Yes, it has been forEVER since my last blog post!

2018 was very busy for SK Designs; we had many wonderful client window treatment and bedding projects, attended a great drapery workroom trade show in October, added a commercial walking foot machine to our workroom, and are looking forward to 2019.

Here are a few of my favorite things from 2018:

Beautifully detailed pillows for a bed.  The green grosgrain ribbon is formed into a Greek key design on these Euro pillows and the neckroll has a reversible cummerbund wrap.

These dining room draperies remind me of liquid silver!  These panels are made from a beautiful silk fabric and feature a stunning embroidered band on the leading edge.  The trim and fabric work so well with the "oyster shell" finish of the drapery hardware.

Another gorgeous banding detail on these study drapery panels in the same beautiful home.  Bandings are very popular right now and come in wide variety of widths and styles.  They are so awesome!

One of my favorite projects of 2018 (below).  These custom arched rods complement the French blackout lined drapery panels in this stunning living room.  Love these!

The silk drapery panels below have a (sort of) funny story.  We had installed these somewhat recently and my client called me a while later to let me know that her dogs like to look out that window and they also tend to play a little in front of the arched window.  Guess what? They were playing and actually tore the fabric at the hem.  Now this was not a matter of the hem being tugged out of place; the fabric was actually split and torn!

Fortunately we were able to obtain more of the same fabric, and even more importantly, the dye lot matched perfectly!  So we replaced one width of the panel and added hold backs to keep the panels out of the way of playtime.  Mission accomplished!

 

We are in our fourth year of teaching a free after school Sewing Club at an area elementary school.  Here are a few photos from the fall semester.  Photo #1 shows some of my students.  SK Designs is also sponsoring a second Sewing Club at another school which has another great instructor (photos 2-4).

 Looking forward to a great 2019!

Specialty Details Projects

I know, I know!  It's been forever since I updated this blog.  I am finally taking some time to download photos from my 2012 fourth quarter projects so that I can add them to my website and portfolio, and thought I would share some of them with you.

Today you will see two different projects; the first is a shower curtain that features specialty detailing with ribbon.  The second project showcases a beautiful decorative curtain rod and centerpiece as well as ballet-style lacing on the silk drapery panels - lovely!

The first project shown is a simple white shower curtain for a small bathroom in a home built in the 1950s.  The patterned floor tile is original to the home, and features white as well as two shades of green.  To make the room feel larger, we used a white woven fabric with subtle 2" stripes.

To add color and interest, and to coordinate with the geometric floor pattern, we added solid green grosgrain ribbon in a decorative pattern around all four sides of the shower curtain.

Here is a photo of the top of the panel, a little closer up.  This also shows the stainless steel grommets used instead of buttonholes.








It is crucial to have perfectly straight lines and corners with this embellishment since every bend and angle is easily seen and noticeable!


Here is a closeup of the banding - the perfect added touch for this project!







The next project is for a dining room.  The homeowner was updating the entire interior of the home and he called me for assistance with the dining room window treatments.

As shown in the photo below, the original draperies and sheers had been mounted inside the frame of the shallow bay window.

The homeowner was very interested in adding some glamour to this room which is seen immediately upon entering the home.

He selected one of my favorite treatment styles from my window treatment idea book - yay!  I was looking forward to working on the drapery panels with a decorative ballet-style lacing at the top of the panels underneath the goblet pleats.

We decided to mount the new treatments to the wall area just above the window opening, which would add height and would provide the perfect area to include a decorative metal twist rod with a lovely centerpiece.  I used my Minutes Matter Studio software to create a to-scale rendering of his chosen design, which he approved.

By mounting the hardware above the window, we visually heightened the treatment, taking advantage of the available space.  Additionally, the panels hang on the outer edges of the window, allowing full clearance of the window which provides a more light and a wider view.  This placement adds drama and also balances the window treatment with the room's size.

 Below are photos of the rod finishes, styles, centerpieces and finials available from Amore' Hardware.  As it happens, I had a sample of one of the centerpieces on hand, which I have shown in some of my seminars for designers and decorators.  Therefore, the client was able to see the proportions of his chosen piece and could see how well it would fit in his dining room window area.

This hardware comes in numerous finishes and you can select the length of the pole on each side of the centerpiece, as well as each centerpiece and finial.  The components are all complementary and are basically a custom mix-and-match solution to fit your preferences.

The centerpiece shown on the bottom of the photo at left is the one that my client selected.  It was the perfect size to fit the area above his window opening.

Below is the finished project!  Unfortunately, my camera battery died at the installation and these photos are taken with my cell phone.  Still, you can see the specialty details which were selected for this project - I think it looks great!

Here is a closeup of the lacing which was applied below each goblet pleat.  The lacing is made from the same silk fabric that the drapery panels are made from, which allows the detail to be seen well, but not contrast with the treatment.

My client was very pleased, and so was I.  I love the combination of specialty details on this project and hope you do too!

There are many window treatment ideas in my "idea book" that I look forward to having a client select so that I can create a new project that makes their house a home!

Susan