The curtains were hung in the windows with care...

We hung the curtains up! Brian and I both agree that they could have been just a bit more ruffled, but I do like them a lot, and if I remember right, I didn’t want too many ruffles anyway!  If my loom had been cooperating just a little bit better, they would have been a little bit longer.  But I still like them!

In other news, we ordered some close up lenses from amazon.com for our camera.  They were really inexpensive, and they do a really good job!  There will be lots of close-ups of my weaving in the near future... 

Short people on stilts

The curtains are now washed, cut to size, and all the ends are sewn.  I decided to do it just like the crackle blanket I completed with the serged edge and then sewn down with one turn.  It makes it so much more flexible than 2 turns!  (I think I might consider this method for future hand towels.)  Lastly, I turned the top over 1.25" so that we can fit a curtain rod in there.  I made the curtains just a little bit bigger than the window in the door so there won't be too many ruffles.  I like ruffles... but not too many!

 

I can't wait to get them up!  We need to purchase a curtain rod so Brian can install it, and then we will be good to go... and the crazy tall people (or short people on stilts...) won't be able to spy on us anymore! 

Texture

 These curtains have a lot of neat textures!

 They look so loose when they are on the loom, but when you take it off and wash it, it really closes up and becomes so soft!

(I almost want a blanket out of these curtains!)

I really like the design... I like how the lace looks woven!

 

And the light comes through just fine...

without letting people see in!

Creepers Weft Behind

 Weaving that looks like it's been woven... 

  Now there's a concept that's hard to pin a name on!

It's quite the phenomenon.

It's just weaving, that looks like weaving!

 Almost like "Weaving Squared"... or W² ...

 

Which is just WAY cool, if you ask me!  

But I am one of those math nerds.

Curtains to limit creepy tall people

I have made 2 sets of curtains in the past.  

In November 2010, I made this set for the window in our bedroom:  

 I remember being such a new weaver, and we had just bought the house, so I wanted to combine the two things!  

It is just a valance, but it perks up the room quite a bit!

 

 And it looks so pretty when the light comes through!

 It was made on the 4-shaft loom out of crochet thread:

I used the Bronson Lace pattern on page 182 (at the top) from Ann Dixon's book The Handweaver's Pattern Directory.  Because I was such a new weaver, I still remember having hardly a clue as to what I was doing, and doubtful it would work out!  I think they ended up really great!

The other set was woven later in December and for the kitchen.  They are also valances, and this time the pattern was from the M&O's pattern on page 64 of  Marguerite Davison's book A Handweaver's Pattern Book.

The light also looks very pretty coming through this curtain... on the loom...

... and off the loom!

I have one curtain in the window in the dining room and a matching curtain is over the sink window in the kitchen.  I like that they match!

 

All these years later, I still need to make a valance for the living room... but first I want to address the windows in our front and back doors.  I actually dislike the fact that a creepy tall person could peep into the window anytime they wanted and watch us run around like oblivious hamsters in a cage!  My biggest concern was installing a curtain rod into the doors, but Brian assured me not to worry... "That will be the easy part."  He said... so I will do my part and we will see how easy his part ends up being!

So now the biggest choice is getting the right pattern.  I've noticed that with the curtains bunched up, you do miss a lot of the pattern.  So I don't want something too patterned, or too plain.  I found a few neat 8-shaft patterns on page 185 of Carol Strickler's A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns, #613.  The patterns are written very oddly... I swear, I really hate how condensed some of these patterns are in these books!  Why can't they use just a little bit more paper and write it out normal?!

After some studying, this is the draft I came up with:

I like how the lace looks woven!  It's a really neat effect!  However, the curtain will be out of one color, and I'm not sure if you can get the same effect... I guess I will just have to try it and see!

Here is one pattern repeat:

Not too hard once you decipher the whole thing!

I'm off to calculate and warp the loom!