Well, It Had To Happen Sometime

Yes, I've finally finished a project.  The kitchen curtains are done!!!  Well, technically, they've been done for a couple of weeks now, but our kitchen was so dirty that I couldn't bring myself to take pictures.  You may or may not know how it is, but our kitchen only stays presentable for an hour at a time.  And then I cook something.  But that ended this weekend when we finally got the last of the preserving stuff put away.  (Okay, almost the last of the preserving stuff.  We've had this wonky extended late summer going on here which has produced another three pounds or so of pickling cucumbers, so one more batch of sweet garlic dill chips it is.)

I seriously have to work on my white balance.  Our room is not that green.

Here's the front window.  Just simple panels hung with a tension rod to avoid damage to our mill work.

And here's the back.  Nothing too exciting here, either.  Except to me, of course, because this means that (hopefully) my dry streak is over!  The fabric is Dwell Studio Botany Flora in the taupe colorway.  I think it looks gray, but white balance is one of my challenges, so what do I know.  I originally saw this at Joann's but I wasn't ready to buy the fabric at that point, and we all know what a big mistake that was.  When I was finally ready to get the fabric, of course they were out of the color that I wanted.  So, I went on an online hunt and found it for a much better price at Fabric.com.  I just checked, and they still have it in stock. 

The fabric is a twill and is perfect for our casual kitchen.  Our back windows face west, so we need a little heat control in the summer.  I made the panels with a full lining to give them a little more insulating power, but as you can see, they still let plenty of light through.  Regardless, they do seem to keep the kitchen a little cooler in the afternoons on warm days, so they're doing their job.  All in all, I'm pleased with how these turned out.  They add just the right touch to our windows and match our room perfectly. 

It's that one in the middle on the bottom.

I am planning to actually make a dress next.  Specifically Simplicity 1798.  the version with the short sleeves and without the peplum.  It reminds me of my favorite Calvin Klein ready-to-wear dress that I bought in desperation at serious markdown the day before Thanksgiving a few years ago.  It's a magic dress that seems to fit and flatter no matter how my weight fluctuates, and that's a very special thing.  I'm hoping to replicate that here.  I've got a pretty blue polyester crepe that I got at the Fabric Depot outdoor sale last summer earmarked for it.  I'll start alterations on the pattern this week.

Hope your fall is going well.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for cooler weather or the cucumbers may take over the whole yard.