I Just Have to Share this Fabric

I usually don't post client work, but I just have to show you this fabric. My client has given me permission to photograph it. But it is 10 times more beautiful in person than it is in this picture. There is a lovely story about this fabric. My client's MIL used to work for an interior designer, about 20+ years ago. When the designer retired, she gave my client's MIL this fabric, It is pure, snowy white, rayon and cotton (from what I can tell, I'm not going to do a burn test), and it has the most lovely fringe effect with Chanel type yarns between the solid strips. When I took a swatch of this fabric to NYC, an owner of one of the stores on 40th Street told me that it was $150+/yard fabric, if you could get it. The MIL thinks it was Italian, but I can't find anything like it.

Another view with different lighting:

Boy, this fabric is a joy to work with. But it does present some challenges. The fringe is heavier than the panel strips, and you can see that in the picture above, on the right hand side of your screen. The fringe pulls down, so the sides pull in. This necessitates a rod at the bottom, and some manipulation of the valance. But it yields a bee-yoo-tee-ful result. The curtain isn't quite done yet - I'm going to add a side panel on the valance tomorrow. I will post a picture of the finished version when it is in the client setting. But this fabric is just too pretty to not show.

Happy sewing!

Short and Sweet - Curtains for the Kids

Since I was pretty pooped today thanks to post-parabolic peter-out, I decided to tackle a project that doesn't tax me too much. We painted the kids' bedroom this summer, and they have been after me since then to make them curtains. I bought some inexpensive striped cotton at JoAnn Fabrics and whipped up a pair.


As a general rule, I don't really enjoy home dec sewing. I do it for clients, and I charge a lot for it, but it's not as interesting to me as, say making an evening gown or other clothing. But the plus side to sewing home dec is that it is pure geometry. Fitting is almost never an issue, except for slipcovers. I've made slipcovers. I liken them to the time I accidentally ate lamb's brains in Paris - I can now say I have done it, and I don't need to do it again. Ever. BTW, if you go to Paris and happen to go to dinner at some lovely neighborhood spot in the 17th Arrondissement, and see "Salade D'Hiver avec Cervelles D'Agneau" on the menu, take a pass. Trust me. But I digress....

Back to the curtains. They quite literally took me under two hours from cutting table to curtain rod. The window measures 36 inches across. My fabric was 45 inches wide. So I cut two panels to length, sewed an attached valance at the top, ran the whole thing through the Juki and then pressed and hung them. It's definitely not couture, but my eldest son gave me a big hug and a thank you when he saw them after school. That made my day!

Another view, from the door:


Happy sewing!

The Cobbler's Curtains, I mean, Kids....

I finally got around to making new curtains for my spare bedroom. The spare bedroom is really the cutting room. There's no bed in it anymore. These curtains have been a very long time coming. I made the last set when I was pregnant with my oldest. He's 11 now, and I threw the last curtains together at the last minute - literally. It was the day before I went into labor, and I figured I had best make some curtains so the poor baby wouldn't have sun in his eyes all afternoon. I was in such a rush I didn't bother to line the curtains, and as you can see, sunlight was not kind to them over time. If you look from left to right, you'll see a definite fade pattern. The left side was in direct sun much of the afternoon. The boys never noticed. They're boys, you know? But after they both vacated the room to bunk beds in the adjoining bedroom, the decor from the nursery remained. And by now it has officially outlived its usefulness.


Well, I again don't have a whole lot of time to make stuff. And honestly, I'm not big on sewing home dec. I do it, and I charge a lot of money for it, and I do a great job, but not for my own home. It's that whole cobbler's children thing. But this weekend was a pretty rainy one here in Boston, so I figured I would whip up some cafe curtains and line them this time so they will hopefully last a little longer. It's not much, but it's a little sewing while the kids have been getting ready for school. So here's what I ended up with:


The fabric is a cotton pique from Building 19. One of my students, Jeanne, bought some, and I liked it well enough that I ran to the store and bought a couple of yards too. It's lined (or in the case of the valance, backed) with unbleached muslin from my stash. The entire project took me less than two hours (thank you, industrial Juki!). It's not couture, but at least it makes the room a little nicer. Until each of the boys wants his own room and I have to give up my cutting room.

Happy sewing!