Curtains, Curtains and more Curtains!

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting at I am Momma Hear Me Roar as part of Cheri’s week long Behind the Curtain series. 

I hope you will stop by my post HERE to see curtains from my home, curtains I have created for magazine photo shoots and some all-time curtain favorites.  There is a lot to see!

Dining Room Redo – The Details

Thank you all for the nice comments about my dining room.  I have to say this was the first time I have ever been apprehensive about a blog post.  I truly was nervous!  So many of you loved the chairs next to the buffet in their original orange velvet, I was not sure what the reaction was going to be when I revealed I had recovered them in gray.  So needless to say I am thrilled so many of you left such encouraging and wonderful comments.  Now on to the details!

If you have been a long time follower, you probably know this room is a collection of furnishings which has evolved over time.  The buffet and six chairs (which I painted white and recovered in blue velvet for this redo) where bought from the Salvation Army.  Along with a table which is now in the basement, I paid $150 for all 9 pieces. The large cabinet is an antique store find. It is made of two pieces and I was told it was taken from a local real estate office.  I could not believe my luck when I found it a couple of years ago as it is the perfect fit for the wall on which it resides.

The table is made by Henredon and is a Craigslist purchase.  The chairs which matched this table are now around the kitchen table.  I used a vintage grainsack with blue stripes for a runner to add more texture to the room as well as lighten up the table. An ivy topiary from Lowes adds a much needed bit of green.

The mirror above the buffet is by Uttermost and the pair of alabaster lamps is an Ebay purchase.  Above the duo of vintage 1950’s chairs hang a pair of paintings by Jennifer Lanne.  Jennifer’s work has been featured in Country Living magazine as well as several other publications.  I have several of her paintings scattered about my house, as she is a favorite local artist of mine.

While most of the items in the room are older, there are a few newer pieces as well.  The rug is by Madeline Weinrib and the gray silk curtains I made from fabric purchased at Calico Corners.  The clock between the windows is new but is a bargain floor model from Ethan Allen which I painted.

Finally there is the pair of now gray French chairs with the ikat pillows which I made by repurposing the old fabric on the dining room chairs. In regards to my decision to recover the chairs, in the end it just came down to the fact that the orange was just not me.   It truly was a struggle to decide what to do – leave them alone or recover – but in the end I am so happy with how the room looks now so it was the right choice for me.

Thanks for following this transformation.  I would like to say this room is finished but as you know I have a hard time leaving things alone.  I am sure a little while from now I will be adding or replacing something. For now, however, I am just going to enjoy the room the way it is!

My Dining Room Redo In Pictures

Built In Cabinets - The Details

I promised a while back I would share the details of the new built-in cabinets next to our family room fireplace.  They were eleven years in the making and definitely worth the wait!  Here is a reminder of what the room looked like before.

We did a lot of research before we began – looking through magazines, etc. – to find just the right design.  The main goal was to match the existing woodwork and details of our house and the previously built media cabinet.   The project all came together when we found the picture below.

via Country Living

Once we had the inspiration photo and worked out a few details, our carpenter went to work.  It took several weeks from the time we had finished design plans to the installation.  Even though a good portion of the work was done off-site, putting the cabinets in place still took the better part of two weekends to complete.

The first phase involved removing molding, pulling out electrical outlets and building boxes on to which the finished cabinets would be attached.  Things went well until it came time to install the right side cabinet.  Because of the window ledge, there was not enough space to angle the cabinet into place.  What to do?

The solution was to cut a hole in the side of the fireplace which would be covered up by the finished cabinet.  The cut out gave the carpenter just enough space to maneuver the cabinet into place.  After day one, the cabinets were already taking shape.

The second day involved adding the details which make the cabinets beautiful.  The picture below shows the addition of the top molding and the following picture shows the cabinets with the bottom molding.  We paid special attention to match the profile of the fireplace mantel, just on a smaller scale.

All of the pieces were painted offsite and then touched up once they were in place.  You can see all the nails holes which were filled and later painted.

Next on the list were painting, doors and shelves.   In the end we decided to use seeded glass. We have the same glass in our kitchen cabinets and I love how the tiny air bubbles mute the contents just enough to make them “seeable” but not the main focus of the room.

Of course one of the best parts of the project was arranging the shelves.  Most of the items are things I already owned – a few are new.

The right cabinets contain the antique English wooden box I won a while back on a giveaway, as well as books and two large glass jars. 

The glass jars are antiques and hold the oyster shell ball I crafted earlier this month and a mismatched grouping of old billiard balls.  On top of the cabinet is one of my all-time favorite purchases - a large column top.  Long time followers might recognize this piece as its former home was on my dining room table.

