Thanks to all of you who helped out with your votes on fabric choices. Although it was helpful to have your opinions, I did not listen to you....not even you, Mom. I do love the black and white damask and am starting on new ideas of where to use it, but with the help of my designer extraordinaire friend, Shannon, we chose the paisley fabric. Shannon came over to look at the room and the fabrics in context with the wall color, furniture, and art ideas and helped us realize that the paisley would offer the most interest and give it a real designer look.

I got the fabric from a store, which shall remain nameless, no thanks to an unhelpful 80-year-old-Madge. The fabric happens to be a decorator fabric, which means that it is extra wide - nice feature for making curtains, but it is also extra heavy and thick - not so nice feature for an amateur sewer (I can't even call myself an amateur seamstress). I've sewed and ripped out something like 15,000 seams.

(This is exactly the look on my face...I feel your pain, 19th c. lady)

The main problem is that I'm trying to use a blackout liner that is very stretchy, slippery and thick. The combo of the fabric and liner is just too thick for my machine....or my brain - not sure which one. I actually broke a needle because I'm having to pull on the fabric to feed it through. I hate to do it , but I'm going to scrap the liner and just attempt to hem the fabric. At this point, I just want the curtains to be done. But, like a fool, I also decided to do a grommet top instead of a rod pocket, because apparently, the project wasn't hard enough for me yet. I'm intent on the grommet top because I love how it looks, but we'll see if I can accomplish it or not.

Are there any home-ecy types out there that know a thing or two about making curtains and also live near me? I would love some advice and/or help. For that matter, I would not turn a way a volunteer curtain maker.... I'll make you Ebelskiver pancakes!!

The rest of the room is coming together and I'll be posting pics once everything is in and finished.