September 6, 2019
Dear Everyone:
Now that my new shutters are all in place, it’s time to tackle the issue
of the kitchen window. This
is not a large window, being roughly 36 inches by 36 inches, with a
piece that slides open on one side.
Or it did when the place was built back in 1988.
In the ensuing years, the window has developed a tendency to stick a
bit. So to open the window
and let a little fresh air in from time to time, I need to stand on a
step stool, or small ladder.
Reaching across the sink, I need to pull back on the “latch” while
simultaneously pushing to the left.
In other words, it takes both hands and both feet to open the
window.
As the window faces due south, it gets the afternoon sun.
So it needs to be covered.
Shutters and various blinds were out of the question for plenty of good
reasons. So I decided to get
a simple tension-spring curtain rod and some small curtains to cover the
window.
My first stop was at a Big Box Store that specializes in things one
might want for the bedroom, the bathroom, and beyond, which supposedly
includes the kitchen and window treatments in general.
As it happens, I did find a tension rod that would fit an opening
as “small” as 36 inches. And
I picked out a valance drapery about 52 inches wide and 16 inches long.
All well and good. But when
I got them all assembled and put up, it only covered about a third of
the window. And it didn’t
take long to discover that the afternoon sun beams merrily over the top
of the valance.
So it was on to Plan B.
The next chance I had, I swung by the Big Department Store, the one that
annually sponsors a well-known Thanksgiving Day Parade, and looked in
their “Home Department”.
Talk about lonely. They had
some beds, and some sheets and towels, and some crystal and dishes.
And a big Wedding Registry kiosk prominently displayed.
But not much else.
I have been informed by my Personal Shopping Assistant, “Jeannie”, that
the only things on display are things that sell quickly.
For things like draperies and furniture, they only have a desk
for ordering. And for that,
you might as well use their website yourself.
Next stop: Plan C.
I went to my favorite sewing and crafts store to look for likely drapery
material for a kitchen window.
Again, a few racks of quality samples to order from.
Apart from that, not so much.
It’s not that they don’t encourage Do-It-Yourself upholstery,
just that they only carry samples of fabric to be ordered, also online.
You can see where this is going.
On the one hand, one of the best-known online retailers tries to
guarantee “instant gratification” by delivering items to your door the
same day. They’re even said
to be toying with delivery-by-drone.
On the other hand, even the “Big Box” brick-and-mortar stores only offer
samples to choose from, then order things online to be delivered some
other time.
In the meantime, I decided to just look for some simple cotton fabric.
After all, we’re only talking about a kitchen window.
We’re not redecorating Buckingham Palace.
In next to no time, I found a lovely bolt of white cotton with a green
pattern of small vines and leaves.
And the bolt turned out to be 108 inches wide, almost twice the
standard of 44-to-56-inches.
So I only needed to buy one yard.
Plus it turned out to be on sale.
That, some white cotton thread and some bias tape all came to
less than $20.
I dragged all the sewing paraphernalia out into the living room and
turned it into a Sewing Project Room, complete with sewing machine and
ironing board. In a couple
of days, I had a pair of light curtains that fit inside the kitchen
window frame and keep that pesky sunshine outside where it belongs.
Mind you, this is only temporary.
Once the new windows are installed a couple of weeks from now,
I’ll be in a better position to decide how else I’d like to treat them.
In the meantime, small vines with leaves does the trick just
fine.
And, as long as it was so cheap, I may decide to change the windows with
the seasons. Right now, the
curtains go well with the summer florals outside.
As the décor changes to autumn, the windows may well change also.
After all, the sky’s the limit.
Love, as always,
Pete
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