I need to put up curtains in our living room in the worst way. That wall just feels so unfinished. I’m planning on doing a silk roman shade (color TBD – probably a couple of shades deeper than the wall color?), layered under a pair of curtain panels that are wide enough to be fully functioning.
I don’t mind sewing my own curtains at all (here, here, here, here, here), but I’m not the hugest fan of piecing together the widths of fabric. Not because my machine can’t handle it (because the beast can handle almost any job I put in front of it!), it’s just all that fabric gets awkward and cumbersome, especially when dealing with panels long enough for twelve foot ceilings. And while I like using painter’s drop cloths for some jobs, but I’ve been noticing with my last purchase or two that the canvas used in the drop cloths is not usually one continuous width. And usually the widths are pieced together sloppily, and so are the hems often.
So, when I stumbled across these HUGE bolts of canvas, linen and cotton duck at Blicks, I was in heaven.
84 continuous inches of thick, uniform, heavy weight cotton duck means no piecing together widths of fabric here. And I love the natural ivory color. Not too oatmealy like the drop cloths can sometimes be.
The price for the the cotton duck was only about $10.50 a yard (and that’s in NYC, so it’s probably cheaper in other areas).
I would only need about 8 yards total of this extra wide fabric to do my double-width panels. Less than $100 for all that fabric is a really great price. I’ve been dreaming of all the different things I could do with the cotton duck (since it’s literally a blank canvas). I could dye it, but I was thinking of leaving the background the ivory color and then using bleach to make a more subtle pattern. Either like a splatter pattern, like Angela from the Painted House did with
the fabric from this great chair:
Or maybe something with a little more pattern and structure like what
Angela painted on this chair’s fabric:
Christine from
Bijou and Boheme had these silk panels painted with a black abstract pattern (love this!)
And of course there are so many great abstract patterned fabrics and wallpapers in the market right now to be inspired by (like
this one from Amanda Nesbit):
What would you do with the ivory cotton duck fabric?
I think I like Angela's solutions best. I'd go neutral and light on such a large stretch of fabric.
http://fullbellywornsoles.blogspot.ca
I really like the paint splatter effect, but for some reason I feel like a Weastler imitation (with bleach instead of black) would look really great in your space. Something about the kind of geometric pattern against the rug and the spotted print on the bench. No matter which you choose, I'm sure it'll look great.
I would leave it alone and use it as is.Get your pattern from other things in the room. You'll enjoy them longer if they are non descript. As a fellow designer I speak. :)
LOVING your direction here and looking forward to seeing what you decide. the b&w would be stunning.
I think something geometric, larger-scale and more structured, would look best here. I think the bleached tones on the natural would be a subtle but fresh compliment to the room. You always do something really surprising so it'll be fun to see what you decide!
I'd leave it white. You'll never tire of them and have built in versatility.
You are so right about drop cloths being unreliable. I like your solution.
The Kelly Wearstler fabric is insane. Anything along those lines would look amazing in your space. Go for it!!
http://simplymodernhome.com/
Love the Kelly Wrestler Fabric! Can't wait to see what you do with it!
I love what Angela did on the chair. I can't wait to see what you decide!
How on earth do you paint OR dye that much fabric? Lay it all across your living room floor(paint)? In the washing maching (dye)?
I would probably go with something more structured/organized, but I love the splatter look on that blue chair. I think that would be spectacular.
Wow, bleach! How creative! I never would have thought of that. Looking forward to seeing your results!
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I would never have thought to look at the art supply store for fabric, but it makes sense. I really like the bleach splatter pattern. It looks very subtly cosmic or celestial.
what about paint? you could do a faux tape trim effect along the leading and bottom edge. if it's is that simple you could do a crazy town color… or keep it neutral. painted stripes would look rad too but it is probably too busy for this room. nice idea for a bedroom though… hmmmm.
Hi Jenny, I would block print the canvas with a large paisley block that are for sale on Etsy and then add a grosgrain ribbon trim!
Oh, dying over those Amanda Nesbit walls!!!
xoxo PARIS BEE kids blog
i like the beige one Angela did for your space.
I was inspired by the use of Olive Leaf Stencils used by blogger Carmel of Our Fifth House on drop cloths. The company has a nice range of patterns to suite many interiors, and I'm hoping to adapt the project to our living room using either the same ikat pattern she uses, or the arrow pattern.
Your home is lovely…whatever you decide will be gorgeous!
Love all this inspiration. I think a simple geometric print might work, but I kind of agree with someone who said leave it as is because you have such great color going on in the room already. can't wait to see what you come up with!
http://iffoundmake.blogspot.com
I'd do a tone on tone with a Cutting Edge Stencil like the Ikat Zig Zag… :)
https://www.facebook.com/Cutting.Edge.Stencils/app_184367687735
Awesome find! I'm loving the bleach splattered dots. So fun and yet not competing with the rest of your awesome space.
i don't think that link will work… let's try this one:
http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/zigzag-stencil-pattern.html
for a less structured, but still geometric look, this stencil would be really cool with tone on tone… i think it better achieves the less predictable pattern you may be looking for:
http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/collections/new-stencil-designs/products/herringbone-shuffle-stencil
Wow! These are such great ideas. I can't wait to see what you decide to do!
Thank you, Jenny, for posting my DIY fabric experiments! It's a little thrilling to be irreverent with upholstery that way. :) I've also dribbled paint on chairs and pillows and painted canvas for tablecloths. I'm a sofistikated decorating lost cause, ha.
I look forward to what you decide on the canvas–no question it will be brilliant as always!
PS–I love KW Channels and have it in my LR and DR! It was one I didn't want to DIY. I'm sure its painterly print is why I love it so.
Last summer, I read an article in BHG (I think it was that one!) that you suggested paint drop cloths for curtains . . . I had been searching and searching for curtains and I have these really tall ceilings, so when I priced them out it was like $1200 for linen curtains online. I went to home depot, spent $60 on drop cloths, hemmed them, and they have fooled many people as "linen." I love the duck cloth! You always have such great suggestions that look good and save tons of green:)
If you go to dharmatrading.com, you will be over-inspired. No great pics or anything…just SO MANY awesome fabric dying options. Marbelizing is my big summer project so I was looking for supplies and now I want to paint/stamp/bleach/batik/dye everything. And thx for the source–extra wide fabric is always hard to find.
The splatter pattern didn't sound appealing but it looks so good, managing to be subtle. It is probably my favourite between that and the geometric sorts you've including (probably!). Last summer I offered to sew up a set of curtains for my (parent's) kitchen and what should have been easy took so many attempts! I measured them with a tape measure, and they weren't even, then I measured them with a tape measure and against each other, and they still weren't even, and then I had about 3 more attempts! Not my favourite thing to do… Anyway, I say do the splatter!
Genius..I loved the Kelly fabric..:)
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