~~~~DRESS YOUR WINDOWS UP IN STYLE~~~~ Romantic Shabby Cottage Chic Valances

~TWO MATCHING DRESSES FROM ROSS~

Sometime late tomorrow evening I'll be uploading pictures of my wee little studio for the "Where Bloggers Create III" Party.  I can't believe it, but this will be the third year I've participated in this exciting event!  I hope you'll come back by for another visit and see what's new! :)  

~WISPY COTTON FABRIC with EYELET~

One of the things I wanted to change in my workplace this year was the window treatments.  I have two windows in my studio that face north and I love the streaming light that comes in from the sun.  I had an idea of what I wanted but after visiting Tarjay (Target) and seeing what it was going to cost me for four Rachel Ashwell cotton embroidered panels I changed my mind.  Thirty dollars times four...one hundred and twenty bucks...NO THANK YOU!  Especially since I was going to have to cut the panels down...a lot!

~SWEET LACE TRIM~

Anyway...later that same day I visited our local ROSS Store and found the two white dresses you see at the top.  They were marked down from their off-price of $14.99 to $5.99 and the more I looked at them (extra large in size...the smaller sizes were only reduced to $9.99) I started turning over in my head the possibility of transforming them into valances!  For twelve bucks plus tax I was sure I could whack off the bottom parts of the skirts and use them for new window treatments on the cheap! :)

~CUT-CUT-CUT~

Here's what I did to get the look you see below:

 ~I'M LOVIN' THE LIGHT~

1.  First I determined the desired length I wanted for my valance(s) and measured up from the bottom of the pre-gathered skirt and snipped away (don't forget to add a seam allowance for the top.)

2.    I cut open one of the closed side seams and then serged/sewed the raw edges under.

3.  A turn-down casing was then made along the top edge wide enough for my chosen hardware.

4.  Because I had the top portion of the valance already made (they ended up being too tiny for the window) I merely slip-stitched by hand the prepared dress-ruffle onto the existing lace treatment on the underneath side!

(Just a Note:  The Battenburg Lace trim you see at the top was a collection of fireplace mantel runners I had on hand that were gathering dust.  I once worked for a company that sold them and had several that were still unused.  I stitched two separate runners together (or four runners/two for each window), added a casing to the top edge and wahhhh-lahhhh!  Done!  This is what I stitched the dress ruffle onto!)

I have plans for the other parts of the dresses!  In my tiny master bath I do have the RA curtains I just told you about and use them as a shower curtain drape.  I have four separate panels, but because the bath is very small they looked better split in half (like Priscilla curtains) and need a jabot in the middle.  The remaining dress fabric is such a close match to breezy the cotton Ashwell panels that it will be perfect for completing this other project.  

Hmmm...all for less than $20 (except for the Battenburg which I bought on 90% clearance when the store I managed was closing!) :)  Certainly less work and money than starting from scratch!

More transformations coming soon!

Love to you...don't forget to visit me tomorrow!