I made these curtains over the weekend. On Saturday they were 14 1/4″ long. Greg came down the stairs after I put them up and said “hmmm, little short?” I was thinking the same thing but having someone else confirm that they were in fact too short was all I needed to fix the problem. They all came down Sunday morning. I ripped out the top hanging seam and made the finished curtain 16″ long. As Goldilocks would say, just right.
I’m blessed to be married to someone with an incredible eye. The downside is that he often forgets that sometimes it’s just better to lie.
The curtains were inspired by a broken refrigerator. Friday evening we finally gave in and admitted something was wrong when the ice cream was dripping down to shelf #3. After unplugging and cleaning the fridge spotless the rest of the kitchen looked a bit dowdy. I made the curtains. Then I cleaned the windows because they just weren’t doing the curtains justice. Then the woodwork looked a bit splattered and needed a scrubbing. And, man oh man, that range hood was scary. By Sunday evening the whole room was cleaner than any of us could ever remember.
Here’s a picture because it will never look this good again and I want to remember what it could be if only I had a staff:
Old curtains:
Project details:
- 16″ long curtain for a 48″ long window. Is there some rule about 1/3 the size when making cafe style curtains? I really do think the size is just perfect.
- 3 yards of Amy Butler Lotus decorator weight cotton for the top tier. I’ve had this fabric forever and am very excited I finally made it up.
- Moda’s Urban Chicks for the 2nd tier, 1″ band. I realized after putting them up you can see bird parts like feet and heads and tails. I love watching the robins out my kitchen windows. One of those little surprise treats I didn’t think about when I chose the fabric.
- 3″ band of a Japanese print from Superbuzzy on the bottom tier. I’ve used all the green and now all the blue. I really should have a bought a bolt of each.
- An up close, detail shot of the curtain on Flickr.
Let’s hope the curtain excitement will sustain me until the repair guy comes.
Just lovely! They really make you kitchen pop! It is amazing what a little detail like curtains does for a room. Yours looks beautiful. Sooooo, when is brunch?? :O)
Wow, what a perfectly lovely kitchen. The new curtains are the perfect touch.
Your kitchen is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G……..
The curtains look fabulous! And I’ve been meaning to gush over the table runner you made as well…. simply gorgeous!
xx
I absolutely love the curtains. Just the right amount of color to really brighten up the room. And your kitchen is fantastic!!
Your kitchen is just incredible, made more so by those beautiful curtains. Way to go! I also loved your runner… You have such an impeccable eye.
Your kitchen is perfect! It looks like from a magazine. And the curtains are lovely. What a wonderful combination of fabrics.
You have done a beautiful job as always, and that oven! Covet it. Covet it a great deal.
I have kitchen envy… our 2 yo made a lovely mess of our kitchen today… love the curtains
They’re just beautiful! When I first saw the photo I assumed that the banding was in the fabric design since it looks so right. You did a fantastic job and they look perfect in your kitchen! Hope your fridge is feeling better soon!
who would have thought that small curtains would make such a difference? it’s your choice of print that really makes the difference. oh, and i’m totally internets stalking your kitchen. robiewankenobie + your kitchen = true love.
Your curtains are beautiful and so is your kitchen!!
The kitchen looks fabulous. I know what you mean about having staff.
I just stumbled upon your blog a couple weeks ago and I love your projects! I’ve just started sewing and quilting and I get inspired by so much of what you make! I love your curtains especially. They look so good, but they sound so easy to make! I need to attempt to make some immediately…
I love the colors in those curtains, and GASP!, your kitchen is huge!!
So lovely (can you tell I’m a little jealous?!)
Terrific kitchen! Terrific curtains! I have been wanting that same Amy Butler fabric, and you put it to perfect use.
Those curtains really are the perfect touch…
Wow. If I agree to be your staff, can I come move into your kitchen? I make a mean orzo salad, and can polish up the stainless real nice
Hmm, and to think I was perfectly pleased with the basic structure of my kitchen…until I saw yours! Oh my goodness, what a wonderful place you have there! The curtains look great, and thanks for sharing because I’m running low on window treatment inspiration and still have two rooms in dire need of some sprucing.
