My favorite spot in the fabric store; the clearance rack. Specifically, the clearance rack at Hancock Fabrics. In my opinion, it's the best one in town. There are many times when it's a bust, but sometimes (like this time) you find a real gem.
In this case, the gem was about three yards of high quality upholstery fabric for $3.99 a yard;
Not only is it a beautiful, modern print in a really nice neutral gray and ivory color combination, but let me repeat the price- $3.99 a yard! Every other upholstery fabric that I've ever seen (and liked) is priced upwards of $15-20 per yard. So, this was a no brainer.
It was originally going to be used as a backdrop for our built-in book shelves (since Thane won't let me paint. For, admittedly, good reasons).
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| Living room built-ins. |
But after testing it there and seeing that it didn't create the dramatic
pop of color or texture I wanted, it went into what I'll call "craft
supply storage"; the top of my heap of random fabrics, frames, ribbon,
and other yet-to-be-utilized goodies up in the attic. And there it sat, brimming with potential. And it continued to sit...for months... Until, finally, I figured out what to do with it; make more curtains! And my new odd-end of gray and ivory fabric seemed like a nice compliment to our blue-tiled guest bathroom.
Let's get this show on the road. Since it was one long piece, I folded it in half, ironed down the center (which made no crease), and cut the whole thing in half (lengthwise, of course).
If you thought my kitchen curtain project was a tad unprofessional, check this out; sewing without ironing or pinning. I only wish I could do it this way every time.
Since the fabric is so thick, I found out pretty quickly that pinning and ironing didn't make any difference. So, I just folded my hem as I went. I can't find the picture to show you, darn! Oh well, we'll just have to skip right to the finished process.
Ta-da! Ever heard of "new-sew" curtains? Well, these are what I like to call "no-skill" curtains.
What do you know? They actually reach the floor. That's a first, in this house at least. By the way, the hem is about half an inch around the bottom and sides, and then the rod tab at the top is about three inches.
What motivated me to finally put this great clearance fabric to use? The fact that I was tempted to go out and buy more things with which to start other projects when I have lots of things (like this fabric) sitting at home already. This is my new rule; carry out plans with things I've already bought/already have rather than buying even more. When I've completely run out of projects with what I currently own, then I can start thinking about what moderate purchase I'd like to make next.
Speaking of another project...back to the built-ins for a minute. Since Thane is (smartly) against painting a rental that we'll only be living in for a matter of months, I've been brainstorming ideas for adding a pop of color to these shelves with something we can take with us when we go. In that case, it'll pretty much have to be fabric, and only if I find another great deal on something that would work.
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1 comments:
My friend cut pieces of wood and painted them to give that pop in the shelves....just another idea!
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