Monday, January 7, 2013

nesting

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Now that the tree is gone from our living room, it was time for some freshening up. I began with curtains for many of my downstairs' windows yesterday. The lightweight ones we had hung a few years ago weren't tailored to my family's current needs of warmth and privacy. I'd been collecting old unbleached drop cloths for just this purpose. I ended up needing to buy one new, too. They come in all different sizes and shapes. A standard 4x15 foot drop cloth is available at paint stores and home improvement centers. It was just right for cutting in half for the above two windows (with a couple feet in the center to spare). This meant that all sides were already hemmed, except for the raw edge left from dividing it in two. 

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That was the side that I folded over three inches and stitched down to create a channel. The three curtains(the third is not shown here) I made for the living room were each created utilizing edges that were already finished. That meant that with only one seam a piece, this room was done in less than 15 minutes... including hang time! I'm temporarily tying them back with a scraps, but I could see them becoming permanent, as I love the juxtaposition of the fray next to the crisp hemmed edge. 

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Because I've always used such a neutral/natural palette in my home, textures and stories speak to me the way color excites others. Recycled textiles in wool, burlap, linen and roughly woven cotton combined with weathered wood, feathers, stones, and bits of something growing and green... these are all things that I'm drawn to. What inspires you when it's time to feather your nest? Color, texture, nature, design, etc.?

Details: burlap bins and wool poof from my book- Reinvention, bird etching above the feathers by my son when he was 10, covered stones by Margie of Resurrection Fern, green stalks are paper whites that I plant in succession so that they keep blooming throughout winter, those chairs were on the side of the road and quite a score.
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15 comments:

  1. The colors go so well together. You've created such a cozy corner here, I love it ! Wishing I could sit on one of these beautiful chairs & chat with you !
    xoxo

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    1. you know that's my dream... I do hope you make it back to the states one day.

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  2. That bird print is stunning!

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    1. I'll certainly tell my son. It sounds so much better coming from someone other than his mom;)

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  3. Hi Maya. I'm drawn to line, tone and pattern. I do love mid-century modern for clean lines, but I like to cosy it all up with wool and warmth-giving things. We have plenty of sheep skin over everything too!

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  4. Texture and natural fibers are what I love. Linen, wool, slubby cottons - things that look handmade. I think those painting dropcloths are the biggest bargain out there. I use them to cover my tables when I do fiber festivals and we used them for lots of things when we hosted my stepson's wedding here at the farm. They look great as curtains, too!

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    1. I've also found a few at yard sales around here... I think folks buy them for something (like a wedding, etc)because they are such a bargain and then don't know what to do with them next. I'm happy to take them off their hands!

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  5. Happy New Year Maya!
    Your nest looks so cozy, I'm going to have to look into drop cloths. I have been scouring our Thrift Stores for neutral panels to match our rooms and warm our drafty windows.
    Your clean natural palette is always such an inspiration. If only our landlord had used neutral colours and not painted out all of the wood...
    xoxo
    ~ joey ~

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    1. craigslist might be a source? I have one that's splattered with paint that I love, but that might not be everyone's thing;)

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  6. What a lovely, soft space you created Maya! A "cozy nook" as we like to call them around here. Love how the past and the present come together to create a breath of fresh air! Happy New Year Maya!

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    1. thanks kellen! sending you and your family hugs... hopefully you're all recuperated by now. what a tough holiday you had. xxx

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  7. Hooray! We've been using a paint drop cloth as a tablecloth for years now. Think I got the idea in Country Living.
    Also have curtains hanging in front of our open laundry room shelves made of the same. Love the look. Looks great in your living space.

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