Remember the quilt-style curtains I was making for the kitchen?
They're done and in the windows!
They have been for weeks, actually, but I only recently took a few photos for "show and tell".
The main attraction curtain is basically a doll-size mini-quilt-- a rectangle to go in the window of the kitchen door.
I chose to make a carpenter's star (sometimes called "carpenter star", without the possessive) as the focal point, with a simple chevron for the bottom edge and a row of random half-square triangles along the top.
The fabrics are a selection of greens and deep blue-greens as the darks and a white-on-white print for the lights. I made a scrappy binding (my first!) from a handful of the same fabrics.
The backing is just leftovers from a pale cream sheet I had on hand. White might've been a more ideal choice, but you'll never see the two sides at the same time, so this is fine.
The batting is 100% polyester leftover from a quilt, and the quilting is extremely simple-- just straight vertical lines on either side of the seams. That was enough to give it a little poof and texture.
I also made a small valance for the window over the sink (the only other window in the kitchen that has/needs curtains). I used the same fabrics for this second curtain, except that I substituted a different white-on-white print for part of it (because I was running out of the first fabric).
The valance is a very simple arrangement of half-square triangles. I think I would've preferred the looks of another band of chevron (like on the bottom of the door curtain), but that would've require more HSTs, and I just wanted it done, at that point. It's fine-- though it did turn out very slightly narrower than I was planning. (Oops...)
I didn't include loops or ties on either curtain. The hanging rings come with alligator clips, and those seem to be working well. (However, the hanging rings don't match the finish of the curtain rod on the door, so I'll probably eventually try to paint the rod a darker color. That would match the door hardware better, too.)
My seams don't all match up perfectly (as is especially obvious on the valance), but I think it's good enough to count as a success. I do love the looks of the carpenter's star and would be happy to use it again, sometime.
So, there they are! Quilt-style curtains. I'm not sure I'll ever want to make them for any other part of the house, but at least I gave it a try, and I like the panel on the door well enough that I can imagine making a few for that window (but probably not matching valances) to trade out as the seasons change.
When the sun comes through (not much, because it is a shaded north-facing window), it lights the fabric up like stained glass-- which is pretty, but also makes it glaringly obvious that my seam allowances accidentally got folded in the wrong direction in a couple of spots, sometime during the process.
But on the whole, it's good. I like it! :o)
They're done and in the windows!
They have been for weeks, actually, but I only recently took a few photos for "show and tell".
The main attraction curtain is basically a doll-size mini-quilt-- a rectangle to go in the window of the kitchen door.
I chose to make a carpenter's star (sometimes called "carpenter star", without the possessive) as the focal point, with a simple chevron for the bottom edge and a row of random half-square triangles along the top.
The fabrics are a selection of greens and deep blue-greens as the darks and a white-on-white print for the lights. I made a scrappy binding (my first!) from a handful of the same fabrics.
The backing is just leftovers from a pale cream sheet I had on hand. White might've been a more ideal choice, but you'll never see the two sides at the same time, so this is fine.
The batting is 100% polyester leftover from a quilt, and the quilting is extremely simple-- just straight vertical lines on either side of the seams. That was enough to give it a little poof and texture.
I also made a small valance for the window over the sink (the only other window in the kitchen that has/needs curtains). I used the same fabrics for this second curtain, except that I substituted a different white-on-white print for part of it (because I was running out of the first fabric).
The valance is a very simple arrangement of half-square triangles. I think I would've preferred the looks of another band of chevron (like on the bottom of the door curtain), but that would've require more HSTs, and I just wanted it done, at that point. It's fine-- though it did turn out very slightly narrower than I was planning. (Oops...)
I didn't include loops or ties on either curtain. The hanging rings come with alligator clips, and those seem to be working well. (However, the hanging rings don't match the finish of the curtain rod on the door, so I'll probably eventually try to paint the rod a darker color. That would match the door hardware better, too.)
My seams don't all match up perfectly (as is especially obvious on the valance), but I think it's good enough to count as a success. I do love the looks of the carpenter's star and would be happy to use it again, sometime.
So, there they are! Quilt-style curtains. I'm not sure I'll ever want to make them for any other part of the house, but at least I gave it a try, and I like the panel on the door well enough that I can imagine making a few for that window (but probably not matching valances) to trade out as the seasons change.
When the sun comes through (not much, because it is a shaded north-facing window), it lights the fabric up like stained glass-- which is pretty, but also makes it glaringly obvious that my seam allowances accidentally got folded in the wrong direction in a couple of spots, sometime during the process.
But on the whole, it's good. I like it! :o)