Thursday, October 18, 2018

Lily of the Valley Draperies in My Cottage

I am positive I have blogged about the draperies in my guest room/dressing room but I cannot find it. The doorway of this room is opposite the doorway into my hall bathroom. I don't have a master bath and I never wanted one in my cottage. You can stand in the hallway and look one way and see this room and turn your head and see the window in my bath with the curtains made from the leftover fabric. Now, here is the backstory. Years and years ago, when my mother was still alive, we attended a garage sale in the yard of a fabulous old house. I circled and circled the table piled high with old draperies made from the most beautiful fabric printed with a lily of the valley design. I held them up, showed them to my mom, put them back, and continued looking at all the other items that was for sale. Finally, I decided I had to have them and brought the two pairs of full-length lined window treatments home. I knew I could probably alter them to fit my two windows and I did. This is a more recent photo I posted on Instagram. They are perfect in this room and a wonderful memory of a day with my mother.

I couldn't find any old photos of the way the curtains used to look in my bathroom when they hung straight down. The black rods were like the ones above in my guest room. I did find this photo showing just the hems. I also found this photo showing some paperwhites with the fabric in the background.

Thank you for all of your comments about my car repair and your concern for my predicament while it was inoperable. I am thrilled to have it back in my driveway and today I have to do some major food shopping today and thankful I don't have to go car shopping. xo

12 comments:

Betty said...

Seems older fabric is better quality and lasts forever. Every detail of your home is beautiful.

Unknown said...

The way light filters through your drapes (in the bathroom picture and the one showing the hems) is enchanting. Using either the same or similar fabrics in various rooms lends a comfort in the repetition, rather than each room being so dissimilar as to be jarring to the senses. Seems one's 'style' should surround a person in every room, even a work room such as the kitchen.

Content in a Cottage said...

Grace Frazier :: Grace, Thank you. I was fortunate that there was enough fabric left over for the small window in my bathroom. That's not always the case when cutting down already made draperies. The house mine came from obviously had much higher ceilings than my cottage. For me to have over three feet leftover after restyling must mean the house had twelve foot ceilings or were in a room with a cathedral ceiling. My cottage has ceilings that are four inches under eight feet. I did not notice that detail until I moved in and found my antique tall case clock was too tall for my living room and ended up in my kitchen. See photo in my sidebar.
xo, Rosemary

mia said...

Love your appreciation for giving a new life to older but usable home goods. It's so sad to clean out a home and not be able to find a new home for good stuff. You have a good eye for what's worth saving.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

What a beautiful picture and the fabric is indeed lovely. I have a pair of drapes made with a vintage Laura Ashley fabric that I hope to reuse in some way some day...some things are just too nice and have to be kept.

elizabeth s said...

I remember my mother's vintage drapes hanging in the living room. They had a huge Red Wax Flower pattern on them and at that time in the mid-late 60's I thought they were ugly.
Now looking back I have a new appreiation for their beauty and wish I knew then, that given time, you can learn to appreciate the very things you currently distain.

Unknown said...

Rosemary, I looked at the sidebar photo (you mentioned in your reply) of your antique tall case clock in the kitchen and thought what a lovely way to make working in the kitchen so much more pleasant. Surrounding oneself with those things that delight gives others ideas that they can use in their own homes. Your pictures of your home, as well as those found photos you share do just that. Thank you!

Content in a Cottage said...

Grace Frazier -- Grace, If you click on the photo of the clock in my kitchen, it will take you to the original blogpost and you can read about how I acquired the tall case clock. I love having it there next to my pantry and I love hearing it chime, especially at night.

Thank you for your kind words about the photos I post of my own home. I do a lot of internet searching to find the others. I am hard to please and everything I post is a reflection of my own taste.

You will love Hidden Cottages. I will wait until my PBS station shows Season 1 and Season 3. My viewing started with Season 2. Happy viewing.

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Mia Farrago -- The things you have made (sewed) yourself, have a life of their own and when you use them again when you move, they bring back memories of days gone by. Even if they end up covering a dog bed!
xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

La Vie Quotidienne -- I am sure you will eventually find a way to reuse your Laura Ashley drapes even if you use the material to make pillows. Yes, some things just have to be kept because they are too good to pass on to someone else. I always wonder what happens to the things I have gotten rid of that I made.
xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage said...

Elizabeth S -- You have to grow into your taste. I can remember making curtains for my kitchen when I was in my early 20s and I used ORANGE ball fringe. Yikes! I never particularly liked the furniture I grew up with and my taste evolved over the years as did yours.
The people that collect mid-century modern furniture probably have your mother's curtains now. They sound wild and wonderful.
xo, Rosemary

Unknown said...

Rosemary, As you suggested, I viewed your blog about finding and purchasing your antique tall case clock. The stories behind such finds truly fascinate, and I was captivated by your zeal and resultant persistence to give such a precious piece of the past an appreciative home.
The sound of the chimes in the night makes it feel as though the clock is standing night watch. Such a comforting way to go back to sleep.
Thank you for the story and sharing your enjoyment of your treasured clock.