It’s Curtains for Me

So what was I doing with my time while I was computer-less and off-line?

Making Curtains!

We’ve wanted to get curtains in our house since the weather started getting chilly back in Autumn – there were a few nights before we went up to North Queensland for the rainbow that were bitterly cold.

It didn’t seem to matter how many layers I put on or how many logs I put on the fire, we were still shivering. It was clear that having seven metres of glass doors in the living room was letting a lot of heat out, and good curtains would make a huge difference.

Procrastinating, as I am wont to do, meant that nothing happened on the curtain front till after we got back from rainbow, but finally, a cold night sent me into action, and I went on a mission to town to search the op-shops (charity thrift stores) for cheap second-hand curtains.

In the op-shop, I lucked upon a set of curtains that would do perfectly in the big bedroom, but nothing sufficient for the living room. At least it was a start. On the way home I stopped at the supermarket, and lo! There was a guy set up by the entry selling bolts of fabric at clearance prices.

I found a nice sage-coloured fabric for $1/ metre! It’s like unheard-of cheap :D I bought 20 Metres.

Without really having a clue how to make curtains, I jumped on in, measuring the doors, and cutting fabric

 

Then it was loads and loads of sewing.

I bought curtain hook strips from the sewing shop in town and sewed them on to the top of the curtains for the ‘professional’, gathered effect, and so we could hook in proper curtain hooks and rings. Which was more sewing

Finally they were done, we spend a good long while sliding all the curtain hooks into the strips, and hooking in the curtain rings. We even bought nice curtain rods (thank goodness we saved a huge bundle on the fabric!).

And here’s the finished product :)

I’m so pleased with how it turned out – they look way more professional than I’d expected. And of course, just in time for the freaky heatwave we’ve been having – This week was the hottest winter days on record in this area; around 36 centigrade (that’s like having 97F in mid February for you Northern Hemispherians)!!!