Polished Pewter Drapes & Tiffany Style Lamp

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again.  I ran out of material to make all the valances for the three windows in the North Bedroom.  What to do?  What to do?  I guess the answer was always right in front of my nose . . . forget the valances, go with the panels and sheers only, and let the beautiful wood work shine through.  The door and window trim throughout the house features a daisy design, stems and leaves--spoon carved.  The daisy design is repeated as a focal point in the arched spandrel in the east bay in the living room. 

Another problem I worked out--I had a little trouble with the fabric stiffness--which made it difficult to puddle on the floor. so I abandoned the idea of puddling/piping the hem, and instead added a 3 inch hem--taking it right to the floor.  Doing that allowed the rounded folds to hold their shape. 

My mistake:  Truth is I first wasted fabric making piping for the drapery panel hems . . . fabric that could have made it possible to complete the valances.  Those mistakes are good lessons learned.  Cut the panels first, the valances second, and if enough material is leftover then make piping.

The bed spread is crochet and is ivory to match the woodwork, and sheers.  I did have a lucky day finding the diamond pattern ivory sheers.

Today, I washed the windows, lightly sanded the woodwork, primed with Zinzer.  I'll let it dry, and next weekend paint two coats of ivory semi-gloss.  Jon changed out the receptacles and light swtich to gray color, and I finished installing the pewter finish switch plates.  I don't know why, I never seem to do things exactly in the right order.

Yesterday I found a beautiful queen sleigh bed, box springs, and mattress.  Actually it is the same color finish as the thrift shop table above.  Dark, but with warm tones.  For months I've been looking for a bed.  I saw lots of fancy ones with lots of carvings--but the carvings turned out to be "molded pieces" . . . i.e. "plastic".

The sleigh bed won't be delivered until the end of February because I want to paint the north bedroom floor.  They have been painted floors for a long long time.  I'm going to try my hand at painting the floor "faux bois finish", like the downstairs woodwork was originally painted by artisans. 

Here is a nice little table purchased a couple weeks ago at a thrift shop.  I paid $15.  The silver pitcher found for $6.00 at Galesburg Antiques Mall, and the little silver birds at Furniture Phases in Appleton--$3.00 for the pair.  The Tiffany style lamp I bought early last summer at Brass Butterfly near Weyauwega.