Faux Roman Shades

I spent much of my Saturday confronting my sewing fears in an effort to construct some faux roman shades for my basement.  I was hoping for a fresh start with sewing, as the last time I used it, I ended up putting it away and going the no-sew route. (A jamming machine and bent needles will do that to you!)



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Remember my no sew, all-faux roman shades?  Yeah, those were calling my name at one point during this process.

This fresh start didn't start out so fresh.  We're talking Groundhog Day.  I swear, the World of Sewing is like a foreign land to me.  Complete with its own language and everything.  Bobbins, bias and selvage edges.  Say what?

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Even the sewing machine has its own hieroglyphics.  See them?  Right along the top.

But I refused to give in and accept defeat.  I googled my way through it and adjusted my thread tension and my stitch length (see, I'm picking up the language - like Rosetta Stone for sewing), and was rewarded. 

A small reward, but a big victory.  I'll share my method (when I figure out what it is).

Yes, that's one faux roman shade.  But it's lined.  I'm still tweaking my technique and how I am going to work the remaining windows, and I think it will get easier as I go along.  Actually, I might even be able to rig this faux roman shade into two faux roman shades.  It's actually much longer than it looks.  More to come...

So, are you completely intimidated by sewing, or are you a sewing whiz?  Any tips for rookies like me?  

Faux-man Shades

I saw this name for faux roman shades used by another blogger, and loved it, since it's so clever and appropriate.  I decided to buy the fabric that matches my beloved TJ Maxx throw pillows and go for the faux roman shade look for our basement windows.

And this is where I stand in the progress department.  I cut my fabric for my first shade, and I'm embarrassed to tell you how long that took.  That's the thing about sewing, it's so ... precise.  And I'm so not precise.

At this point, I decided to call it a day, since things were starting to get chaotic around the house, and I can't sew in chaos.  I'm hoping to make some progress on these this weekend.  You know, when it's less chaotic.

Reclaimed Wood: Beautiful and Whimsical

I know reclaimed wood is a big thing these days, and for good reason, right? I mean, hello? It’s gorgeous! But would you take a look at these fun and beautiful reclaimed barn wood pieces that I saw at an antique store on my weekend sans kids? I’m a smitten kitten!

This island had me at hello. Oh my goodness – even though I have absolutely no place for it in my home, I was dreaming about how amazing it would be in someone’s farmhouse kitchen. And I suspect it will be in someone’s kitchen soon, because it was sold – for $975 – quite a deal, if you ask me.  What you can't tell from this photo is that the other side of the island also has open shelving on the opposite corner.  Apparently a local woodworker made it and takes special orders…

I'm thinking if this had some open space for a stool, it would be perfect in a craft or sewing room.

Here is another one of his pieces. I love the criss-cross applesauce design for the table legs and it’s such a solid piece too. Not to mention the color is just beautiful.

And then there are these fun pieces. I just couldn’t stop looking at them – great eye-catching statement pieces that are fun and whimsical all at once. They could be replicated by a DIYer with a different animal or object that fit your decorating style.  I have something in mind that I want to try...

They had one that was a turtle that was SO CUTE.  Perfect for a kid's room or a even a bathroom.  I thought I had taken a picture of it, but evidently not.

Are you equally smitten with using reclaimed wood in your home in some way, shape or form?

Banded Drapes in MY Dining Room

Hello!

Well friends, my long awaited Etsy drapes have finally arrived from Avec Dieu Couture's Etsy shop, and I am in love!  I have to tell you, after receiving these drapes in the mail and admiring the professional look and feel, I am so glad that I didn't attempt these myself.  There is a time and a place for everything, but it was not my time to try to do these myself.  Worth. every. penny. 

Especially when I think about the inevitable frustration (and subsequent cursing) that I would have experienced in my sewing attempt.

So, let's get on with the good stuff, shall we?

I opted to have them lined, and I'm so glad I did.  They're very substantial and have a high-quality feel.

I also had her add a header that would allow for drapery clips.  I learned a new (professional) way to hang draperies.  I used drapery hooks that are hooked in to the header and then hook in to the eyelet in the drapery rings I purchased. 

Not my drapes, but same technique

I know, new terminology and techniques for me too.

The best part about getting these drapes installed is that my dining room is finally starting to resemble my inspiration room. Well, my version of my inspiration room.  Now I need to get my husband's buy-in on a new chandy...  And a rug!  I have been searching high and low for a striped rug that will fit the bill (and isn't too spendy)!

Source: inspirationfordecoration.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Have you ever scored a great purchase on Etsy?  I couldn't be happier!

Linking up to:

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesday
The Vintage Farmhouse - Creative Things Thursday

Window Treatment Wonderland

Happy Friday!

It feels a little bit like Christmas here today, because my new banded drapes for my dining room finally arrived!  They. are. gorgeous.  I cannot wait to hang them and show you!  For now, a little sneak peek. 

Since I painted the media/gaming space in the basement, I have been on a roll, and want to ride this wave while I have the focus.  As I told you earlier this week, I was able to shop sans kids last weekend, and found some fabric that drew me in for my basement window coverings.  After two trips to the fabric store in as many days, I chose this beautiful Suzani print.

This gives you an idea of the process I went through to arrive at this choice.  I took this pillow cover from the media room with me, along with paint swatches galore.

At first, I was thinking maybe a stripe was the way to go, but when I got home and looked at the space, the stripes just seemed kind of boring, and I find myself really drawn to all of the great graphic prints that are out there now.

As a reminder, here is the space as it stands in a state of cleanliness.  I can assure you this is an old picture, and it is a toy/play/summer explosion down there right now.

