Guest Post: Autumn- Its curtains for you -bugs bunny

 

 Autumn loves to have fun.  She likes to WIN playing board games.  She's inspiring and achieves the goals she sets.  She's a momma, photographer, sister, friend, cook, police officer (in her own house- busted!), home decorator and so much more.  Did I mention she's really good on decorating on a budget? You should see her house! Here's a peek...

 

Cute valance? Sure it is. But don't let its cuteness fool you.
Imagine a darling two year old, with curls and dimples- your smitten with her cuteness and think you can handle babysitting.
Then, she throws a giant fit, pukes on you, and stomps on your foot, all while she smiles at you.
That's exactly what this cute curtain did to me.

I have a Paris themed bathroom- done in red, black, whites, and creams. I found some darling Toile type fabric, that has mini Eiffel Towers sprinkled all over it. I knew I needed to make a darling valance out of it, and I imagined it in the shape of the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. (I felt I was a little genius at that moment.)
I found some coordinating fabric, and talked my visiting Mom into helping me. Now, I know my mom sews. She used to make my Barbie clothes when I was a little girl, (that's patience and love, right there!) She made me summer tops, and Easter dresses.
I had no doubt she could help me.
Whhhoaaaaaahh, Nellie!
Creating a special request pattern, with lots of fabric, apparently was not something she was used to. We played the game of "Fabric Manipulation", as I saw my fabric being cut smaller, and smaller. YIKES.
Eventually, we cut away enough to get the Eiffel Tower 'shape' I desired. It looked a little disheveled, but it had some shape.

With my mother's guidance, I sewed some, and she sewed some. (She sewed a lot more then me.) When it came time for the the red piping, it became a little bit of a nightmare. It ate us alive, and spit us out. We ran out of piping, and had to literally piece together more piping.
Not fun.
Not cute.
I was beginning to despise this valance that was two days plus in the making. Really?

Finally, we (mostly my mother) completed the valance, and I was relieved it was OVER. However, I was not happy with the way it looked, or how it lay. It look like a ratty homemade valance, that only had cute fabric going for it.
I thanked my mother from the bottom of my heart. She took 3 days out of her visit for my valance, after all. I never told my Mother how much I disliked it, and how I would never leave it up for show in my bathroom after she left. I felt bad, but I couldn't do that to her. Lesson learned: My mother should stick to Easter dresses- using a pattern.
(My mother doesn't read this blog, so I'm safe to share it here!)

After my mother left, I showed the crazy valance to a friend who happens to be an amazing seamstress. She offered to save the Eiffel Tower's from it's near death experience. Yay!
At this time, we were moving from Arizona to Utah. I left my wanna- be- valance in the right hands. She promised to operate on her, and bring her back to life, then send her to me in Utah. It took several months, since she had lots of other projects going on.
One day, I got the resurrected valance in my hands. It was beautiful, as I imagined her in the early stages in my mind. I was cheering!

What you see here was a labor of love. Now, she looks like she is loved from the outside, instead of just the inside. ha
I love it, and will keep it forever just for memories sake, even if I change my bathroom to a new theme.

Personal lesson learned? I will stick to being a photographer. Sewing valances really aren't my thing.