No, seriously, it really is curtains! I had put my calligraphy adventures on hold intending to concentrate on my creative writing, so obviously I made some curtains instead. BUT, because I do not have any sewing skills, nor any money to cover an enormous bay window with something bespoke, I was reduced to ferreting around on Pinterest for ‘no money’ ideas. And so it came to pass that I made rag curtains! Yes, they probably will fall apart… or fall down by the time Autumn arrives [fall], but sew what? This window is south-facing and anything that hangs there is bleached white within weeks… and I cannot afford 2 metre width blinds… anyhow, I quite like them. I think they are rather jaunty. The material? An old cotton sofa throw and some cotton voile that I had left over from another project.
Riches to Rags…
More rags…
Knotty Problem….
I am also the proud owner of a useless carbuncle also known as a conservatory. Also south-facing. It has 14 windows. I wonder what’s going to end up hanging in there?
Meanwhile, it has been HOT. Weird. There are parts of my body that haven’t been exposed to the sun since 1976… no, I’m not going to model the rag bikini wot I made.
On that note, here is a picture of blue sky and some flax.
Wonky Words 
How innovative! Are they on all the lower half of all the windows? The neat thing is that you spent nothing and now have a bit of privacy without sacrificing the light! Well done you!! oxoxo
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Thank you, Savvy!! I have them in the lower half of the corners of the bay window. I just wanted a little privacy. The middle window is undressed, as I didn’t want to obscure the view. Also, they are on tension rods, so I can move them around. On grey days I can move them to the top half of the windows to let in more light. I might make a Winter version as well, as these are very summery!
Sx
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This is great idea, I may have to steal it for my studio/workroom which can be peered into by anyone in the rooms of the three houses opposite – sometimes one needs to pick one’s nose without fear the neighbours could be watching, and judging.
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Well exactly, Eryll!!! I don’t like being caught out either. Please feel free to steal, there are more examples on Pinterest where makers have knotted rags together to make longer curtains. It feels liberating not to be hemmed in by seams!
Sx
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What a fabulous idea! I must tell Indescribable as she’s been in her new house for two months now and STILL hasn’t got any curtains!!!
The blue sky and flax photo looks almost like you could be at the seaside. Only you don’t have any of that pesky moistness, stinky seaweed, and annoying holidaymakers! I approve.
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I thought it looked a little beach like too! Thank you, Mr Devine! We have pesky horse flies here…. but there is a strong scent of honeysuckle first thing in the morning, which is rather uplifting.
Please do spread the word about the curtains…. they can be made as long or as short as you want. It’s a great way of ducking out of an expensive purchase and gives you the freedom to chop and change colour schemes on a whim. And I am rather whimmy.
Sx
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I think they look splendid, Scarlet. Jolly well done … very Eliza Doolittle. I hope you are enjoying the unaccustomed warmth, and trust that the Devon mud is in abeyance for the time being.
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Apologies for my tardy reply, Mr Batarde… I got tangled up in some netting.
Regarding the mud: All was going well until today when I found myself following in the footsteps of a horse with chronic diarrhoea…
Sx
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Ick. Thank you for telling me, though.
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You’re welcome 🙂
Sx
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Well done! A nice look; very artistic and BO-HO!
“I’m not going to model the rag bikini wot I made”
Damn.
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Thank you, Mr Lax!
I am not yet bikini ready. And may never be bikini ready ever again. I am, however, oven ready
Sx.
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Oh! Splendid window dressing! I have a lacy net curtain in this room because people can see straight in and I don’t always dress formally when I’m in my writing corner.But most of the other windows are naked. I’d love to have filmy drapes or even knotty strips, but they’d be ripped to shreds in a day on the louvre edges.
(A tip for those wanting thermal-backed drapes: forget it! That latex backing perishes, especially in strong sunlight/heat.)
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Dinah – I’m fortunate inasmuch that I’m not overlooked at all – other than by a herd of cows peering over my fence. I wanted a little shade, and I also wanted my room to look a little more cared for, and I wanted some colour. I have some material for the conservatory now…. I might be gone for some time as I have 14 windows to care for… and I have to clean it all first!!
