Making a House a Home

When I bought my house 3 years ago, all the walls were off-white and each window was covered with vinyl blinds and a valance. For those of you that know me, know I enjoy color. The first thing I did before I moved in was paint every room and remove the valances. My very puzzled step-dad asked why I "had" to paint when my house was in move-in condition.

Painting my house was not only an expression of who I am but it also allowed me to invoke feelings when one was in a certain room. I chose a rust color called ice tea for the living room. This added an inviting warmth feeling. Brick red went into the dining room and the paneling was painted white. Rich reds and greens as well as yellow bring food to mind. What a wonderful thought for a room full of friends sitting down to a meal.

My house was built at the turn of the 19th century. The woodwork and style of the house as well as the large rooms is what I fell in love with. I was sad to see the window casings had all been painted white. I also hate the look of the valances which seem to shorten the room and the ugly vinyl blinds that accompany each window.

I had this wonderful idea that I would make my own window treatments. I have made window treatments in the past so this was not a stretch by any means. I scoured websites and books trying to find the perfect solution for my windows that would not only provide a beautiful window treatment but would also block out the hot sun in the summer and help keep the house cool in the winter. I also didn't want to cover up the casing. I decided on roman shades. I found this wonderful website with detailed instructions on making your own shades as well as a resource for the hardware. I was also able to purchase a sample shade kit. http://www.terrelldesigns.com/

After a few years of collecting fabric for each room and "planning" I finally bought a sample shade to make. I started it about a year ago, and like many other projects, set it aside for something else. My own personal sewing always seems to take a backseat to something else or another idea will take root and some investigating work just HAS to be done.

Last night while sitting on my couch in my chilly 60 degree controlled environment, I felt a draft and was reminded of this neglected project. I have made it my goal for next week to finish my sample shade. I finished some quilt tops for Mary's Guild at church and will not feel guilty working on a "personal" project. Oh and yes, for those of you actually reading this, please do hold me to my next week's goal.

Here are pictures of my living room and dining room as the previous owners had it prior to selling. Also there is a picture of the fabric I picked out for my living room roman shades.