WOW! Your kitchen is amazing!!
I agree with everyone else- your kitchen is totally amazing! The curtains are beautiful. I just made a little list of things that need getting done in my house, and most of the rooms need either a cornice or curtains made. They make a huge difference. Yours are beautiful- I love the combinations of fabrics. You have a great eye, like your husband!
Curtains? Yes, nice, whatever.
I’m too busy oogling over your kitchen!
Wow, what a nice and huge kitchen and só clean! What a funny story. I think I’ll make curtains for my studio, that is, when the result of it is cleaning the whole place… Do you have other rooms who need new curtains?
your kitchen is gigantic and gorgeous!
i love your curtains!
To add to the chorus … your new curtains look great! Perfect mix if Craftsman and mod to bring together your beams and lighting with the stainless.
I know exactly what you mean about cleaning like that. After I last detailed our kitchen I took photos too. Enjoy!
Lovely curtains! And what a lovely kitchen you have. I’m SO jealous of that range!
Love the kitchen and the curtains are beautiful! I envy your kitchen!
OMG, your kitchen is gorgeous! Those curtains are a lovely addition, but it was beautiful to begin with.
Well with a kitchen like that any curtains would be lovely! I’M GREEN, PEA GREEN WITH ENVY.
It would be nice to have a staff!! You truely have a wonderful kitchen, and I love the curtains, makes the room look fresh. Amy has wonderful ,there’s no question about that!!!
Have a wonderful week…. :O) I’m off to se Harry Potter ;O)
You have my dream kitchen…I think it is the size of my entire apartment!
Love the curtains — and the whole darn kitchen for that matter! I’ve been meaning to make some kitchen curtains for months now — must get my act together! You’ve inspired me!
uhm, your kitchen is gorgeous! the curtains are adorable. can i be you?
Lovely curtains–the lotus fabric is gorgeous–and wow, your kitchen is incredible! I’m going to forget I ever saw it now so that I’ll be able to reenter my teeny galley kitchen this evening without hating it. I love my klitchen. I love my kitchen. I love my kitchen….
How did my dream kitchen end up in your house?
The kitchen fairies went to the wrong address, I’m afraid.
Lovely curtains!
Very nice! Love the curtains… love the kitchen!
Beautiful curtains. Beautiful kitchen.
It truly looks like a House Beautiful photo shoot.
a) I love reading your blog. Yours, along with the blogging of other crafty queens inspired me to start my own recently.
b) your snowballing kitchen project story sounds a little like the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!
c) fabulous kitchen!
Ok. Trying not to be the green eyed monster here when it comes to you kitchen.
. What a beautiful kitchen you have there!! WOW! And the curtains you made are just as beautiful.
Have a great day!
Beautiful curtains, beautiful kitchen!
I’m moving in, broken refrigerator or not.
SO BEAUTIFUL.
Just right for sure.
You have the beautifulest kitchen ever! And yes, beautifulest is a word. The curtains are just perfect. I’m mentally going through the house wondering where I can put something like this. Nice, nice job.
I agree, when the lemon icys in the freezer slosh, it’s time for a new fridge…as we found out 2 weeks ago. I could live in your kitchen too!
Beautiful! Most of my deep cleaning is the result of an explosion/mishap, or I lose/misplace something that I can’t live without. Enjoy the clean kitchen. Good luck on the fridge.
Try the yellow microfiber cloths from Costco – in the automobile section. I have the same stove (do you find it as much of a pain to clean as I do?) and I wipe it down with those – they are like a miracle invention in my opinion. I use them for everything! And oh yeah – the curtains are awesome, just like everything you make!
It looks beautiful. You know I had people over last week and my house was a MESS, and we all lived… but now I want to have a clean house. Maybe we could share a staff? They’d get the benefits of country life and city life, and, um, of sleeping on the floor everywhere.
What a beautiful kitchen. The new curtains look lovely – much nicer than the old ones.
Your kitchen looks amazing – it has to be nice to have so much room to move around. The curtains look great.
LOVE the curtains! You are so talented, and your kitchen is so beautiful!
your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL!
Fabulous, I’m inspired by your work, once again.