Wow, it sure looks nice when it's all clean...  You almost don't even notice the Tommy Bahama window treatments that I have down there.

Of course Mother Nature has a sense of humor, and while I was in Hobby Lobby tonight, I stumbled upon this:

Yes, that would be the very same fabric as my inspiration pillows!  Yep, there it is.  You can see the windows that I'm working on in the background of this photo.  Having that fabric would be a really nice way to tie together the spaces, don't you think?  Although I don't think my husband would appreciate my rationalization...

And to add insult to injury, the fabric was on sale.  Of course.

Regardless of the fabric choice, I'm debating on whether to do a faux roman shade like I did in my breakfast room, or try and deconstruct the window treatments that are up there now, and use them as a pattern for new ones.  The faux roman shades are tempting though...

So, wise readers - what do you think?  Which fabric do you like best?  Any preference on window treatment styles?  Faux Roman shade or deconstructed valance?

When the Kids are Away, the Mom Will Play

Hello friends!

I hope you had a marvelous weekend. Mine was great, and very non-typical in that my parents took all THREE of the kids to visit my grandmother for the weekend, giving me and my husband an entire weekend at home.  By ourselves.  When I told other people (especially parents) about it, their eyes would go wide as if to say, how on earth did you hit that parental jackpot?  Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, and the house is way (too) quiet when they’re gone.  But to have a weekend to do whatever we wanted was a little slice of heaven!

So, what did we do?  The things we can’t typically do when our weekends are consumed with kid activities. We lived like we did pre-kids.  We went to two movies, out to dinner, and we even went to a non-kid party.  And, I went shopping on both Saturday and Sunday.  Not grocery shopping - real shopping.  I forgot how exhausting shopping can be when you have no constraints and can take a day (or two) and just GO.  But boy, was it fun.

I hit my favorite fabric store in search of fabrics for my basement window treatments.  Let me just tell you that this place, The Fabric Shack, is a fabric wonderland. It’s huge with all sorts of amazing fabrics to choose from, and it can be overwhelming.

The good news is that I found a fabric that I'm going to use in the basement!  More on that soon. 

In addition to the Fabric Shack, I was able to go to some of my other favorite places.  I hit the Ballard Outlet and the Frontgate Outlet while I was out.  Some great goodies out there for sure.

A fun table with a yardstick top - could be a fun DIY project from a thrift store table, don't you think?

Loved this canvas map artwork.

 And the yummy lighting...

Especially this one - I think it would look fab in my dining room, since it has that look I'm going for in that space.  Still trying to convince my husband that the lighting needs to be changed...  But the price was good - $152.

Lots o' stools...

Frontgate is right across from Ballard, so I always go in to see what they have.  We got a steal of a deal on our Christmas tree at the Frontgate Outlet, so you never know what you'll find.

I am loving this outdoor furniture - the style, the fabrics, and the comfy factor.

And this set up was just plain pretty.  I don't know how I would feel about the table from a functionality standpoint, but it sure looks nice.   And the curved banquette seating was really sharp.

More to come!!  I saw some great things this weekend that have my DIY wheels turning!
What would you do with a weekend at home, entirely to yourself?  Would you go crazy and do things you normally don't do?  Would you tackle some projects with quiet, uninterrupted time? 

I feel a bit like a hummingbird with ADD when I have all of that free time - I just don't know where to begin, and have a hard time deciding what to do since we're always so busy with every day life!

Basement Reveal

Hello!

I have been giving you sneak peeks and snippets about what I'm doing with my basement media space, and while I still have more I want to do, I figured a reveal was in order.  After all, no space is really ever "done" is it?  Well, not in my house anyway...

You all provided some great input on how to manage some of my design dilemmas, and overall, I'm really happy with the way it looks.  I wanted to go with a deep color on the walls, since this is a big gaming/movie watching space, and the dark walls definitely work in that sense. 

So, let's get started!  Here is a shot of the space as it stands now.  The wall color is Aegean Teal by Benjamin Moore.

Here you can see my addition of my equestrian art (aka - horse picture).  It really works beautifully down here!  Even though my 13 year-old son called it "girly".  Whatever.  And the throw pillows really punch up the space nicely, and my new lamp found a home down here as well.  All great finds from TJ Maxx.  

The only thing I want to change (right now) is the ottoman.  It has seen better days.  It was a find from the Ballard Outlet - covered in burlap.  But alas, the burlap tears easily, and I ended up ripping the fabric off the top since it was looking so pathetic.  I would love to slipcover it to look something like this:

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Seriously, could this ottoman be any more perfect for my basement?  I. love. it.  I'm hoping I can convince my uber-talented mother to sew something like this for me in slipcover fashion.  Or maybe take it to get it reupholstered. 

Or something like this - such a fun and happy looking pattern.

Source: justblueandgreen.com via Jenny on Pinterest

The side table next to my sofa is actually a wine rack.  Works really well in the narrow space I have to work with here.  (And yes, that's Ryan Lochte on the tv - Olympic recaps happening as I'm snapping photos).

Again with my girly horse picture.  Can't resist showcasing how well it works down here.

That's my mom cave back there on the right.  I'm thinking that my pink spray painted iron work would look really cool above the chair in a different color.  White?  Green?

Below you can see why I opted to keep the panels surrounding the big screen in their natural state.  See the woodwork?  Keeping them as-is, keeps it all consistent.

Exhibit B for my case in keeping the panels neutral.  That's how the bar area is as well.

Me likey.

So, here is a before and after shot, so you can really see all of the changes that have taken place in this room.

Linking up to:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesday Treasures

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesday

Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt it Friday

Shine Your Light - Before and After Party