These are the curtains that are slightly too long. Those that are too short are HALF this size. Embarrassing.
My college professor and mentor, Merrie Sue, told me that my desire to sew is a part of “nesting.” The fact that I want to plant a garden, make my own food and sew are all a natural part of growing older and making a home. That’s comforting to know and she thinks it’s great, as her own children are going through the same thing.
As excited as I was to create my own curtain design for our badly-in-need-of-an-update, stuck-in-the-sixties-from-the-last-owners master bedroom, I had been putting off buying all the fabric for it. I had already been to the fabric store once, where I bought samples of four fabrics – I didn’t want to take any chances. If I was going to invest in the fabric, it had to be the right fabric.
There’s something I am hesitant to tell you – I made curtains for the two kitchen windows but one is too long and the other two short. I still put them up because I’m stubborn and it took me forever to get them done during my refresher course in sewing, which involved battling with nylon thread and the machine’s tension.
I used thermal backing on the curtains and I felt pretty proud. No one has noticed the varying lengths, and if they have, they haven’t said anything. I think that will be considered the practice run. I should probably fix them before someone reads this and comes over to see my sewing disaster.
Now you see why I’m scared to take on an even larger project, but, like I said, I am stubborn and determined enough to be dangerous.
One day after too much caffeine, I felt bold enough to tackle this shopping assignment. I rolled into the parking of the fabric store, armed with a sticky note and measurements scrawled out with a fine tip Sharpie. I took a few deep breaths and entered the warehouse-like building and I walked out with so much fabric they put it back on the rolls for me. My anxious feelings were replaced by empowerment as I felt artsy and creative.
I hauled my purchases into the house and piled them next to the sewing machine. That’s when it set in that I actually have to sew these curtains. I am prepared – I think.
As a warm up, I patched a pair of pants and performed surgery on three of my dog’s torn up stuffed toys. He waited patiently for his bear to get a patch sewn on its back and once it was done, he tried to kill it for the fifteenth time.
This week, I plan to lay out the fabric and even make a few cuts. Next week I’ll probably pin it together and maybe even sew a little. Given my self-diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I am actually hoping to have all of those steps completed in one day. Maybe another day of “too much caffeine” is in order, since that’s how I got here in the first place.
Merrie Sue thinks this nesting business is a good thing. Maybe she should take a look at the kitchen curtains.
Nesting is nurturing and you’re a champ at both. It’s fun to mark these milestones in the “growing up” process. You become your own and your home becomes you.