Tuesday, July 26, 2011

35 You've Got a Blogger Friend in Me! And a Curtain Project!

OK, all you mom's are now probably singing the Toy Story theme song, "You've Got a Friend in Me"... it's a catchy one.  And it was the perfect title for today's post.  Why???

Well, because yesterday I was able to do a "blogger meet up" with Amanda from Our Humble A{Bowe}d.  If you have been reading for awhile now, you will know that Amanda and I had done this once before... and it was VERY successful, so of course we couldn't wait to do it again! 

That's right, Amanda and I DID meet through the blog world.  And she has also created some great custom art pieces and stationary for me as well.  Have I mentioned she has talent?  Like none I have personally seen before!  We really hit it off the first time we were together.  We were like peas and carrots.  And laughed like long time friends.

So when Amanda let me know that she was taking another road trip back to my area to stay with her family, we HAD to make sure to take a minute to meet up.  So we did.

We revisted Ikea so she could snag up a couple of things for a project or two, I will let her spill those beans.  We weren't there too long, and spent the whole time catching up and gabbing that I didn't take one single photo.  And don't get me wrong, the showroom is always chock full of inspiration, but miss gabby pants {a.k.a. me}, totally dropped the ball....

Anywho... Amanda and I returned to my happy home after finishing up at Ikea...


Wait a minute, do you recognize those faces?


Other than the fact I look completely creepy in this photo, I had to post it, because we had a good laugh that my photo stylist husband, thought of the genius photo idea.  Yes, Amanda and I both had our mugs in the pages of this very magazine...  Too much fun!

But what should two DIY crafty bloggers do when getting together?  Sure, chatting and taking silly pictures is fun, but it's even more fun when there are projects involved right?  That's what we thought too!

And because Amanda is so great with a sewing machine {have you seen her pillow covers?}, I thought maybe she would be good with some hem tape too?  Wow, was I right.  We {she} got right to work on making some lovely new curtains for our kitchen space.  I gave her moral support and snapped pictures...  and she didn't even need the moral support so... yeah....

First, let's look at the ugly window before shall we?  I wasn't very good at taking pictures directly into a window, so please forgive the awful quality:


I decided that I wanted something brighter and fresher and to nix the red roman shade since at this point, it was the only red remaining in the kitchen after we began to inject teals and blues into the space instead.  I chose this fabric for the new curtains:


Amanda started out by doing lots and lots of measuring....


And marking:


Did you know you could use pencil on fabric.  I didn't.  That's why she was here.

Then, we got out my trusted tape {found at a fabric store}:


And used it to hem all four sides of each new panel:


Here is where her smarts came into play again.  You see, I like to make things harder than they need to be.  So I would have tried to measure out each panel and hope they end up the same size.  Not Amanda.  She popped the panels on top of on another and lined them up to ensure the final bottom hems were exactly the same:



Worked like a charm.  Because they ended up being the same exact size and length.  Love.

Ready for the still awful photography yet great results After picture?



The colors are SO soothing and pretty and I love that the curtains now frame out the window to add so much softness to the space!

And when it came to hanging them, I just found a cheapy curtain rod from Target for a couple of bucks, and added some rings with clips:


I really love rings with clips.  So great!

OK, so the final before and after, bad photography included:


It's pretty amazing what small changes can make in a space.  It felt like a whole new world room.  And it almost made me not look at the counter tops that I am itching to accidentally destroy so that they have to be replaced... not that I would do that...

Thanks again Amanda for such a fantastic day.  So glad we found one another.  And I absolutely can't wait to meet up again!

Anyone else meeting new friends via blog land?  Oh, and no worries, I was safe when meeting a complete stranger I met online.  Sure, at first I worried she might be a 67 year old man with a foot fetish, but I had been reading her blog for months, so if that was the case, then he was REALLY amazing at secret lifestyle blogging and worth meeting anyway...  Who else loves the powers of hem tape?  Anyone have any photography tips for taking pictures of bright windows?

35 comments:

  1. Just used some of that awesomeness we call hem tape to make some curtains for my family room! Love the new ones you made! Beautiful!!! I am also going to be using it for a new curtain/valance dealio above my kitchen window. Mine was also red although that was from the previous owners. I have a feeling we live not far from each other too. :)

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  2. That's beautiful. Your window looks twice as big. Gorgeous!!!

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  3. The new window treatment looks great! I like the softer color too. Great job!

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  4. Great update! I have those counters too...I hate them with a passion. They look like St. Patrick's Day next to my crisp white painted cabinets!

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  6. i've met one friend through blogging, but i've "met" so many that i want to meet in real life someday, it's not even funny! love your little makeover...good to have friends with skills :)

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  7. I heart a good blogger meet-up! =) So awesome that you guys get to visit with eachother every now and again <3

    And of course I LOVE the fabric you chose! I don't know how i'm ever going to narrow down one for my kitchen... I suspect it might take a few months (ahhh yikes!)

