Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A slow day in the fast lane

4-21-09 sewing brain

So Saturday Greg and I woke to a warm but rainy morning and we were inspired to do spring cleaning at the KC house. Not that the KC house was all that dirty since we did deep cleaning last month when we moved in. However, we finally got around to taking down all the curtains to launder. Greg was very helpful at ironing them since I had started another project. I was determined to sew some new curtains for the front family room window.
Being the creative type, I found two table clothes and a bed sheet on sale at TJ Max which I liked and could envision as cute curtains. Here I have them laid out on the floor, my only work space. I was distracted at one point with the sound of laughing children outside.




I had to smile when I saw the kids across the street outside playing in the rain. My sister and I loved doing this when we were kids so it was nice to see this was not a lost art. Sorry the photo is not clear since it was taken through the window I was making the curtains for.

I had traveled to KC this trip with my portable sewing machine hoping for time to work on the curtain project. Speaking of another lost art- does anyone still sew? I grew up with a mother who sewed and thus I started to learn at age 11 when I joined 4-H. During high-school many of my friends and I sewed our own clothes but mostly now at this stage of my life I only do pillows and curtains. I have always believed that learning the art of sewing helped develop my brain. Learning to use patterns, taking pieces of fabric, visualizing and constructing into a final wearable garment is great at building many skills useful in life. It also taught me focus and enjoyment of completing a project.

My curtain project was slow going at first, after I changed my mind mid stream as to what type of curtains I would make. I ended up with “tabs” at the top to match the other curtains in the room. My final project- "shabby chic" curtains turned out well and seems to fit perfect in this room, which at the moment is still totally empty.


5 comments:

  1. Happy to hear about your sewing adventures. Anytime I sew, I hear my home ec teacher in my ear! We made homecoming dresses back then. Now I also stick to pillows, blankets, and repairs. I haven't tackled a pattern in a long time, but did at one time create garters for Longaberger baskets without a pattern. Your curtains look great! I love the design. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love paisley! (hope that's what the pattern is) :) Anyway, it must be our generation... my parents sent me to the Singer Sewing Store in downtown DSM as a young girl for sewing lessons! I used to make my girls' clothes when they were little. Now I'm just getting back into sewing and your post just makes me want to not work today and work on my latest project (soon to be seen in a post on my blog)!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lori and Renee, so far you have proved my theory correct that sewing is good learning for the brain, since both of you have bright minds. Yes they are a paisley yellowish-greenish in color.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I sewed as a teenager. I think most Boomers did. We had to. I never liked it although I'm going to try quilting thanks to a gift from a visiting friend and that will require getting out the sewing machine.

    I loved playing in the rain too as a child.

    Sweet images...nice curtains!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I learned to sew through 4-H and my mother also. Unfortunately, my home economics teacher in junior high made me dislike sewing. Now I don't even have a machine! I am quite impressed with your tab curtains - wow!

    ReplyDelete