Monday, July 25, 2011

A couple sewing projects

Remember I said in the month of July I was going to focus on my "no $$$" projects? Well I sat down with my sewing machine and I got a couple of those projects finished this weekend.

A while ago, I purchased these 100% linen drapes from IKEA for our master bedroom:


They are only $50 a pair, and I bought two pairs for a total of $100.

I'll be honest... the quality is not that great. The linen is very thin and very stiff and wrinkles very easily. But I still moved forward with my project of pinch pleating and hemming them. It was a pain in the ass!

Here is the final product:

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They are still a bit wrinkled after I ironed them with heavy starch!! Hopefully the wrinkles will fall. But overall, I'm happy content with how they turned out. However, this is what I WISH they looked like:

urban grace

BUT I decided to go the "budget" route and use my dollars elsewhere. Custom linen pinch pleated and lined drapes are very expensive. My curtain panels were only $25 each! I'll save my dollars for the bathrooms that need to be updated!

Our bedroom is almost complete, I just need to paint a mirror I have and hang it over the dresser, and make some art for the opposite wall.

I have plans to walk you through my (very easy) steps to pinch pleat store-bought curtains, but the linen panels were not good to use as examples because the fabric was so unforgiving. I will be doing the same thing to these 100% cotton panels from IKEA in our living room:


I've already played around with them and they look a lot better than the linen ones.. I can't wait to share with you!

I also sewed up some pillows for our family room. Two of these:

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And this large blue solid pillow for the chaise:
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Overall it was a good weekend! Happy Monday :)

24 comments:

  1. Bryn, your bedroom looks beautiful!  And I love all your pillows in your living room!  xoxo

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  2. I love the black and cream pillow! Do you know the name of the fabric? It would be great on my dining room chairs.

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  3. You did a great job on the curtains.  What color are your walls in your bedroom?  I love the the color.

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  4. I find that if I iron my linen clothing and drapes when they are wet (right out of the washing machine), they are crisp and hang beautifully. It might be worth a try!

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  5. Good job on the curtains! I sewed curtains over the weekend too, and it's a pain! Have you considered a lighter colored curtain rod for your bedroom? I'm assuming what you have is iron, but it doesn't really show up in your picture. Do you think they would look even more dramatic with a lighter rod? It would give a better contrast against your dark walls. Just a thought- it may be totally fine in person, just something I noticed from a photography standpoint. :)

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  6. Hi Bryn!  Love the blue pillow:)  Thought I would share an aweome source with you for lined linen panels.  Its "Half Price Curtains.com" I found them orginally through overstock and then ordered panels from them directly again.  I bought BEAUTIFUL, fully lined, 100% belgium linen panels (did I mention 96 in long???) for about $80 a peice.  I can send you some pictures if you'd like to see them "in person" but I am super happy with them.  We live in Wilmington and have tons of windows so I wanted something lined to help with keeping the heat out.  I have 9 pottery barn panels ($$$) in our great room that were triple the price and aren't half as nice. 

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  7. The curtains look really nice! Loving the way it's coming together. Give us a sneak peek of the mirror before you paint!!! I'm curious! 

    cwhimsydesigns.com

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  8. beautiful stuff. where do you find your fabrics? i'm looking to make a few pillows myself. 
    Thanks!

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  9. Nice job! Sewing always intimidates me but, I just have to get going and it's easier. Cannot wait for the tutorial and to see the white ones.

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  10. Kristen Fountain DavisJuly 25, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    i like them! great job. your bedroom is looking wonderful, and i love the turquoise chest!

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  11. How are they attached..don't see a curtain rod?

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  12. girl, I've used those on more projects than I can count. cheap and easy to add stuff to. i like

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  13. Emily@ EAK a HouseJuly 25, 2011 at 2:57 PM

    I love that dresser in your bedroom with your grandmother's(?) art on it. Beautiful! 

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  14. Wishing I had a sewing machine. Wishing I could sew. :)

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  15. looking good! i am buying the cotton IKEA drapes this week for my living room and dining room, so I'm looking forward to the pinch pleat tutorial. i'm also loving the blue dresser in your room - i just bought a dresser with brass handles and have been thinking about painting it a peacock blue, and yours may have convinced me!

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  16. You did such a great job sewing them! And I LOVE that blue/turquoise dresser. Did you paint it yourself? It looks fabulous! :)

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  17. Wups, here is a link to my website {I'm not sure why it didn't give the link before}

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  18. Nice job on all of your projects - I think they look great.  It's a nice sense of accomplishment when you can do some things like that and see them come to life.

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  19. Love your master. Who reupholstered your setee at the end of your bed?

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  20. Hi Bryn...I bought a Jiffy Steamer J-4000 several years back. It's the best investment ever, especially if you do lots of window treatments and it's great for dresses etc. with complicated pleating

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  21. I am on pins and needles waiting for your tutorial....I have long despised the rod pocket curtains that everyone sells...but some clients cannot afford custom- and pre-fab pinch pleats are few and far between! This is a great alternative!! Great job- love the dresser, too!

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  22.  this wasn't the point of your post, but i saw your turquoise dresser and it's beautiful!

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  23. I have the same curtains in my bedroom! Mine have been hanging for at least 6 months are are still not hemmed ... the wrinkles have fallen out some in that time, FYI. I've thought about pleating them, too. Did you hand-pleat or use pleat tape?

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  24. agree - I'm confused.  Are they non-functioning?  

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THANK YOU for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate each and every comment.

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