Number 11- make a roman blind

The windows are funny in this house. The bedroom windows are dormer windows so there is not much room for curtains and the curtains we used to have let a lot of light in as they didn't sit flush with the sides of the window. So we took them down as I said I would make a blind for the window. And for the next three years we had a flexipole inside the actual window space ( I am unsure of the actual technical name so please use imagination) and I hemmed a piece of blackout blind and hung that from the pole. I made two little straps to hold the 'blind' up during daytime. I can confirm the whole caboodle was more makeshift  camp than shabby chic.

In 2010 I bought some lovely material from Ikea for this hallowed roman blind. And the material stayed in the bag for about 6 months. I think my problem is that I do not really like practising anything. I just like to 'do' (I admit it- I am impatient.) and I also lack faith in myself. Which is a terrible vicious circle and tends to go something like this.....

'oh I could start that roman blind... but it is for the bedroom and I don't want to mess it up... I don't think I can do it.. I could have a dummy run... but then I am left with a roman blind that I don't need... why don't I think about it and have a cup of tea.' 
Repeat to fade.

Anyway- one day late last year ( I think possibly the timescales for this might be slightly out of the remit of this list- but hey-ho) I decided to do it. Just do it. I had at least 3 patterns telling me how to make a roman blind so I utilised all three and got in a right mess. In the end I made an SOS call to the sewing (and knitting) support that is JGS's mum and she guided me through and helped me a lot (Muchas gracias)..... And the finished product does look lovely.  In hindsight (and I am going to have to make another one as the makeshift camp blind has been recycled and is now downstairs in the dining room as I took the curtains down to decorate and declared I would make another blind and bought the material) I think I would just cut the material to the desired fit and sew the tape/insert rods/hang. All the fuss about 'cutting the lining to form a tube' tipped me over the edge.

So.... I finished the blind........ did I go home and put it straight up? No, because in the (very long) meantime between thinking/doing/finishing blind JGS had knocked out a portion of the bedroom (on purpose- not in a fit of fury) which subsequently needed plastering and I got all precious about the blind and I quote 'do not want it covered in plaster dust after it took me so long to make' So it stayed rolled up in the corner and we continued as we were with our makeshift camp window dressing system. Until a couple of weeks ago when I decided 'enough was enough' ( and the plastering had been done) and I demanded JGS fetch his drill and help me put this masterpiece up........

I think it looks lovely and I am really proud of it- although the photos are not that great (difficult angle) and I can report that since the blind has been up it has got comfortable- in that the drop has 'dropped' and the whole thing sits much better.

Anyway- I intend to make another one in the (very near) future so watch this space.... In the meantime here are some gratuitous 'up and down' roman blind shots...