my family room and dining room. My has Dad put up the shelving, and I have the fabric but I have yet to do the sewing and get it in place. Maybe I'll work on that this weekend!

Thanks for sharing!
Candi

 

[TigH]

Thanks for the nice comments. It really means alot to me that you guys like the way it turned out!

My sister is getting ready to buy some material for some curtains in her new house, so I will post before and after pictures of that project when we ever get around to it!

Next up for me is making a queen sized quilt. We'll see how long that takes! I just need to be brave enough to select some fabrics.

Candi, any chance you will have some pictures to share with us? I would love to see what you create!

Thanks again!!!!!!

 

[yummy72]

I will try to take some pictures once I get everything done! I am holding out for a new kitchen table and chairs and would like to have the cushions coordinate with the new window treatment. The putting up the shelf part was fun, I don't mind the painting and stuff like that , but I don't enjoy sewing all that much. I can definitely sew well if I want to (fashion illustration was my major so I had hours of sewing, tailoring, etc... in fact so many I think that is why I no longer enjoy it!) If I can find a way to use a glue gun or staple gun instead I will! Unfortunately this time, I think sewing will be necessary, and I just keep putting it off! But I will definitely get it done and take some pictures. I think you all will get a kick out of the photos of my kitchen as it is Mickey Mouse themed!

Candi

 

[yummy72]

Here are the pictures of the new window treatments at my house. I'm happy with the way they turned out, I just wish my digital camera was better so the pictures would have turned out better. I posted them on an old page of my website, I hope this works!

--Candi


http://www.simplyscrapbooking.com/retired.htm

 

[TigH]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I LOVE TOILE!!! I had actually wanted to use toile for my curtains, but it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. They look awesome! Where did you get your fabric? I want to use red toile in my living room (well, it will be a pool table/pub/game room since we have no plans for formal furniture!)

You did a great job! So did it turn out to be a new-sew project? I love how you hung the fabric. That is a very clever idea! I am going to show my Mom your pictures because she was trying to describe an idea like that to me and I just didn't see it in my mind.

Congratulations on the lamp shade. If I send you some shades and fabric will you do mine as well (kidding!)

Your Disney kitchen is so precious! The shelves are very nice. I would love to see a close up of the crackle finish and the brackets (I'm too nosy!)

I might have to steal your idea for covering the chain with fabric. We replaced a gold chain with a white one, but the lamp cord is still gold and it looks icky.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. They are great!!!!! I love this kind of stuff!

 

[yummy72]

TigH-

I got my fabric at Hancock's the week after Christmas they had their toile prints on sale. It was still a bit expensive but I knew I wouldn't be happy if I settled for anything else. It did turn out to be a new sew project after all. I used that iron on hem tape to hem it (although I will admit I hemmed the bottom edges by hand) and then I stapled the fabric to the back of the boards.

The lampshade was very easy. I got the shade at Hobby Lobby. It was self-adhesive. You just peel off the label and use it to trace your pattern onto the fabric. Then your fabric just sticks to the shade. I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but around here the rage is very wacky lampshades with lots of trims, feather, beads etc...I got the lamp base at Target, loved it because of it's "crackled" finish.

The best part of all was having the extra display space for all of my MM cookie jars. At my last house, I had room to display them ontop of the kitchen cabinets, but here I only have a plate rail up there. I like having them up and away from little hands.

I will try to take a close up of the shelves and brackets when the lighthing is better. I'm really happy with the crackled finish. I got that at Hobby Lobby too. You just paint a base coat and then spray on the crackle finish. It cracks DH up that I intentionally want something to look like the paint is peeling off of it.

Thanks for looking and thanks for the praise! I felt like I was on Trading Spaces yesterday, with my glue gun and staple gun.

Candi