Updated: Turning Store Bought Curtains into Custom Beauties!

About two years ago, I starting thinking about changing up my bedroom. I didn't really know where to start, but I knew I wanted to start using more high-end fabrics. You see, I used to have a big fat black cat...and homeboy liked to shed and punish me for working long hours. As a result, I always had darker cotton fabrics on my furnishings to hide his hairballs. Gross, huh?! Anyway, he moved on to greener pastures a couple of years ago...don't worry, he didn't die, he just literally went to a better home with more animals and people to play with him. As a result, I FINALLY got to redecorate. Yippee!!!

I started with some pretty red raw silk pillows and then found a set of matching curtains at Cost Plus that were on clearance...SCORE! I knew that I loved those fabrics and colors and that I wanted to design something classy around them. Here's my bedroom before:

Actually, rewind to 2003 when I first bought the condo...OUCH!
Blahgers, please don't judge me...I've learned A LOT since then!!!

I soon found a beautiful headboard, a duvet and shams from Anna's Linens, and a new comforter from Linens & Things during their going out of business sale. While I was updating my bedroom I found a gorgeous mirrored desk on JCPenney.com, too. My decorating was all happening at a bargain...again: SCORE! Then, I found the world's coolest art installation. You saw me blog about my stripe painting escapade and how I hung the gorgeous dresses. I loved everything now except for the fact that the red stripe went higher than my curtains...it was just too much for my little OCD heart to handle, so I decided to raise them and customize them!

When you have curtains that are too short, or maybe you've got a stain or a tear, don't throw them out! Instead, customize them and they'll look like a million bucks!!!

I started my project by running down to Big Y Yardage, a large fabric store known for a large selection of home decor fabrics. I didn't measure what I needed correctly and I very nearly cost myself a lot of money in mistakes. DON'T FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE...in building they say measure twice, cut once...the same should be true with fabric! Thankfully, I've got the world's craftiest mom and she saved the day -- hey, it's my blog, I get to make statments like that!

Now confession here...I may like to call myself the Queen of DIY, but the freaking sewing machine scares the crap out of me. When I was little, my mom always tried to teach me to sew, but I wanted nothing to do with it...so she birthed another girl child (who incidentally asked if she could take sewing lessons when she was FIVE -- what a show off).

We began by ripping out the seams in the curtains...working with raw silk is tricky and we needed to create french seams...don't ask me what that means, even though I watched, I had couldn't freaking figure out what she was talking about...I was like hablo ingles? PS - isn't my mommy cute?!

We then cut the new fabric into the right width to match up with the existing curtains. Then the sewing began. PS - don't be jealous of my mom's sewing and crafting room...okay, you can be a little jealous.

Ooooh looky here, the BLAH BLAH BLAHger at a sewing machine...can you feel the intense concentration?

Once we got the panels stitched together, it was time to add the trim. I posted recently about how I'm hooked on Fabri-Tac. I'm telling you, this stuff is from Jesus! I also made a valance and Fabri-Tac'd some jeweled trim on and I think the finished product is delightful!!! What do you think?

Isn't this room a remarkable makeover? And for the most part, it's all about fabric tecture! I'm so glad I didn't toss those curtains out because now that I have them customized, they just MAKE the room! I really think the room's look is all pulled together because of the curtains, but hey, it's just what WORKS FOR ME.

To see what works for other people, pop on over to the Works for Me Wednesday site and give a little love to my blog pals over there!!!