Cute Stuff

Happy Friday!  Nothing like some new custom treatments for the kids to start your weekend off right.

What do you make when you have two girls with smallish windows and one yard of beautiful silk?  Right!- shaped interlined flat valances with pleats.

The taper- one of my favorite silhouettes.  There was just enough to make an interesting divided center inverted box pleat.

The girls' adjacent linen closet was the perfect place for this two-yard Lee Jofa remnant. 

I found a scrap of trim in the workroom that did all the right things for this fabric.

Samantha's 9th birthday sleepover party will be colorful with bright new pillows.

I had fun choosing zipper colors!  Thanks to Alicia, The Zipper Lady, I have a big color collection.  With 3 turquoises in stock, I had a hard time picking the best one.

Tapered box pleat valance

This is one of my favorite valance silhouettes: a barely rounded arch that reads more like a taper after pleating.  Combined with the added dimension of the double box pleat in the center and the knife-pleats at the ends, the simple shape acquires depth and movement.

The fabric had a mind of its own, so the night before the valance was stapled to the board, the pleats were pinned into place on the work table.

They were left weighted down until morning, and this self-lined valance pleated up perfectly on the board.
In the foreground you can see my diagram.  I have to draw out every detail to make sure I don't omit a pleat, or something, and to plan seams so it doesn't accidentally land in the front.