Waverize it! Rainy Day Curtains! (DIY valances)

Okay - so I got 2 yards of this gorgeous Waverly fabric from Jo-Ann's fabric stores and the challenge to take an everyday item and Waverize it! Exciting, huh? Lots of ideas ran through my mind. I love the print for a dress, but it is a recommended dry clean only fabric and that doesn't fit in so well with my lifestyle... so I thought of a reading nook made of an old crib mattress, but didn't see the fabric as my girls' style (I plan to make one later in case this interests you)...

If I had a smaller print, I may have made a purse or tablet cover.... but I thought the print was probably too large scale to look the way I would like... 

So, I sat and pondered.... and decided to redo my bathroom. Let me first confess that I kind of hate my house. I hate how that sounds - I am not trying to be ungrateful for a roof over my head but its not the best... I really dislike the walls. This is a modular home, so every 4' there is a strip that is raised a little more than the rest of the wall. So every four feet, there is a vertical line. The contractors cover this up by using "wallpaper" that is brown vertical lines. It does help to blend it, but its in every single room of the house and my God, its ugly.

Before picture

Before

Before

Before

My dream bathroom is more like a spa. Isn't every woman's?!

I already have a garden tub, fake porcelein though it may be. I hardly ever use it. One - because I have two kids. And nothing is more un-relaxing than either being joined by two little people or protesting their entry and having them cry and scream that you're the meanest mommy E.V.E.R! Either way, serenity shattered.

Now, on top of the hideous brown lined walls, they also have these atrocious red and yellow curtains. Puke. Sorry if you actually like them.

So, I took my fabric to Ace Hardware and got 2 quarts of a light blue. (Take your fabric because it has those dots on the side that let you know what colors are in the fabric - its a little tidbit I use to help me match fabrics)

These color dots will help you match your fabrics to anything else

I also ran to Walmart to get some new towels. Being a military family, every time we PCS (move to a new duty station) we seem to have to buy new towels (same goes for pillowcases I think) and we have a chronology of them going back years and years and none of them match. I picked out some greens and tans and put "His" on Mr. Sew Charming's and "Her" on mine. I know a lot of people actually get "his" and "hers" but the grammar is only correct half the time no matter how you slice it, so I decided that I wanted it to be correct when I think "that is her towel"... yes I know I'm a bit of a nerd ;n)

In all, I spent $15 on the paint, $7 on the paint brush, $6 on the Scotch painters tape, about $35 on the new towels, $4 on the new soap dispensers, $15 on the bath mats and $2 on the thread. Essentially, my bathroom got a makeover for under $90.

After two quarts of the light blue.

After I painted the room completely baby blue, there was one area where the vertical line was extremely noticeable so I decided to use a rag off technique with a darker blue to create texture and camoflague the line. Well, although it worked, I'm not 100% satisfied since some areas are darker than others. However, its so much better than it originally was and I definitely feel it is more of a serene sanctuary. I bought a hazelnut scented candle and can't wait to get a few moments to myself to sit and soak. Hazelnut is my favorite!!!



CURTAIN INSTRUCTIONS

To make the curtains, I cut from selvedge to selvedge which eliminates a few steps later in the process. I cut 3 pieces to 26". I decided to make one wide and one regular curtain since I figured that would best match up the curtains I'm tossing.

Cut to 26"

I sewed two of the pieces together (Short sides together. You'll end up with a 26" tall by 2 selvedge lengths). After that is done, on the selvedge ends (the ones that measure 26"), fold over your fabric so that the selvedge edge is sewn to the wrong side.

You can see on the right that the selvedge edge was folded over and stitched down. This is when I began ironing the bottom edge up half an inch.

See all the raindrops on the window? Thats why I called them rainy day valances....  A perfect project to finish while you are stuck indoors :)

I folded up the bottom between .25 and .5" and ironed it. Then I turned it up about another .75 to 1" and ironed again.


I used Wonderclips as I went instead of pins because they are easier to add and remove. I used my far left stitch and stitched this down. Be careful that you do not miss the layers of fabric. You should be able to feel and see them through the fabric because of the ironing. Sew slowly over the layered fabric (where the two panels come together on your wide curtains or where the corners are).

Stitching on the bottom edge

Then I ironed .5" down on the top end of each curtain. I folded this down 4.5". This time I used pins. I stitched this down being careful not to miss the layers. Then I stitched another line parallel to this one 1.5" above this line, about 3" below the top of the curtain. The space in between stitches is where the curtain rod will go.

Pinning down the top edge. Where the pins are is where your bottom stitch line will go.

About 1.5" from the bottom stitch line, sew your second stitch line. In between these two is where your curtain rod will go.

Voila! It looks better, yes?  If this inspired you to Waverize something in your life, be sure to enter it! I will post the URL as soon as I have the link. Consumers can win $1000 worth of Waverly fabrics and a $250 gift card! Bloggers are not allowed to enter this contest :(  But one of YOU could win!

Not sure what to make? Check out the Cape Discovery catalog full of ideas to get your crafty wheels a turnin'!