It occurred. I (mainly) met my deadline to deal with the curtain situation in my eating room by the tip of January. To say I’m happy with myself is an understatement—sure, even when I really, technically, did this complete mission begin to end, beginning on February 2 and taking a not that nice photograph (extra on that down beneath) on February 3, all of the whereas figuring out a publish about it was attributable to go stay on February 4. And whereas I don’t suggest that type of stress for anybody, particularly when it’s your birthday, your child is sick, and your loved ones is juggling some unexpected annoying conditions, what this proved to me is {that a} mission I’ve been toiling over for months, heck, even years, solely took a number of hours to complete. Typical.
However first, let me rewind for these of you becoming a member of us on this subject late.
This was my eating room till yesterday morning. It’s completely wonderful, however the cafe curtains I made after shifting in weren’t working for me for a large number of causes. In brief, they have been, properly, too brief, inflexible because of the incorrect material alternative on my half, and didn’t go well with a window of this measurement.
I went on a journey in this publish exploring attainable options, and within the course of, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a glance I ended up loving. In fact, it was only a Photoshop mock-up, and I knew the real-life model was going to be slightly totally different, but it surely was thrilling to have a plan after two years of being in fashion limbo.
Right here was what I mocked up, utilizing these curtain panels from West Elm within the colour Mulberry:
The delicate, mauvey-clay pink appeared like a pleasant bridge from the nice and cozy wooden tones within the furnishings and ground to the colour palette of the rug. They matched the sunshine blush petals properly. As I discussed within the publish, we’re doubtless not staying right here for for much longer, so I didn’t need to spend money on costly curtains, and a brand new DIY offered itself.
Right here was the plan: Take white cotton curtains I had stashed away in a cupboard, dye them an analogous colour, and grasp them with a curtain rod I additionally had mendacity round within the storage. Spending $30 on dye and some hours of my time appeared like a well-worth it experiment to save lots of $300 on ready-made panels.
The Dye Coloration Choices
Rit dye’s web site has a nice part the place you may choose a really particular colour, and it offers you the precise coloration components to get there. I dug by way of the pinks, reds, and browns to seek out one thing to match the West Elm curtains. I ought to word that I took a zoomed-in photograph of the material from the model web site and used that, which was really rather more terracotta than the pinkish hue seen above.
These have been the 4 colours I thought-about. I preferred the steadiness of Ruddy Crimson, the subtleness of Sangria, and the depth of Mahogany. Finish of Street felt a bit too brown to me, however SPOILER, looking back, I believe it was the higher colour. Let’s maintain going, and also you’ll see why.
So off I went to Michael’s to seize some bottles, and whereas I used to be there, I made a decision to go a bit rogue and in addition get a bottle of the colour eggplant. I trusted Rit’s colour combo directions, however thought {that a} little bit of eggplant may add a contact of plum to the completed outcome, and that appeared attractive to me.
My curtains have been cotton, so I used to be in a position to make use of the All-Objective product, although take word that in case you’re dying something artificial, they’ve a distinct dye for that. I additionally deliberate on utilizing my top-loader washer as a result of I didn’t know one other solution to maneuver the dimensions of draperies. I might additionally like so as to add that I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE AND WAS KIND OF TERRIFIED.
This terror saved me from beginning the mission for 2 weeks. Each time I considered getting my provides collectively, I might freeze after which discover one thing else to do. Avoidance is my coping mechanism, for higher or for worse (largely for worse). Each time I noticed these bottles the place I set them on my eating desk in ready made my coronary heart skip a beat in a not-so-fun method. Look, I’m fairly succesful. I can sew, paint, prepare dinner, do crafts, construct furnishings, put up wallpaper, and so on., however dyeing material is extremely everlasting, and it had me shook for some motive.
However then February 2 got here round, and I knew it was do or die (die = miss my deadline and disappoint my beloved Jess, who wanted this publish for as we speak). I took a deep breath, grabbed the curtains from the upstairs linen closet, and simply started working.
Lastly, Dyeing the Curtains
I’m not going to enter each element of the dying course of as a result of the step-by-step is unbeatable on the Rit web site (see that right here), however I’ll contact on the broad strokes.
I began by washing the curtains to take away mud or grime from hanging in my earlier dwelling for years. Additionally, placing damp or moist material into the dye is finest for getting a good utility.
