A little late...My window treatments

I had all intentions of linking up to Funky Junk's "Saturday Nite Special-Window Treatments Party" However, things just didn't work the way I had planned. So...four days late...here is my kitchen window treatments.

Like most women out there, I have a little bit of a rooster theme going in my kitchen. So when I found this cute farmhouse inspired fabric...I just had to get it.

I wanted a simple treatment that was easy to remove and didn't require permanently attached rods. My plans are to one day install a continuous cute-as-a-button little country shelf above all three of my windows in my breakfast nook. The window on the far right of the nook was turned into my plate display shelf (Click HERE to see that project). I don't have before pics or during pics...just finished (this was a pre-blog project).

I started out by measuring my windows and adding six to seven inches to my width measurements. This is to accommodate the slight swag in the top. Next I measured 1/3 of the way down from the inside top of the window. I used these measurements to draw and cut out a pattern on a $5 discounted white bed sheet. I know what your thinking..."why is she ruining a perfectly good sheet to make a pattern?" Well, once you use the pattern to cut out your decorative fabric...you can use it as a lining for the back of the treatment.

After cutting out the body fabrics, I cut several strips of plaid fabric on the bias to make the piping trim. Now I know there's another name for it other than piping...but I can't think of it right off hand. Anywho, I stitched the bias strips of fabric together making one long strip of fabric which was then folded around the piping. I sandwiched the fabric covered piping between the right side of the decorative fabric and the bed sheet lining, stitching these layers together. Please note..the piping should be turned inward when you sandwich it between the top fabric and lining. That way when you turn it right side out the piping will be on the edge of the treatment. Make sure you leave a small opening to allow for turning the treatment right side out. I used the same plaid fabric to make three little tabs and two decorative ribbons. I sewed the tabs to the top of the treatment and tied the ribbons around the ends. I know this was kinda hard to explain without step by step pictures...but if you have any questions you can leave it in the comments or send me an email.

Since I missed Saturday Nite Special, I'll be linking up to Transformation Thursday over at the Shabby Chic Cottage

Talk to ya soon!

Kitchen Blahs!!!

As I'm stumbling around my kitchen this morning at 5:00am making a bottle for my daughter, I noticed how much I dislike my kitchen cabinets. They are dismal oak stained square boxes that merely serve the purpose of housing my kitchen junk! How could I have settled for such? I remember...our builder under bid the cabinets and the painted ones were way more than we could budget. My dream of cream French Country cabinets with mocha glaze had to be scrapped for oak stained boxes. If I have learned anything, it's not to settle for things you don't like! Now I'm not saying spend a bunch of money to get what you like. I'm saying get what you like and do it on a budget. If I were thinking, I would have said: "Deliver the cabinets unfinished and leave them in the basement. I will apply my paint/glaze and you can come install them when they are dry!!" Now I fully understand hind site is 20/20. So now I have to choose: 1) paint them or 2) live with them and believe me I've been living with them for 5 years now...its time for a change! Wonder how well my hubbie will take the news? Men tend to LOVE stained wood!!!
The cabinets are not the only issue I want to address in my kitchen. I have an island in the middle of the room that is very ODD. It has a raised bar area. Now this isn't uncommon if the island is used to separate the kitchen area from lets say the living area. However, in my case the kitchen and breakfast area are one large room. So why is this "barrier island" floating in the middle of my kitchen? Note to self: things always look different on paper than they do in reality!! Guess my next project in the kitchen would be remodeling the kitchen island. Maybe I could add some bead board or ornate turned legs?? Any ideas??