Frilly curtains fixed!

[JoceAndChris]

From this:

To this:

I must confess that, lacking Nigel's endless patience and skill, I got Mum to sort them out. She was a bit shocked at what had happened to my measuring on that day, and found a discrepancy of about a foot between the size of the lining and the top fabric. Never mind, aren't Mums fab?

 

[Nigel Watts]

Great result and clever solution for a potentially difficult window. Pale blue/pink is a good combination. Was thinking of this for my bedroom colour scheme, but have moved in the cobalt/raspberry direction and am looking for examples from which to get some inspiration. It has occurred to me that there may be a good reason why I havnt found any yet!

 

[LadyArowana]

Congratulations Joce's Mum! she has done a nice job. Today must be a feng shui curtain day as I was also out and about on drapery doings. Had to deliver the spare material to the people that will make the pelmet for the bedroom. I know it's shameful not to have been labouring over it myslef, but I don't have enough tools here.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, it's not shameful at all!

Here's Hilaire Belloc on the subject of DIY

"Lord Finchley tried to mend the Electric Light
Himself. It struck him dead: And serve him right!
It is the business of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan. "


However, if there's a real interest and skill - as with Nigel and my Mum, it can be very rewarding, and the end result beautiful. (My mum loves your curtains too Nigel) Personally, I feel I've stitched my last pair. (The ones in the top piccie)

It was an interesting journey of discovery with the hallway curtains. First of all I thought I'd make them myself, but I lack experience with swags and tails, and I was dreading it. Then I thought I'd have them made, but the quote was a prohibitive £1400. Then I found that I could achieve what I wanted by buying Laura Ashley silk ready-made, attaching a trim to make them less plain, and having a local lady make the swagses and tailses in the matching Laura Ashley fabric. (quote = £200 for that making up, total cost £550) I'm still waiting for it all to be finished off.

Cobalt and raspberry sounds adorable Nigel. What do you think of the sumptuous Designers Guild fabrics - too modern for you? This one is striking:

http://www.designersguild.com/fabric-and-wallpaper-showroom/all-collections/ariana-fabric/ariana/ariana-raspberry/

 

[LadyArowana]

I feel better now, I shall put it down to helping the economic recovery rather than laziness. That DG fabric is lovely, but I do have an issue with what they put next to "product use"

and

flags and chopstick wrappers maybe !

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Love the curtains Joce, just right for that window.

 

[Penners]

Cobalt and raspberry

But which cobalt? The isotope cobalt 60 has a half life of 5.27 years - sounds like a recipe for radioactive raspberries to me.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Very clever, Joce - just get Mum to rebuild the house so the window fits the curtain...

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I feel better now, I shall put it down to helping the economic recovery rather than laziness. That DG fabric is lovely, but I do have an issue with what they put next to "product use"

and

flags and chopstick wrappers maybe !

I thought it was obvious M'Lady. That fabric is suitable for making parachutes and ruck sacks*.

(and rucksacks or rucksacs and rucsacks)

 

[LadyArowana]

I thought it was obvious M'Lady. That fabric is suitable for making parachutes and ruck sacks*.

(and rucksacks or rucksacs and rucsacks)

:lol: :lol: :lol: If we were in the US their corporate lawyer would see that and have a fit about potential product liability!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I wouldn't put it past Joce to have a rucksack in a fabric like that! 8)

 

[Nigel Watts]

What do you think of the sumptuous Designers Guild fabrics - too modern for you? This one is striking:

http://www.designersguild.com/fabric-and-wallpaper-showroom/all-collections/ariana-fabric/ariana/ariana-raspberry/

I agree - will look out for it next time I'm in Liberty's. Cant understand what it is made of - cotton and silk?

I certainly agree with the senitment that it is the duty of the wealthy to employ artisans, but my favorite Belloc quotation (I assume it was he) is:

John Vavasour de Quentin Jones
Was very fond of throwing stones
Like many of the Upper Class
He liked the Sound of Broken Glass

Could be the motto of the Bullingdon perhaps?

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: A perfect Ode for members of the Bullingdon club.

Se is "seta" - silk. This is interesting: http://www.ehaberdasher.com/images/fiber_code.jpg

I wouldn't put it past Joce to have a rucksack in a fabric like that! 8)

Darling,a rucksack?? I've never allowed one in the house, of course. Mulberry handbags, or nothing.

Very clever, Joce - just get Mum to rebuild the house so the window fits the curtain...

:lol: And didn't she do a nice job with the fake worm-eaten beams?

 

[Penners]

Darling,a rucksack?? I've never allowed one in the house, of course.

Not even......?

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: How lovely of you to find me a King Midas rucksack, but I'm afraid even that won't do. Where are the frills?

But I never told you why these curtains are so important, and I'm sure you're all dying to know! My King Suro incubator arrived today (apparently King Suro hatched out of an egg), and this little bedoom must have the curtains drawn at night so the sweet hatchlings can lay their fluffy heads on their breasts and go to sleep. Yes, the top bedroom will be my hatchery, and the first two weeks of life the chicks will hop about on a polythene covered bed, in a room that's wonderfully warm in summer.

The incubator can also be used for zoo birds, game, and ornamental garden birds. Anyone fancy a golden pheasant, or a parrot?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Yes, the top bedroom will be my hatchery, and the first two weeks of life the chicks will hop about on a polythene covered bed, in a room that's wonderfully warm in summer.

And correspondingly freezing in winter (remember Dear Maud's "snug"), but if it's only in the spring and summer that'll be fine. Will you be herding them downstairs and out into the garden?

The incubator can also be used for zoo birds, game, and ornamental garden birds. Anyone fancy a golden pheasant, or a parrot?

Ooh, a parrot, called Hawksmoor, please.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Grr, you've lost me with your parot called Hawksmoor, though I've looked all overthe World Wide Web. Something to do with Flaubert?

I've wanted a talking parrot my whole life.

Yes, they can't stay in the top bedroom - surely if I breed them in sufficient quantities some must survive all the predators in the garden.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I'd quite like a cat called Vanbrugh and a parrot called Hawksmoor (or perhaps vice-versa), that's all.

 

[JoceAndChris]

But I thought you were on the dogs' side? Glad you like both, me too!

I understand your names now, ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Hawksmoor )and will make you a lovely blue and green parrot who understands architectural terms and quotes Molesworth and Betjeman.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

this little bedoom must have the curtains drawn at night so the sweet hatchlings can lay their fluffy heads on their breasts and go to sleep. Yes, the top bedroom will be my hatchery, and the first two weeks of life the chicks will hop about on a polythene covered bed, in a room that's wonderfully warm in summer.

I think you may finally have flipped! Does Chris know? I watched "Hotel for dogs" with the kids the other night - and couldn't stop thinking it was the kind of thing you'd do! Now I hear you're turning the top bedroom into a nursery for chickens....

Seriously though - have you checked out the potential health hazards? Although small, if you let them out to roam on the bed, etc, they will poo and make dust and mess. This will travel through the house one way or another.