In they went. As soon as the cycle was performed, I eliminated them, began a brand new cycle with scorching water, and waited for the drum to fill all the way in which. I adopted the directions for diluting the dye with boiling water in a stainless-steel bowl previous to including it to the drum. You additionally need to dissolve a cup of salt in one other bowl of boiling water so as to add to the laundry. I missed this truth in my prep and needed to cobble collectively some pink Himalayan sea salt with some coarse gray salt I had in my pantry. Not ultimate, but it surely’s what I had, and I didn’t need to need to run to the shop in the course of the mission.
Pouring such concentrated dye into my washer was nerve-wracking, however the web site swore up and down it wouldn’t stain. I let the curtains sit within the dye water for about quarter-hour earlier than closing the lid to begin the cycle. They need to be within the answer for half-hour minimal, an hour max. Proper earlier than the rinse cycle, I ended the machine and gave them one other 5 to 10 minutes to essentially give the colour time to set. The longer they sit, the darker they get. For me, it was like the way it feels to be within the chair on the hair salon with the intention of solely getting a trim, and all of the sudden you hear your self saying “take all of it off” to the stylist. Like…why do I do this sort of factor? Extra isn’t at all times extra.
The photograph on the proper is what they appeared like moist after the primary rinse. You’re presupposed to do one other wash with some delicate detergent, which I did. I wasn’t certain how a lot dye would wash out, so I used to be nervous. At this level, I saved saying “belief the method, belief the method” to myself incessantly. When mixing the colours collectively, I ended up including three capfuls of the eggplant, and puzzled if I ought to have performed extra as they appeared fairly crimson.
The Massive Reveal
After drying, ironing, and hemming, right here is the ultimate outcome:
Please excuse the poorly lit photograph. I actually wished to snap this with the attractive morning gentle that streams into this room, however I didn’t handle to get every thing up till near 2 pm, once we lose gentle due to the shade the bushes solid.
I did tidy up however didn’t do a lot by way of styling or fussing, so that is undoubtedly not a lot a “reveal” as it’s a “hey, look what I did” photograph snapped with my iPhone. You might discover that the bracket for the French curtain rod is horizontal. People, it needs to be vertical; nonetheless, as I used to be placing it up, I spotted that, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I didn’t have sufficient clearance between the highest of the window and the ceiling. With no time left for errors, I simply turned them to the aspect and moved ahead. This meant that I couldn’t use the middle help, nonetheless, and I used to be crossing my fingers that the rod can be robust sufficient at this width to not sag with out it. To date, it’s holding and feels tremendous sturdy, thank goodness.
So…Do I Like It?
Right here’s the large query: What do I take into consideration the completed outcome? Properly…I’m actually unsure. A number of issues I like: The size of the curtains feels much better suited to the dimensions of the window, and the room feels a lot better balanced. I can see now that I wanted full-length draperies right here the entire time, and the cafe curtain was a miss that I attempted onerous to make work unsuccessfully.
What I don’t love? Properly, the colour itself. Possibly it was the eggplant I went rogue with and added in that threw all of it off, possibly I allow them to sit too lengthy, or possibly I picked the incorrect colour to start with, however they’re tremendous saturated and a bit extra crimson than I wished them to be. Sure, I can acknowledge that the colour does intently match the swatch from the Rit web site, however at this huge scale, it’s a bit overwhelming. In a quieter room, with fewer red-hued wooden tones, I believe I’d actually like them. However to my eye, all of it feels too crimson and heat. The room wants some cool-toned steadiness.
Finally, despite the fact that my finish outcome isn’t precisely what I wished, I’m extremely impressed with the dye and the method. The panels are evenly dyed, saturated, and appear to be they have been at all times this colour. I might by no means have a look at them and suppose they have been white earlier than, which is fairly cool, tbh. I’ll undoubtedly be far much less scared to do that course of once more for one more dwelling mission sooner or later.
The plan is to depart them up and allow them to be. They’re very fairly, simply overwhelming to my eye on this explicit house. If we have been staying for one more yr or two, I’d take my two remaining white panels I’ve saved away and go for a lighter pinky brown colour, reasonably than this deep rusty crimson. However for now, it’s not less than higher than what I had (to me, and in case you disagree, be at liberty to maintain that to your self).
In order that’s it. I’m glad to reply any questions you may need concerning the dye or the method, and welcome any normal insights, as properly. Thanks for following alongside on this curtain journey with me.
Till subsequent time, buddies…