    Hope you're having a great week Jen!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  8. I LOVE this!!! Looks wonderful, Jen!
    Richelle

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  9. The new curtains look great! Good job ladies!

    L

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  10. Congrats on being featured in the mag! I immediatly recognized you :)

    www.whatyoumakeit-coley.blogspot.com

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  11. The curtains look wonderful, a lovely subtle pop of colour, reminds me that I must get round to making some curtains for my kitchen!

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  12. Love these! Plus, I noticed you also painted your window frame white which makes everything looks so much softer. Love it!

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  13. the new curtain look awesome- love the fabric!!! And I barely recognized you two in the photo!!! You guys are adorable!

    As for me and bloggy friends- I've met a few and they now mean SOOOOO much to me! Like Cait from Hernando House and Jami at What the Graham?!?! Never knew you could bond so much over the internet! LOVE all my blog ladies!

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  14. Those are lovely...the colors, the print, everything! More awesomeness from your rockin blog!

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  15. That looks like so much fun!! I would LOOOOOOOVE to have a bloggy meet up with someone, but I haven't really found any bloggers in Florida. I love how the curtains turned out! Even with the mad photography skills ;-), I can tell they are just perfect!!

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  16. The kitchen looks so much brighter! And how fun to meet up and craft with a friend. :)

    A photography trick to try is to set your focus on something near the window and not on the window itself. Aim at your nearby object, press and hold your shutter button half way down to set the focus, and then reposition your camera so that the window is back in the center of the frame before pushing the button the rest of the way down to actually take the picture.

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  17. I Love love LOVE that fabric. Taking out that other covering really lightened up the space. Love the change. DawnJoy

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  18. gorgeous fabric!!! fabulous curtains!!!
    I think you just inspired me to make some...I've been putting it off...
    But now I'm thinking how do-able it will be with hem tape, which I do have, and clip rings! Thank you!
    hugs!

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  19. You guys are so cute! I love you as a blond!!! The curtains are fabulous. I love Baldwin (my dad was born there) and I'll be visiting family in Amery next weekend!

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  20. Use a flash? Take a pic in the eve when light is not as bright?

    I so. love love love. that fabric. Exact colors of my bedroom with white added in. Yay. I will HAVE to figure out some way to incorporate it. And did you paint the window trim white?

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  21. My name is Ashley DeMazza. I live with the rest of the DeMazza family in Falls Village, CT. I am also Mrs. DeMazza to lots of kids at North Canaan Elementary School. I just found your blog and love it! The new curtains look beautiful!

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  22. I would love to meet some of my bloggy friends in person! That fabric you chose is beautiful.

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  23. Jen, Love the Curtains with Hem Tape! It does wonders =)

    And I have met my online friend Artemesia at an Steampunk event, we both have blogs on blogger and her sewing blog was one I have followed for quite some time. We are both involved in the SCA ( medieval re-enactment) so meeting in person was super fun!

    Thanks again for your link to the ironing board holder/organizer from amazon in your other post, I bought it and will be posting pics!! Thanks again!

    Vanessa=)

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  24. Love how it turned out Jen. Love the curtain material you used. You two are too cute together. I have to "hem tape" my curtains too and keep putting it off. This gives me some inspiration to push forward. Love how she did the corners. I hadn't thought about that, now I know what to do. :)

    I haven't meet any other bloggers yet, but everyone I come in contact with is always so nice. I would love to meet some other bloggers one day in person. :)

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  25. I am SO going to copy that idea for my dining room window seat area! I HATE my roman shades that have been there forever.

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  26. Where do you buy the rings with clips??? I need something like that for my son's curtains.

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  27. @Michelle, I find them anywhere from Target to Home Depot. Just check the window covering department at any of your local home stores.

    xoxo!
    Jen

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  28. LOVE this easy project! So easy I might attempt it myself!

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  29. I love this idea. Do you think it would be possible to line them for a heavier drapery look like for the living room? I guess you could do each panel, the outside then the lining and then iron tape them together or what do you suggest?

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    1. I am guessing you could cut the lining just a bit smaller than the panel itself and then use the hem tape to line it. I haven't tried it though so no guarantees it will work! :)

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  30. I think its a great idea to make your own curtain. Aside from the fact that you can save money, you can also personalized it on your own.

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  31. Where do you buy your ring clips? I'm going to moving to a new Townhouse soon and definitely want to try my hand at this!

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    1. Hi Christina!

      You can find them at any local department or home improvement store. They are typically sold with window treatments and hardware.

      Congrats on the new Townhouse!

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