Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
kicky curtains I
I love to make funky drapes - tradition with a twist. Curtains can make a big impact in any space. For boldness, I like to mix fabrics, textures, color, and push scale. The first time I attended the opera, I was as mesmerized by the curtains that bejeweled the theatre as the performers on stage.
Over the next few posts I will share a couple of ideas with you. First, our bedroom curtains.
Our bedroom is in the upper half story. The attic ceiling shape has more corners, angles, and hard lines than most rooms, so I wanted something to soften the space. I was imaging a plush quilt. I had to come up with a way to hang the thick curtains over the rod. At the time we were remodeling, and shopping daily for supplies and decorating inspiration. I fell in love with some green glass knobs that I just had to incorporate somewhere. Now they hold up the curtains and add a touch of glamour. (We also used a larger version for our closet doors.)
I constructed the curtains from a heavy linen with a lining of quilted fabric. For extra volume I added a layer of canvas and a layer of batting just at the top. I continued the quilted fabric on the bottom of the front to echo the room's baseboards. We matched our paint color, including floor, to the curtain fabrics. The thick, heavy curtains do a great job of keeping out light. When they are open, full sheers gently defuse the light.
Note the great curtain rod I found at Restoration Hardware. Unfortunately it has been discontinued, and although I have hunted I have not come across anything similar.
The backside of a glass knobs - it is threaded through two grommets several inches apart. Before you go to all the work of putting your grommets on, make certain that the knob will fit through your grommet and the screw head will not come back through.
I bought a tool to cut circles in felt and it works magnificently to make holes for grommets - eliminating the raggedy, uneven edges from trying to use scissors.
Note that when you are working with prints, your finished project will look much better if the print matches from one piece to the next. This is true for fashion sewing as well. You will have to purchase extra fabric to do this.
I love to find great treasures like these lily tiebacks.
Over the next few posts I will share a couple of ideas with you. First, our bedroom curtains.
Our bedroom is in the upper half story. The attic ceiling shape has more corners, angles, and hard lines than most rooms, so I wanted something to soften the space. I was imaging a plush quilt. I had to come up with a way to hang the thick curtains over the rod. At the time we were remodeling, and shopping daily for supplies and decorating inspiration. I fell in love with some green glass knobs that I just had to incorporate somewhere. Now they hold up the curtains and add a touch of glamour. (We also used a larger version for our closet doors.)
I constructed the curtains from a heavy linen with a lining of quilted fabric. For extra volume I added a layer of canvas and a layer of batting just at the top. I continued the quilted fabric on the bottom of the front to echo the room's baseboards. We matched our paint color, including floor, to the curtain fabrics. The thick, heavy curtains do a great job of keeping out light. When they are open, full sheers gently defuse the light.
Note the great curtain rod I found at Restoration Hardware. Unfortunately it has been discontinued, and although I have hunted I have not come across anything similar.
The backside of a glass knobs - it is threaded through two grommets several inches apart. Before you go to all the work of putting your grommets on, make certain that the knob will fit through your grommet and the screw head will not come back through.
I bought a tool to cut circles in felt and it works magnificently to make holes for grommets - eliminating the raggedy, uneven edges from trying to use scissors.
Note that when you are working with prints, your finished project will look much better if the print matches from one piece to the next. This is true for fashion sewing as well. You will have to purchase extra fabric to do this.
I love to find great treasures like these lily tiebacks.
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