I decided it was time to get some valences done to match a bedspread in my oldest son's room, AKA the guest room (now that he's gone off to college!).
I'm not entirely happy with them--they are a bit blah, but at least they are a good start. I am planning to raise them up a bit, change from the run-of-the-mill curtain rod to a pretty, decorative rod (can you tell that these are double window--there is a small window on top the regular, larger windows) and also add some sort of ribbon or trim.
I wanted to make scallops of the white cotton--in order to show the blue band that I cut off the bedskirt. The bedskirt came with the bedspread and the pillow shams--but I didn't use the bedskirt on the bed--instead I'm cutting it up for curtains!
So here's what I used for a scallop template--my cutting board!
Many thanks to the Sewing Success Blog for help with the directions to make my scallops:
http://1ststeptosewingsuccess.blogspot.com/2007/07/sewing-technique-how-to-sew-perfect.htmlThen here's the cardboard template for the scallops:
I sewed two layers of white cotton together on 3 sides (two sides and the soon-to-be scallop side) and then traced off my scallops with a disappearing ink pen--pinning the two layers together carefully along the marked-off scallops:
Then I sewed--with a tiny stitch!--along the traced lines, following the directions to turn the corners (using two stitches across the turn) and then trimming/clipping carefully.
Then I sewed--with a tiny stitch!--along the traced lines, following the directions to turn the corners (using two stitches across the turn) and then trimming/clipping carefully.
I turned the scallops right side out and ironed everything flat as a pancake.
I then took the border print, which I had stitched to white muslin cut and hemmed on all sides to the correct size
, 
and pinned this piece to the scallops just right so the border peeks through the scallops just so:
Then, I sewed the top casing, using the scalloped piece for the front and the border piece for the back side of the casing. I made quick and easy "guides" using ribbon and tape:
...so that my stitching lines would be nice and even! I just can't eyeball it well enough. It's just a bit of ribbon and some scotch tape. If you don't leave the tape on long--just while you are sewing your casing for the curtain rod--your machine won't get sticky glue on it.
...so that my stitching lines would be nice and even! I just can't eyeball it well enough. It's just a bit of ribbon and some scotch tape. If you don't leave the tape on long--just while you are sewing your casing for the curtain rod--your machine won't get sticky glue on it.
I'll let you see when I 'really' get these valences done!
1 comment:
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