Curtains

First, thanks to Tazzie for some help getting my Q4P link back - we had a talk on the phone and figured it out by nicking someone else's code and changing the number. First time I've talked to Tazzie; I have met Heavens to Bettsy.

It is hot as hell and humid here today. You must get sick of me going on about it, but it really is almost unbearable some days. I was woken at 3.30am by a storm, and now there is another one coming, so had better post and get off the computer.

I have been hiding in the aircon all day fiddling around, and finally starting the curtains this afternoon. I have lived here for 18 months with no curtains or blinds downstairs, but I've finally given in. I'm not too keen on curtains, but I had to do something. These 2 doors that you see are each 3m wide. The one on the left is my "front door", and the one on the right leads out onto the deck at the front of the house. As you can see I have grey glass, which is great for the glare. During the day no-one can see in, but at night 'everyone' can see in. All they see is me cooking or sitting in front of the TV, so I haven't worried too much about it.

However, the neighbours told me recently that the rather 'unsavoury' fellow that was renting across the road had been looking into everyone's houses at night with binoculars. That sealed it. I was looking at a great sliding panel system at Ikea, but because of the bulkhead above the front door which is covering a steel beam, it wouldn't work. So I have been to the dreaded Spotlight to buy curtain fabric - what a disappointment. In the end I bought 14m of dark blue cotton denim from the dress material section, and have started today.

They are nice and dark, and I think they will be fine. I just want something that will sit quietly in the corner during the day, but will block out the neighbours at night, and the morning sun that comes in. I have just made them up as I go along with some curtain ring tape along the top which I might gather just a little to stop the rings dipping down and showing. I will wash them tomorrow and hang them by the rings to dry so I don't get peg marks on them. Then I will hem them after a few days. They are going to run, so the excess dye will dye the white tape blue, which will be good.

Probably not the way the Curtain Police would do it, but too bad! I'll try and get the other two finished tomorrow, then back to Daniel's Quilt. The sewing machine needs a service badly - it is doing something tricky down in the bobbin housing which looks ominous...