Fun with fabric!

Since we have moved into the new house, I have been trying to go room by room and finish any sewing decorating projects, like curtains or rugs or whatever. I finished the kitchen today!

I had purchased some coordinating fabrics for the old house, greens, and purple and pretty, and never got around to putting up the curtains or making the rug... I had that fabric for a year!!

I feel super proud of my self for finally using it up. I made 2 curtains for the entry way, in an olive green leafy print. The ties are in purple. I made a fabric strip version of a hanging curtain for the doorway to the kitchen and I made a woven rug. I even have enough fabric to make a rug for the laundry room!

So the story about the fabric strip curtain: From our front door you can go to your left and go down a short hall to the living room or you can go to the right and in to the kitchen. The door way to the kitchen is wide, and I hate that people entering our house are going to stare right into the kitchen! BUT I love the openness and the view right out to the street. So my compromise was this version of a beaded curtain.

The rug was also super easy. Same basic principle as the woven placemats you made in elementary school. I just cut strips out the length of the rug, and then more for the width, and wove them, under, over, under, over. Then i put on a binding, with mitered corners, like you would for a quilt. I am NOT good at sewing a straight line. That is my goal for this year. Figure out how to sew straight. Entonces, my binding doesn't look super great, but you can't tell unless you look close. Also this was my first time with binding and with mitered corners. All in all, super easy and a fun learning event. I finished it in 2 days, so definitely a weekend project.

I have embraced my mother's advice that perfection is in the little details, so my iron has become my best friend. I ironed all my seams, and measured them to make sure they were uniform. Yes, mom, I measured. All the fabric strips were ironed in so no raw edges would show. My ironing board is feeling a little worn. I think I may need to replace him.

It feels super good to be able to sew and to be tackling these projects that have been on the books so long! Entry way, done! Kitchen done! Next project, laundry room rug! Then on to the Living Room!!

Pics!


Curtains in the entry way.


Fabric Strips laid out on the craft table


View of the fabric strip curtain from the front door.


Close up on the fabric strips


Weaving the rug


The finished product.


My sad, sad ironing board.