The joy of creating

I'm in the middle of a time where the creative life has taken a necessary back seat to more immediate needs...like working a full time job.  I have to be very intentional to make time for art.

This is not always easy but it sure does make me appreciate the projects I make time for, more than ever before.

Here's one that I've been daydreaming about doing for, literally, months: a curtain topper made from vintage handkerchiefs.  And I finally finished it on Sunday!

The first thing I had to do was clear off my sewing machine table so I could use it.  Then, I found some fabric I love in my stash, and cut out and sewed a ~50" scrunchy curtain rod cover from it.

If you ever do this -- give yourself about 3x as much time as you think you need.  You wouldn't believe how long it takes to turn the cover right side out once it's sewn!  My recommendation: don't use shiny, slippery fabric like I did!

 Next, I got out my two huge piles of vintage hankies -- I've been collecting them for years and years.

 It's always such a delight to thumb through them -- I love each and every one.

 They've been hand picked by me in antique and thrift store, or received as a gift.

 For the purposes of this project, I chose lots of dark blue to match my master bedroom, plus lighter blues, pinks, flowers, and lacy whites.

 Next -- even though the hankies were stored clean and pressed, I gave them all a good going over with an iron.  Since there were over 50 of them, this took a while.

Once that was done, I got to the fun part: assembling the curtain topper!

I used plain pins that I ran beeswax over, to make them slide more easily into the fabric.

I have a "studio", or craft room, but I always find myself doing my creating somewhere other than the intended space; in this case, it was my kitchen table!  I began by knotting the hankies on one end and pinning them to the rod/rod cover.

I pinned, rather than sewed, because I know I will have to take it all apart to launder it properly.  And, I felt it would be more versatile -- allowing me to move the colors and styles of hankies around.

It was very time-consuming, but I loved every moment of playing with my beautiful collection!

Included are a handkerchief from my home state of California, one I carried on my wedding day, and one with my monogram "L" on it.

Here's what it looked like, finished, prior to hanging.

 And, all hung up with the sun shining behind it!

 I love the look of each handkerchief's little "top knot" standing up.

 I cannot tell you how I was filled with peace and happiness when I'd made this dreamed-of project a reality in my home!

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