When it comes to sewing I’ve not got the knowledge or patience. My Mum made most of my clothes when I was little as well as her own clothes too. You name it she made it and wore it for work the next day. Amazing! I would like to take the time to try a little harder at sewing. Maybe soon I’ll have the space to be a bit bolder with my creations. For now, I’ve left it to the experts.
Louise is the curtain master. She arrived on her latest visit to France with a sewing machine in hand. I couldn’t have been more grateful. Now I had the chance to select a really exciting fabric and see it turned it into something fabulous. I don’t feel that I have to stick with ‘the look’ for French country farmhouse interiors. I selected a grey / blue thick cotton with a little stitched elephant pattern to make an understated cushion.
The fabric was on special offer and Louise decided there would be enough to make a curtain for the front door. Perfect for keeping the winter drafts out. It turned out that my understated little stitched elephants were actually fairly large. (Well they are elephants!) The understated cushion now a large curtain with large elephants. Going with the flow and love the fabric.
We ummed and arrrrred over eyelets, tab tops and eventually settled on a wide pinch pleat with hooks. Our next quandary is how to fix upon the crumbling lime plaster walls. We thought about a pole suspended by chain styled brackets from the ceiling above but that may end up feeling like a swing? Maybe we’ll affix brackets to the door frame. The trouble is our door is recessed and we need plenty of clearance to open the door and draw the curtain aside. A Portiere would be an obvious choice but my walls can’t cope with being drilled and I’m not so sure about a huge fixing from the beams that aren’t quite in the right place.
The French way is to hang a net curtain or panel. These narrow window dressings are not curtains. They are fixed to the windows themselves. All of our espagnolette bolted windows open inwards. We, therefore, need to have full curtain clearance. The recessed windows also prevent you from having curtains to the sill because you end up with a light well. Charmingly different to the UK. We also have the traditional French shutters on the exterior windows.
To some, I’m sure this is all quite dull but for me, the interiors are so exciting. It’s just a little glimpse into the details that make this tired old farmhouse our home. One impulse purchase can change the way you look at a room.