Sx
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“Carbuncle” is one of my favorite ugly words and I’m going to steal your Pinterest curtain idea for my kitchen’s south-facing windows. I love the idea of taking them down so easily. Thanks for the post! especially because now I don’t have to slog through that ooze called Pinterest.
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Amy – Yes, agreed, ‘Carbuncle’ is a good word! I shall have to write out some of the best ugly words in calligraphy!! Yay! Another series I can start and never finish! Maybe I should rename this site ‘Unfinished’?? Anyhow, please steal the idea! I love Pinterest, but I only go there when I need a solution, and I usually find one!
Sx
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As our back (side) door faced directly at our neighbours, I purchased some rather natty window film from B&Q – and it looks very good indeed! I have to admit, we are much more into geometric squares than we are the “La Boheme garrett” look… Jx
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The B&Q. Come for the natty curtains. Stay for the charming British colloquialisms.
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Monsieur Pain – Ha Ha! B&Q is a DIY store…. and now I will have to go and find out what B&Q actually stands for! I knew there was a reason I’d left the comments…. I knew they were going to be distracting!!
Sx
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Block and Quayle – HERE
Well, there you go. I’ve been in B&Q so often and never knew.
Sx
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Jon – Oh, the static window film looks interesting! I had to read the 4 bad reviews – they probably had damp in their houses, as damp removes static energy. Yep, and now I will probably spend the rest of the day window shopping in B&Q!
Sx
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That is a fun and genius way to do a window Scarlet!!!! Is this your window? I am loving it. But alas, the only thing I have would be bloomers. And I don’t think they will be big enough to do this treatment.
But I would love to be rolling around in the beautiful field right now.
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Please don’t roll in the fields, Mistress B!!! They keep cows in those fields – you’d end up with some unsightly stains on your beautiful clothes, as well as your bloomers!
Yes, these are my windows. I’d like to upgrade them with wooden frames as this would be more in keeping with the age of the house, BUT, as I can’t even afford curtains, this isn’t going to happen any time soon!
Sx
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That is a fabulous idea, Scarlet! You could use silk scarves for a light, airy and colourful version. Perhaps in winter, when it is cold (do you get much snow?), you could loop some woollen scarves around the rods for a homey, snuggly curtain that would be certain to keep out the chill. 😉 But in all honesty, it looks brilliant. Well done!
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Ponita – Yes, my thoughts exactly! I will probably change the material for winter as I reckon these ones will look odd come Christmas time. I might do something in red and green and gold tinsel – that’s got to be done, hasn’t it?!
Sx
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The curtains are very bohemian and creative. The skies and fields look stunning. Enjoy the warm weather and bright sunlight. Summer is half over and winter comes too soon (and sometimes, stays too long).
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Thank you, Mr Swings!!
To be fair the heat is making me a little bit grumpy now, which is silly because we don’t often have weather as glorious as this and winter will be back before I know it. So, I’ll slap on the sun cream and get on with it.
Sx
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Methinks this isn’t the first time you’ve tied knots. That’s a very interesting skill you’ve developed.
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Monsieur Pain!!!!! Ha Ha HA!!!!! This new skill will come in handy should I ever wish to strangle anyone!!!
Sx
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Galloping Gibbons !
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Mitzi – The things I could have done with her headscarves!!! Imagine! I could have dressed all the windows in Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, and had some left over for Clarence House!
Sx
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I think it is a good idea. Excuse me please – this does not sound too excited, but it is of course not showing a lack of admiration for your decoration abilities. In German one would talk about “Sekundärverwendung”, what I can not translate now.
But what piques my curiosity is the angle of the room : These windows do not form a 90°, rectangular corner, but an acute angle – what leads to the question whether you live in a Renaissance house or a kind of stellar fortress ?
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Mr Mags – I believe the angles of the windows have been compromised due to my dodgy photography! But, yes, I live in a fortress.