The left cabinets house a wire basket from Pottery Barn, more books, and a vintage camera I picked up at a yard sale many years ago.  The glass jar on this side holds a set of shaker boxes made by artist Steve Strouse of Pennsylvania.   The boxes are graduated sizes and are made from varying types of wood.  One of the unique aspects of these boxes is that each one comes with a card telling where the wood used to make the box was found.

The left cabinets also feature an old green fishing float and an architectural element found at a local shop which is sadly no longer in business. The top is finished off with an antique French bottle return I purchased this summer during vacation.  I have to admit when I bought this I really had no idea where I would put it.  Luckily it is very close in size and scale to the column so it all worked out for the best.

I can’t thank you all enough for all the wonderful comments you have left about my living room and the new built-in cabinets.  We are thrilled with how this room finally came together and are proud to call it finished!

Built-in Cabinets Reveal

I am so excited to be sharing the final reveal of the built-in cabinets next to our family room fireplace.  The process began in May and was finished up just a few days ago.  So I couldn’t wait to share the photos!

I will have more information about the building process and the details of the cabinet contents in a little bit.  The picture below is a little reminder of where we began.

Here is what the room looks like today.

Hope you enjoy the upcoming long weekend!

How to Sew Curtain Panels with Lining and/or Interlining

Womens Day Budget Decorating / Photographer - Michael Partentio

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Producer and Editor for Meredith Publications

I have had this tutorial in the works for a while now and am happy to finally be sharing the method I use for sewing curtains with lining. Although I have tried a few variations, the following is what works best for me – and hopefully for you too!

Please read through all instructions before beginning. This tutorial is for curtain panels using one width (54”) of fabric.

Measurements
Determine the finished length of your curtain panel. This measurement will be based on the placement of your curtain rod as well as how you will be hanging your curtains, i.e. from rings, through a rod pocket, etc.

For the main fabric you will need the finished length plus 8 inches for the bottom hem and 6 inches for the top hem, times the number of panels you will be making. (I always add a few inches to this number just to make sure I have enough fabric.) If you are using a fabric with a pattern you will have to take the repeat of the pattern into consideration. Meaning, every panel should begin and end at the same point on the fabric. You most likely will have purchase additional yardage in order for all the panels to be identical.

For the lining you will need the finished length of the curtain minus 1 inch (as the lining will be shorter than the main fabric), plus 6 inches for the bottom hem and 6 inches for the top hem, times the number of panels.

Optional: For the interlining you will need the finished length of the curtain minus 2 inches plus 6 inches for the top hem. Most times I only use interlining if I am making silk curtains. Interlining is a felt like material - shown below - which adds weight and body to the curtains.

Cut all fabric pieces according to above measurements. After cutting the proper lengths of fabric, the lining and interlining panels should be cut to 49 ¾” wide. The main fabric should be cut to 54” wide by removing the side edges. If your main fabric needs to be shorter in width in order to remove the edges, simply deduct 4 ¼” to determine the width of the lining and interlining.

Sew Bottom Hems
The first sewing step to making your curtain panels is hemming the bottom of the main fabric and the lining – the interlining is not hemmed. To make the bottom hem of the main fabric, press under the bottom edge of the fabric 8 inches using an iron set to the proper temperature for your fabric.

Fold under and press to create a 4 inch hem. Pin and sew. Repeat for all main fabric curtain panels.

Repeat process with lining - only this time press under bottom edge of fabric 6 inches to create a 3 inch hem.

Sewing Side Seams of Main Curtain Fabric
Using the main fabric, fold and press the outside and inside edges of the curtain panel 2 inches. Fold under to create a 1 inch hem on each side. Repeat with all main fabric panels.

Assembling the Curtain
Place curtain panel on flat surface with right side down (wrong side up).

Optional: If using interlining place interlining on top of panel, sliding edges of interlining under both side hems of the main curtain fabric. Make sure to line up the top of the interlining with the top of the curtain panel. It should be about 2 inches shorter than the main curtain fabric.

Place lining – right side up – on top of interlining and under both side hems of the main curtain fabric. Make sure to line up the top of the lining with the top of the curtain panel. Your lining should be about 1 inch shorter than the main curtain fabric and 1 inch longer than the interlining. By cutting the width of the lining and interlining pieces slightly smaller than the width of the finished curtain panel you should have no problem getting the three pieces of fabric to work together.

Pin two (or three if using interlining) layers in place and sew.

Create Top Hem
Fold and press under two (or three if using interlining) layers 6 inches. Fold under again to create a 3 inch top hem. Pin and sew.

Hang curtains using drapery pins, clip rings or through the top pocket hem.