My DIY show

Rachel's curtains are hung

I've decided that since I do such a wonderful job of "whipping up" projects that I should start a show. You know, like the ones you see on TV of people sewing, crafting, woodworking, etc. My show would be a conglomerate of different projects and it would look something like this. [which by the way was my Tuesday night]

Start sewing your curtains at 4 in the afternoon after a good nap. It's important to be well rested when working with machinery. I had all the fabric precut so all that was left to do on the project was hem three sides and put in the top sleeve for the curtain rod. Since I had two curtains it was double the work, but very easy to accomplish in 1 night. I laid out the blackout fabric on the floor and covered it with the fabric making sure that each piece was facing the correct way. Then I measured the sides lengthwise and pinned like mad so the fabric wouldn't slip. Make sure that after you pin both sides you hold it up to see if it hangs properly. Looks like I didn't pull the blackout fabric tight enough, so I would recommend laying your fabric down first and then putting the blackout fabric on top. Now that all is pinned in place, make sure the setting on your machine is correct because tearing out stitches in the blackout fabric is a nightmare. As you are about two inches from the end of the stitch your needle will break. This will cause a slight delay because you have to put in a new needle, rethread the machine and make sure you have all the pieces. While you are at it you might as well check the bobbin holder and make sure the tip isn't visible. This will require a screwdriver and some patience. When you're finished with the sides of both curtains then sew the top. I folded the edge down a little and then made my whole for the curtain rod. Make sure that after it is pinned, but before you sew you check to make sure the curtain rod goes through. Oh yes, while you're doing this you might realize that because you bought an oval curtain rod you will need a screwdriver, measuring tape, and some time just to hang the rod. So please, read all instructions carefully before hanging. Now that you have the tops complete you may hem the bottom of the curtain. I recommend holding the curtain in front of the window to see how much of a hem should be made. This might be less then previously thought, but don't be concerned; just monitor and adjust. Excellent, now one curtain is complete. Let's move on to the next one. One problem, the thread has just broke and you've discovered that the needle is cracked. Simple fix; there are 3 more needles in the case that are brand new. Except, upon closer examination you notice that all the needles have a slight slip alongside the eye hole. Well, it's 9 PM and you can continue tomorrow. I now realize that is not just a 30 min. show, but don't worry we can continue all week.

Now since a new mattress is arriving on Wednesday, now would be a good time to tidy up the bedroom. This involves hanging pictures of Eli and Spencer's graduation. At this point it is a good idea to gather up all the photos that have been printed so you have a good idea of what to work with. At this point you will remember that your 4x6 photos are slightly too big to fit into the 4x6 photo frames. So, dig through all your scrapbooking things and look for your paper cutter. If you can't find that in a timely matter; say, 3 min. then improvise. Your seam gauge that you use for sewing will work and the pair of scissors that are used for everything might cut through the pictures. When cutting make sure you cut off the bottom of the photo and not the heads. Now that all the pictures are in the frames it is time to lay out the frames on the floor so you can get a feel for the look. After deciding which layout is best you will need to find your hammer and some nails. I recommend that when you open the nail container that the nails don't spill all over the floor. This tends to be difficult to pick up. OK, hold the picture frame against the wall to decide where to put the nail. Since the frame is in your left hand, the nail is being held in your teeth and the hammer is in your right hand, things can get a little tricky. After setting the frame aside, gently pound the nail into the wall and position the frame to hang straight. Now comes the fun part. You have to hang the other frames with equal space so they look right. Make sure the nail will fit into the slot. Oh wait, my nails are too big and I don't have any that are smaller. Well folks, I guess we only hang one frame tonight. The good news is: we have one finished curtain and one hung frame. Don't worry about the other curtain and the other two frames. That will take care of itself another day.

P.S. For all who are wondering. I got the mattress today. Of course I had to get it on the hottest day of the summer. Do all new mattress smell? If any of you are wondering about my sewing needles, wonder no more. I went to the quilt store to ask them and discovered I had bought quick threading needles so they're suppose to have a little slit. I never knew. I also bought needles especially for sewing the curtains. Maybe I'll have better luck.