Sekundärverwendung – I think you are referring to recycling?
Sx
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This is spooky, I’ve just spent the last week fiddling around with no-money curtain ideas – are we related? xxx
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Lulu – I bet yours are fabulous – can we have pics? I nearly made burlap blinds, but was put off by the potential fraying situation and didn’t want to be hoovering up burlap fluff for the next six months. Maybe I’ll reconsider this and use burlap for my Christmas window dressing.
Sx
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Back during the last century I recall using newspapers to cover windows in a no-money way. It was a temporary fix that was not called a life hack. Those curtains you made look much better than newspapers would no matter what the news was. My wife is big on room darkening shades that she made awhile ago. I think the room gets too dark.
Do you think the royals would have any extra material left over from that big wedding weeks ago? Now some of that knotted on a tension rod would look great. “Knotted on a tension rod” – that could be an expression for something
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Bill – I like that – Knotted on a Tension Rod – it sounds like it should have been the title for this post! And also for some kind of bizarre mystery novel… or a line in a poem.
Sx
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So, making unusual curtains from left-over bits of material. Come on, admit it, you pinched the idea from Blue Peter. We were left a full set of curtains and blinds by the previous owners when we moved into this house so curious passers-by can easily be thwarted. Not that I really care if someone takes a good look at my bookshelves or my mantelpiece ornaments.
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Nick – From Pinterest! Which is kind of like Blue Peter, but without presenters. And it’s not yet on the telly.
I don’t have passers-by, but I needed a little bit of shade from the sun. I have a rubber duck on my mantelpiece 🙂
Sx
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The curtains look fab! Very resourceful, Miss Scarlet.
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Thank you, Ms Mistress!! And it’s lovely to see you!
Sx
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Love it.
Xxx
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Thank you, Mr Cheen!!! Lovely to see you, as well!
Sx
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We’ve got hooked on BBC “Money for Nothing” where Sarah Moore does arty stuff with tip finds. Several of the hipster artisans she uses charge “I saw you coming” prices but she herself is in your class of creativity.
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Welcome, Mr Good! Lovely, and a Joy, to see you here! I love that programme – I wish I was as creative as Sarah, she is so clever. One of my problems is that I’m bone idle…. I have furniture in this room that I’ve been meaning to paint since 2013. I was waiting for a sunny day, but now it’s too hot.
Sx
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Although I still keep my Harris Tweed swimming trunks in readiness for any beach posturing I might undertake, like you, I don’t feel the urge to don them and purchase an ice-cream cone in full view of other lounge lizards on holiday. I was worried when I read the word “Curtains” that you were thinking of retiring from the Blogosphere because, believe me, that would cause genuine sadness in the world of Countingducks, but I am pleased to see it refers to your interesting and colourful craftsmanship. More please 🙂 ( possibly cushions as well ),,,,,,,, 🙂
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Do not worry, Mr Ducks, I am not going anywhere! There might be a lull in proceedings due to the very peculiar weather, but I will always be here.
Harris Tweed swimming trunks, you say!! Very Vivienne Westwood. I’m impressed.
Sx
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[off-topic. sorry.]
In the World Cup games, are the England fans chanting/singing God Save The Queen throughout their games? In a large space like that the sounds are muddled to me. Just curious.
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I actually haven’t watched any of it, Mr Lax…. not because I don’t want to, but because I am not allowed. When I watch England ALWAYS lose, I am a losing curse. So I have been sunbathing in the garden instead.
I imagine that the fans are singing this: THIS, which is rather jolly.
Sx
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I think they’ll sob “You never walk alone” next Wednesday evening …
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Mr Mags…. at least we have Wednesday 🙂
Sx
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It looks great!
I see these good ideas on tv or pinterest or whatever but when i try to use the ideas it looks like, well, it would look like i hung rag at the window or used rubbish to make a table or fell over with a can of paint in my hand.
Just FYI, I told my kids I got an idea for a recipe from pinterest and they howled with laughter “doesn’t everyone use instagram now??”
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