The Curtain Saga Continues

So it's October and can you believe that I still don't have curtains on my windows?

Ok, ok, as of this morning, I sort of have curtains in the living room, but they're un-hemmed and the trim is in a pile on my kitchen table.

How is this possible, you ask? It's been months. I'm a blogger and DIY is my thing.

Right?

Yeah, I honestly don't know.

I'd love to say that it's because I've been doing so many other adventurous things that I just haven't gotten around to it.

But that would be a lie.

The honest answer is, I have no excuse. For the first time in my decorating life, I've been completely paralyzed.

And indecisive. Which is totally out of character. And a bit unnerving. Par for this year, I suppose.

I think I've had the same decor for so long...and loved it so much...that change is not easy.

I decorate with my eyes and my stomach. Things have to look right and more importantly feel right in my gut, or I cannot have it in the house.

I know. It's a disease.

Either way, after almost 20 years, and as things have started to fade and fray, it's time for something new.

When we last left off, I was explaining all the online buying and returning I was doing. At that point I had settled on leaving the floral curtains in the living room and ordering buffalo check fabric for the kitchen.

The scrap piece I had hanging up there looked so good, I wanted more.

Excited by the prospect of making my stomach happy, I sent away for samples that very afternoon. I had to track down that exact pattern.


Unfortunately, when the samples showed up, they were all wrong. Apparently, they don't make that fabric anymore and I was sent back the drawing board, since none of the other samples were quite right either.

The checks were too big or too small, the red wasn't right or the white/ cream portion was too muted or yellow. Every one of those things was a hard no.

Desperate for a solution, I called the shop to inquire and was told they had nothing like that on hand...which I knew wasn't right. I had been there in March, before the shutdown, and they had several similar patterns.

I was going to have to go to the store. Grrr.

In the meantime, I poked around online a little, just because. Big mistake. That just muddied the waters.

You see, first I found the most gorgeous 100% cotton, lined buffalo check red and cream curtains. Hmmm. They were about $75 a pair and I needed four panels. Not cheap, but not bad. 

It would probably cost me about the same for fabric. But no sewing. That was a huge draw.

I also ran across this charming pattern at JoAnn's for a song. Seriously.


It cost me just over $20 for six yards. That's ridiculous.

So I ordered both the panels and the fabric and crossed my fingers.

Ok, so here's where it gets tricky. The checked panels showed up and they were just as gorgeous in person as they were online.

And they were exactly what I had envisioned in both the kitchen and living room.


My ever supportive husband said, order the checked ones, be done with this project and hang them up. It's a big win.

Well...if only.

I absolutely loved the curtains and as someone who makes almost all of my window treatments, that's huge compliment. They were just so well made.

However.

In the kitchen they were too long hanging from the ring clips and too floppy if I tried to hang the generous 2" rod pocket on my skinny metal rod. Plus, that luxurious lining made the room a bit darker than I wanted.

I'm all about sun in this space and they were covering it up.

In the living room, the lining gave them a more formal air, which was good, however that same oversized rod pocket in the kitchen, didn't fit the fat wooden rods over the sofas.

So if I ordered the curtains for all the rooms, at $300, I would still have to do some major alterations. That was just not worth it.

Are you feeling my frustration yet?

Since I still needed curtains, I masked up and went to the fabric store and in less than 10 seconds found the fabric I knew they had. Not cheap at $24 a yard, but kind of what I expected.

I grabbed it and ran before my stomach could talk me out of it.


Back at home, I realized that the colors matched the kitchen much better than what I originally wanted and I was set.

Kitchen plan done. Fabulous.


The living room was still tricky though. I really didn't want to alter those curtains for $150. Plus, this house is not big and I wasn't sure if I was going to love all that buffalo check everywhere I looked this fall/ winter.

So, now what?

That thought bubble was literally hanging in the air when I caught a glimpse of that bargain JoAnn fabric on the floor.

It was very charming, so I threw some of it over the rod in the living room and right away I was smitten.


I put some music on, turned the speakers up and started sewing. I completed all four panels by 10pm. I ironed seams and I put my husband to work sewing. 

I told you, if you can drive a car, you can use a machine. 

Today, I'll add the trim, since ball fringe makes everything better and I will attempt to make the kitchen panels.

As our decorating saga, hopefully, draws to a close, I have spent $175 on fabric and trim to dress four windows.

Significantly less than what I would've spent if I had purchased them.

And my eyes and my stomach seem happy. So far.

But man, what a long strange curtain trip it's been.

I guess this is why I don't change out my decor all that often.

😉😉