Since I made my new year's resolution to not sell at craft fairs, I've been going through some of my craft fair display props and repurposing them for other things in my workroom. I thought this table skirt I made a few years ago from stripped fabric and a white frill would make a good window valance.
I originally made this for my booth display, as seen here at Indie Craft Experience 2009.
It was a basic job. I just turned down the top about 2 inches, measuring and pinning the whole way across. Then I sewed along the pins, so that I'd be able to thread a curtain rod through the top...
... ironed out the wrinkles ...
...threaded the curtain rod and mounted the rod holders on either side of the window. My apartment is really old, so you can see how the dry wall just crumbled the first 100 times I tried to drill the screws in. It took some cursing and persistence, but I finally made it work.
The finished product. I also hung the felt banner I made for my booth above the window. Nice and cozy!
After making countless hair bows this past year, I've identified one step in the construction that I really dread: hand sewing the back of the bow together before sewing on the snap clip. I would get piles of bows to this step, and then they would just sit and sit because I would put off sewing up the backs. Why do I dread it? Because there are many layers of fabric, a layer of felt and a knotted thread bunch under there, and I have to pass a needle point down, catch those layers, and pass the needle point right back up in one motion before pulling the thread through, without piercing through the front of the bow. Basically, it means that there is a ton of resistance and tension on the straight needle I use to do the job. I always have to muscle my way through it. 
I got the idea that maybe a curved upholstery needle would make the job a bit easier. I had never used one though, and wasn't sure if it would work for what I was doing. And then I would get under pressure to finish that pile of bows I mentioned earlier, and I wouldn't want to run out to the store or change up my process with a deadline looming, so I would just muscle my way through it with a straight needle yet again. 
Well, I FINALLY bought a pack of curved upholstery needles this week and gave one a try, and it worked like a charm! I am so excited that I can now use the curved needle to sew my bows without using my (huge) muscles. And it's much easier on my fingers too. Yeah!
