Entry #11 - Paper Valances and other nonsense

Today started out as any normal day would. (Are you scared yet?)

But then I got a wild hair and decided to make a pattern for the valance I've been wanting to sew for the Dining Room.

I started by cutting the bottoms out of two paper grocery sacks, cutting the side seam, and opening them flat.  Two of them were *almost* wide enough to cover the front of the curtain rod. This would be my pattern paper.

Working with one of the bags, I decided the natural crease near the bottom was perfect to use as a guide.  Then I grabbed a plate from the cupboard and taped a line across it.

 I alternated where the line fell (above the crease/below the crease) all the way down the paper.

I taped the two flat paper bags together and cut away the line.

 (Did you notice that I have a boo-boo?)  :-(

 I opened up both halves and taped it to the curtain rod.

When I stood back I didn't like what I saw. The curves were too drastic.  

I wanted something more subtle.  

Back to the drawing board.

This time I grabbed a pizza pan and placed the tape lower.  
Here, let me put the yardstick across the tape so you can see that I'm barely using the edge of the pan

Oh, and that pink fabric in the upper right of this photo on the right?  That was a fun project I did last week. I need to show that to you later.

 Again, using the crease (the pencil is pointing to it) as a guide I traced around the edge of the pan; first above the crease, then below it.

...all the way down the paper.

 Once I taped this paper valance up, I liked these curves much more. 

But then it was time to start supper.

 So while I was waiting for the beans to boil, I whipped up a batch of haystack cookies.

 These are the easiest no-bake cookies you will ever make.

First, melt a bag of butterscotch chips.

Then stir in some chow mein noodles (about half a bag...or use a can of them) and a couple handfuls of peanuts. I usually make these cookies when I have leftover chow mein noodles after a meal of chicken stir-fry. 

 

 

 Once they are mixed, drop them onto wax paper to cool.  Easy peasy.

I've spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between fixing bean soup and cornbread for supper, measuring and figuring up what sewing materials I needed and digging through my material stash to find some to use as lining/backing for my valance material.

The rain has begun. The weatherman says this will turn into snow overnight. Tomorrow will be a good day to stay inside and sew some pizza-pan valances.  

Unless the boys bring home a deer when they come back from hunting. Then all bets are canceled.

And as for this stash of jeans:

I have another project in mind for them.  :-)