I've dithered so many times around sewing machines in second hand shops and never followed through. But I want to. Regarding the shower curtain-do you have to attach a wax backing? Trying to ask if you need another material to make it waterproof? 🙂
Thank you so much 😊 You could literally hang a pretty bed sheet or any nice fabric up as a shower curtain with a plastic one behind it. Really nice shower curtains are so so expensive. With Substack notifications I have them all sent to email otherwise I’d miss them
Yes will change notifications. Are you using two poles to hang the shower curtains or are you threading the shower hooks through each eyelet-doubling up if you see what I mean?
I love this post. ❤️ When we bought our first home, a postage stamp sized Victorian cottage, curtains/blinds were the thing I was most excited to add. Armed with the cheapest sewing machine I could find and the Merrick & Day book I taught myself how to make blinds and curtains. Such a gratifying project to undertake and even more so when you can turn charity shop treasure into something really special. Although I’m undecided whether the hand-sewing part is meditative or excruciatingly boring!
Exactly! I know not everyone is going to want to take on projects like this but i'm hoping to inspire more people to know that they could. And you're right about the hand sewing. It can be quite boring!
I grew up thinking that sewing and this kind of stuff that so many womens used to do where things to home staying mothers and not a thing modern woman do. But them I get old and start get interested in knitting and sewing etc and after some frustation I realized we don't need to do it perfectly. We can do it for fun, for challenge ourselves. It's a great feeling making things with our hands!
This was a great read, and your finished curtains look great. I can sew, and used to a lot (when my daughter was young, and again during lockdown), but I've got more slapdash as I've got older. I did sew on the curtain tape to some beautiful Liberty fabric for my grandaughter's room, though - that was immensely satisfying as it was an act of love, and also meant we could afford the fabric we wanted (my niece added the offcuts to a patchwork quilt for the baby). I think the most satisfying about acquiring even the most rudimentary of these skills IS the act of love bit, isn't it - it's making something with your own hands for your loved ones, which is also useful!
That's a really lovely way of looking at it Louise. Your Liberty curtains for your grand-daughter sound lovely! And the patchwork quilt is such a sweet way to use the scraps.
Sooooo very true! Friends are always amazed when I share the DIY projects I dive into..."you know how to refinish and upholster a chair", technically no, but it cant hurt to try. Maybe it's not perfect but we must challenge ourselves with these tasks. And traumatizing our kids simultaneously makes it even better! Great work on the curtains!!
Exactly. I meant to say also that it's not even about the saving money part - although that can be useful at times - it's the doing part of it, challenging ourselves as you said. There's that moment when i keep making mistakes at whatever new things I'm tackling but then when it clicks it's so satisfying and I feel my brain grow ;0
I really enjoyed reading this Emily! The idea of gaining some personal power by making your own things for your home is very alluring. I’m not ready to dive in with making curtains, but I’m challenging myself this winter with some home projects and might start with some basic sewing. Keep you posted!
Thanks Katie! So pleased you enjoyed it. I hope your sewing projects get you through the winter. There's something quite romantic about the idea of hand sewing by the fire (by which i mean in front of the telly). Enjoy!
I've dithered so many times around sewing machines in second hand shops and never followed through. But I want to. Regarding the shower curtain-do you have to attach a wax backing? Trying to ask if you need another material to make it waterproof? 🙂
I bought a clear plastic shower curtain that sits behind the fabric one. Easy!
YOU ARE BRILLIANT omigod thts fantastic then you can use any material in front! (only saw comment now, finding substack notifications confusing)
Thank you so much 😊 You could literally hang a pretty bed sheet or any nice fabric up as a shower curtain with a plastic one behind it. Really nice shower curtains are so so expensive. With Substack notifications I have them all sent to email otherwise I’d miss them
Yes will change notifications. Are you using two poles to hang the shower curtains or are you threading the shower hooks through each eyelet-doubling up if you see what I mean?
I love this post. ❤️ When we bought our first home, a postage stamp sized Victorian cottage, curtains/blinds were the thing I was most excited to add. Armed with the cheapest sewing machine I could find and the Merrick & Day book I taught myself how to make blinds and curtains. Such a gratifying project to undertake and even more so when you can turn charity shop treasure into something really special. Although I’m undecided whether the hand-sewing part is meditative or excruciatingly boring!
Exactly! I know not everyone is going to want to take on projects like this but i'm hoping to inspire more people to know that they could. And you're right about the hand sewing. It can be quite boring!
I grew up thinking that sewing and this kind of stuff that so many womens used to do where things to home staying mothers and not a thing modern woman do. But them I get old and start get interested in knitting and sewing etc and after some frustation I realized we don't need to do it perfectly. We can do it for fun, for challenge ourselves. It's a great feeling making things with our hands!
This was a great read, and your finished curtains look great. I can sew, and used to a lot (when my daughter was young, and again during lockdown), but I've got more slapdash as I've got older. I did sew on the curtain tape to some beautiful Liberty fabric for my grandaughter's room, though - that was immensely satisfying as it was an act of love, and also meant we could afford the fabric we wanted (my niece added the offcuts to a patchwork quilt for the baby). I think the most satisfying about acquiring even the most rudimentary of these skills IS the act of love bit, isn't it - it's making something with your own hands for your loved ones, which is also useful!
That's a really lovely way of looking at it Louise. Your Liberty curtains for your grand-daughter sound lovely! And the patchwork quilt is such a sweet way to use the scraps.
Sooooo very true! Friends are always amazed when I share the DIY projects I dive into..."you know how to refinish and upholster a chair", technically no, but it cant hurt to try. Maybe it's not perfect but we must challenge ourselves with these tasks. And traumatizing our kids simultaneously makes it even better! Great work on the curtains!!
Exactly. I meant to say also that it's not even about the saving money part - although that can be useful at times - it's the doing part of it, challenging ourselves as you said. There's that moment when i keep making mistakes at whatever new things I'm tackling but then when it clicks it's so satisfying and I feel my brain grow ;0
I really enjoyed reading this Emily! The idea of gaining some personal power by making your own things for your home is very alluring. I’m not ready to dive in with making curtains, but I’m challenging myself this winter with some home projects and might start with some basic sewing. Keep you posted!
Thanks Katie! So pleased you enjoyed it. I hope your sewing projects get you through the winter. There's something quite romantic about the idea of hand sewing by the fire (by which i mean in front of the telly). Enjoy!