No-Sew Roman Shade

When it comes to repairing and remodeling our 100-year-old house, the structural stuff pretty much falls to Dan. The interior decorating is more in my domain. In our newly finished kitchen bathroom, I wanted something besides mini-blinds. And definitely something other than this...

My first idea was a louvered shutter, painted white. I fell in love with that idea but quickly discovered how expensive a custom shutter would be. Then we added a small wall cabinet, which would be in the way of opening the shutter to clean or open the window. So that was out.

After scouring the internet and bathroom books for ideas, I finally decided on a Roman shade. At least I can make one of these. I found an excellent how-to website (now gone) called Terrell's Designs, read everything on it, looked at the videos, did all the calculations, and then decided to give this a try. I also decided to buy all the accouterments locally, which proved to be more difficult than I thought. Then I remembered that my sewing machine is on the fritz (bobbin case needs replacing), and so looked for a plan B. Ah, what would we do without those plan Bs.

I found several tutorials on no-sew Roman shades using mini-blinds, but this is the one I used.

Day 753's second try at The Newlywed Diaries

It had good photos, which I find infinitely more helpful than descriptions alone.

Disassembling the mini-blinds

Gluing the strips into place to make the shade's folds.

I used a thermal panel instead of a new piece of fabric. Yardage-wise, I didn't pay any more for it, plus it's already lined, plus it means I'll only have to cut and glue two edges instead of all four. I wanted a thermal shade because the bathroom is both farthest from the wood heater, and has no air vent duct work from the heat pump. We gain a lot of heat in summer through the window, and lose a lot of heat in winter. So, I figured this would help.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Shade open.

Shade closed. The picture on the left is a counted cross
stitch of blue irises. It was an inexpensive thrift store find.

This remodel turned out well and I think the Roman shade is the perfect touch! You can see the whole thing (with before and after photos) over at my homestead blog ... Project Complete: Bathroom.

No-Sew Roman Shade © February 2011 

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Mystery Fiber Revealed

There were a lot of really good guesses to my "guess the mystery fiber" question. Nobody got it, but I have to confess that I wouldn't have either. The source of the fiber is ....

This is Baby, one of my goats. She is a Boer/Nubian cross. Boers are raised as meat goats, while Nubians are dairy. Spinners know that goat fiber comes from angoras, pygoras (angora/pygmy cross), or cashmere goats. But a goat like Baby???

Here's what I discovered about Baby.

Earlier this month she started growing a down coat. Neither of my pure blooded Nubians are growing one, so I'm guessing this is the Boer genes in her. This was the mystery fiber, which I hand plucked, just a little bit because I was so curious about it. She didn't have it when I first got her last May, so I'm guessing she'll shed it sometime in the spring. I will have to try to comb it out then and spin it. I'm very curious about what kind of yarn it will make!

Thanks for guessing!

Mystery Fiber Revealed © 31 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Mystery Fiber

Can you identify this mystery fiber?

HINT: It's not from any breed of sheep.

Give up? The answer is here.

Mystery Fiber  © 28 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

I've Actually Finished Something

Can you believe it? I've actually finished something. Is anyone going to faint from the shear amazement of it all?

This is a knitted afghan for the Linus Project, a failed stash reduction attempt, but a nice way to keep my finger in the creative pie. I started it last March, set it aside during the hot summer months, and was motivated to get it done before our October Guild meeting. Project Linus is my Guild's community service project, and is dear to the heart of several members.

It is knit in garter stitch, from side to side, changing colors rather randomly. This enabled me to just leave the ends dangling at the ends of the rows, and later come back and use them as part of the fringe.

I later found out that Project Linus really doesn't care for fringe as a finished edge, so I cut the fringes really short, in hopes it would be okay. If I'd had to otherwise finish the edge, it still wouldn't be done!

Hopefully things will settle down around here this winter and I'll have more time for knitting and weaving. Thanks to everyone who visits in spite of my sorry blog content. It's part of what keeps me going.

I've Actually Finished Something photos and text are © 14 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.

Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010

The official opening of the Blue Ridge Fiber Show was last Tuesday. I was on hand, with my camera, and wanted to share a few shots with you.

The show is being held in the Gallery of the Educational Center at the North Carolina Arboretum.

There was a really good turn out for this event.

With about 170 entries, I wasn't able to get photos of it all, nor take very good notes about the shots I did get.

Photos of the individual pieces as well as the prize winners, will be posted on the BRFS website in the near future.

The pieces were fantastic, as you can see. The show was hung by a member of the Arboretum staff and Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild members.

The educational component of the show features spinning by one of the Guild's study groups, The Blue Ridge Spinners.

Spinners always attract interested folks.

The other thing being featured, is weaving demonstrations on an old barn loom.

This loom has been fully repaired and restored by the gentleman on the right, weaver and WNCF/HG member Mikkel Hansen.

A few more shots of the entries.

Some of the prize winners. I wasn't able to get individual shots of these, unfortunately.

I did get photos of entries by fellow bloggers though. The ones I knew about at least! The book in the back left of this display is by Alice Schlein.

This is the back of the book (best shot I could get). It's actually a collaborative piece between Alice and Barbara Walker combining Jacquard weaving with ply-split braiding and book binding. It won Honorable Mention in one of the professional categories.

Another Jacquard entry by Alice, entitled "Hosta Mutabilis."

Another winner was by blogger Tien Chiu, (middle).

It's entitled "Eternal Love Wedding Ensemble." She won second place in the amateur constructed clothing division.

Blogger Sandra Rude entered two Jacquard pieces. The first is shown above and as an individual shot below.

"Oak at Sunrise"

Sandra's second entry, "Sunflower" ...

There was also an opening reception, for which my photos didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

The show runs through the end of November.  If you are in the western Carolina or eastern Tennessee area, plan to stop by!

Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010, text and photos, © October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal