The title of this post might be a clue of what is to follow. This post might even be considered a rant, but please allow me to blow off some steam and let you know that not all of my projects go smoothly. Most of them lend a little frustration to the mix and some of them make me wonder why I ever thought I could do them. Can you relate? Please tell me you can.
This is one of those projects that should have taken me a couple of hours, maybe even four, instead of the insane amount of time and FRUSTRATION it did. But, it is done and it serves the purpose I need it to without being perfect (most projects in my world never come near perfection!)
As you may recall from previous posts, this door started out a half of a set of french doors we removed when we did the master bath remodel. Here it was in a previous life--well, not really, this is a remaining set of french doors off the living room, but they were the same exact doors to begin with--you get the picture, hopefully. (No pun intended there.)
It was a nice door in that state, but I saw a chance for a project and I took it. The first change I did about a year ago. I painted it black and distressed it (sanded some of that nice, new black paint right off of it). Next, I put velum paper on the glass panels with a no-show adhesive. It was the look of frosted glass and I was happy--for a little while. The problem was a vent under the door. When the door was open, which was 99% of the time, it was directly over the vent. The adhesive dried out and the paper got a giraffe spotted look--not cool. That is the history of this latest project (sorry for some repetition of facts from prior posts).
A couple of week ago I went to Hancock Fabrics and found exactly what I was looking for--a flecked, natural colored canvas. The best part of the find was that the fabric was only $3.00/yard. Yipee skippy! I also decided to pipe the edges in a matching piping and bought four packs. Yeah! I was glad to get the four packs I needed because it was all they had. I planned to velcro the fully self-lined panel to my door and bought $10.00 worth of velcro. WOW, is that stuff ever expensive. I thought I bought self-sticking velcro, but more about that later.
Last Thursday afternoon I decided to tackle this project and knock it out by the time hubby got home from work--wishful thinking.
Because I love professional details even though I am not a professional in any shape or form I decided it would be cute to notch out this simple rectangle panel with a cutout for the door handle. Fatal mistake! I made a little pattern, like my mama taught me, out of newspaper for just that section of the panel and measured carefully down to where it should begin to notch out. The measurement of 38-1/2 inches was where the notch should have began. Everything was cut and I began to apply the piping. I finished the first side of the panel. Oh it looked so cute with that notch. At this point, being only slightly impatient I just had to see what it was going to look like at the door. I held it up to the door and the notch wasn't falling in the right spot and I thought, "well I have it upside down". I turned the panel and that didn't work either. It was then that I discovered, instead of beginning the notch at 38-1/2 inches, I ended the notch at 38-1/2 inches! I was so disappointed in myself for wasting my $6.00 worth of fabric, cause that is just the way my mama raised me, and I tried every which way to make this mistake work. That wasn't going to happen.
Reluctantly, I decided to go spend another $6.00 and make it right. WRONG! When I got to Hancocks, the fabric was now $12.00/yard. The same exact fabric! I asked the sales clerk about the price difference and she just looked at me, like I was the crazy woman I was, and had no reply. I searched for a hour in that stupid store trying to find another bolt of that fabric that was $3.00/yard. Angry, I left the store determined to make my mistake work. My mind was a whirlwind of ideas that wouldn't work. The next day I went back to Hancocks and decided to purchase the $12.00/yard fabric and get another pack of piping because I had used a pack on my failed attempt. Now they are out of the piping because I bought all they had the first trip. Okay.....staying calm I went next door to Hobby Lobby where I thought I could pick up the piping. Wrong....they don't even carry the color. Home again, empty handed, I go. I called Joann's Fabrics and they had the piping and I was hoping that they would have the $3.00/yard canvas too. No, they do not. But, I do buy the piping, and a cute little planter, that was half price, and a Easter egg wreath that was 70% off. This project is getting more expensive each time I have to go to another store!
Reluctantly, I decided to go spend another $6.00 and make it right. WRONG! When I got to Hancocks, the fabric was now $12.00/yard. The same exact fabric! I asked the sales clerk about the price difference and she just looked at me, like I was the crazy woman I was, and had no reply. I searched for a hour in that stupid store trying to find another bolt of that fabric that was $3.00/yard. Angry, I left the store determined to make my mistake work. My mind was a whirlwind of ideas that wouldn't work. The next day I went back to Hancocks and decided to purchase the $12.00/yard fabric and get another pack of piping because I had used a pack on my failed attempt. Now they are out of the piping because I bought all they had the first trip. Okay.....staying calm I went next door to Hobby Lobby where I thought I could pick up the piping. Wrong....they don't even carry the color. Home again, empty handed, I go. I called Joann's Fabrics and they had the piping and I was hoping that they would have the $3.00/yard canvas too. No, they do not. But, I do buy the piping, and a cute little planter, that was half price, and a Easter egg wreath that was 70% off. This project is getting more expensive each time I have to go to another store!
I went back to Hancocks for what might easily be the third or fourth time now and bought the fabric. I came home and made a full-blown pattern of the door and I cut out the fabric for the second time. I began to sew the panel and piping only to realize that when you add piping to a seam, it sucks up the fabric like you cannot believe. I continued but realized that my measurement will be off now because of that professional detail called piping. Oh well, I thought it would be okay I am seriously praying it will be because if it isn't I going to have to cry a lot! I am about finished when my needle in my sewing machine comes loose and stays in my fabric. Oh, I'll just lower the machine and tighten my needle back in and everything will be fine. Wrong. With the next stitch, my sewing machine made a noise I had never heard and I thought, this cannot be good. Oh well, I'll just take my machine to Charlie and wait a FEW MORE DAYS to finish it. When I took my machine in, Charlie thought something was wrong with the bobbin case and then he looked at the needle--I had not put the needle high enough in its slot before I tightened it! I walked out of the sewing machine store, with my tail tucked and I came home and finished sewing the panel. FINALLY.
The panel is finished, I just needed to attach the velcro. I took the velcro out of the box and found only one side of the velcro is self-adhering. I read the instructions which I should have done in the store and they indicated the other side is to be sewn on. No can do. The panel was finished. I headed back to Hancocks for the umtenth time and I bought some fabric glue for $4.98. I came home to glued it to my panel and I only had enough of the $10.00 velcro for ONE SIDE! Luckily this time I had a 40% off coupon, but now I also had to buy another bottle of fabric glue too! Back to Hancock's. I stopped counting how many trips to the fabric stores I made for this project and gas is so cheap these days too.
If you are still reading this enormously long blog post, God bless you. Maybe now you'd like to see the incredibly plain looking result of the above story. Here it is, as you enter the room.
If you are still reading this enormously long blog post, God bless you. Maybe now you'd like to see the incredibly plain looking result of the above story. Here it is, as you enter the room.
Here it is from inside the room.
Here is the notch that drove me crazy and cost me an extra $25.00! Gotta love those professional details.
Here is the cost factors in this project you are never to mention this to the hubby
Fabric, the first time $6.00
Fabric, the second time $25.00
Piping, now needed 5 packs (I cannot remember)
Velcro $20.00
Fabric Glue $10.00
The experience mindless priceless(?)
So the next time you stop by, please go to the bathroom. Lie to me and tell me you think it is the best project EVER! I am glad I stuck with it and learned to be patient with myself. An especially big thanks for reading this loooong post. Robin
I am linking to A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words http://diane1876.blogspot.com/2011/05/2nd-time-around-victorian-ewer.html#links
Southern Hospitality
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