Making: No-Sew Roman Blinds

I've been wanting to make myself some Roman blinds for-EVER, but either never quite got the courage or moved across the country before I could get to it, or what have you. Well, I FINALLY did it - just in time to move to a new house. But, all is not lost; we ended up moving just down the road into an old elementary school and have rented out the downstairs of our old place to sis-in-law.

Oh yes, more on all that soon.

But the downstairs bath at the old place had a hideous vinyl mini-blind in it, and I wanted to make things pretty for our new tenants, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to try out some no-sew Romans. I basically used this tutorial from Little House Big Plans; the only departure was that I actually used a shower curtain for my fabric. I did this so I could buy two, leaving one intact and easily matching the actual shower curtain in the tub to the new window treatment. And in fact, I bought three and stored one, such that as the current one dies its inevitable slow death and we want to freshen the space up, we're assured of having a new one that will also match. (Cuz I am so smart.)

You do sacrifice the fact that shower curtains are already hemmed and finished and have wee holes or grommets at the top when you cut one up, but they're inexpensive and well suited for use in small bathrooms, for sure.

Pics!

This photo illustrates the process somewhat. Essentially you're using the old mini-blinds as rods for the Roman shade. With fabric glue on the slats and either fabric glue or Stitch Witchery for the seams, they are completely no-sew. And it's not that I have anything against sewing, except that I don't know how to do it and am scared of it.

 Still functional with the original cord.

Yeah, it's a small bathroom. Like I said, matchy-matchy!

In With the New

 Looking a little sparse here; the gardens have perked up since (that would be because of the gorgeous RAIN and SUNSHINE).

Guest Cottage the First aka Dandelion Cottage (more on this later!).

Apple trees, whatevs...

Across the river...

Guest Cottage the Second aka Firefly Cottage (cuz that's just how we roll).

One of our first projects was the firepit. Recycled bricks found on the property + river mud.

 

Eagle friends.

Hopewell Rocks...

 

I like it here...

... they do too.

New House - For Realz

So it looks like this:

will be happening. It's cool. Ya know, whatevs.

May 2012, to Moncton we go.

Or Maybe Not...

Erg. Well. The inspection on this place turned up some very bad things. Like, yucko. So it's out.

But, onward and eastward! New tentative plan: find beautiful beach house for vacation rental in New Brunswick. Stay there for the summer. Find other houses. Buy one. BOOM!

It's that simple, yes? Sure!

This New House?

Well, we've gone back and forth on The Plan numerous times now. I'm sure my husband has been worried that it would be indefinitely back-burnered, as so many things seem to be. We've talked about the relative merits of keeping the kids near their grandparents versus living somewhere that makes us feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled... we've made more and more friends here, almost in spite of ourselves... we have access to amenities and infrastructure here that we may not “out there"... but ultimately, we're itching to make that next jump, to live in a place that feels more permanent and more “us" so we can really invest in it and start to make some good changes and do some good things.

While in New Brunswick last year, we found this:

It's actually the house that spurred the whole trip, but when we got out there, we were viewing homes with an eye toward “forever", and it didn't quite tick all the boxes. What we've realized, though, is that it actually rocks pretty hard for a foothold in the province, a place from which to explore other options in the area, a place to spend the next five years or so. On the Bay of Fundy, five acres, wooded, with this crazy knee-wall access upstairs that I just know the kids will see as a secret passageway. The kids, yeah. *koff

So we're planning to put in an offer. We shall see...