It's Curtains For You...

See the above image. It's a scan of the packaging insert from a Martha Stewart Everyday Collection 100% Cotton Shower Curtain that originally sold at Kmart for around $30. I purchased two for $3.99 each at a sell out place, but this post isn't about where to buy it. It is a post about what to do with it and other fabric items you come across. With a little imagine and effort you can salvage fabrics from shower curtains, bed spreads, sheets and even garments and use it to create original and individual home decorations often for a fraction of the cost a yard of upholstrey weight fabrics would cost you.

With an additional yard of black cotton I converted one 70" x 72" shower curtain into 3 pair of cafe style curtains. See Photo above. FYI, the top area of the windows are still pretty bare because I can't decide if I should make Roman shades or ignore the shade thing all together and either frame the curtains with long thin cotton drapes that would close for privacy or make an upper bank curtains. Given time the answer will come.

When I held this fairly good quality fabric in my hands all sorts of items flashed in my head, but first and foremost were these curtains. After finishing them I realized I wanted to have more of the print decorating the room. I considered making pillows, but that was too obvious, or using an additional bit of fabric to sew a bed skirt, but I am still in love the one black and white scroll patterned one I made a few months ago. I let the 2nd curtain I purchased sit for about a week and mulled over the possibilities. After a few days it hit me. I am currently using the 2nd shower curtain to re-work the solid black fabric covered headboaord I made late last year.

This home-made headboard attachs to the wall behind my queen sized bed. It's frame is simple, just 4 heavy duty canvas stretchers from the art supply store, padded with cotton batting from a fabric store and top layered with heavy cotton muslin to create a smooth surface before the actual patterned fabric is attached. I used a heavy duty staple gun to secure the stretchers to each other and attach the batting and then cloth. I am now in the process of making solid fuschia colored self covered buttons that will attach to the middle of each circle in the pattern to create a quilted effect. Pictures may or may not follow but I am hoping that you will be inspired to look at things that are on sell out, give away and side walk sale tables with a fresh recycling eye and see the luxurious possibilities within your reach.

JUST IN -

If you're not at a place where you are OK with taking a chance and just cutting and sewing fabric to make things McCalls Patterns is having a sale for the next 3 days, Thursday, June 11th, through Saturday, June 13th. All patterns, with exception of out of print patterns, are $4.99 plus shipping, that's more 71% off in most cases.

Check out their home decorating pattern area for inspiration
http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/home_decorating/page-1