Shelbee on the Rags: “Bohemian Ragsody” Rag Curtain
The first two rag curtains that I created, Bohemian Blues and Aqua Allure, were made exclusively for me for practical use in my home. I created the third curtain, Saved from the Landfill, for no one in particular. I just had a bag of old kids’ clothing that was destined for the donation bin and I figured it would make better art than hand-me-downs.
Throughout the process of crafting with fabrics and textile scraps, I started saving all the little odds and ends and bits and pieces that were “irregular”, meaning they weren’t smooth, seamless cuts of fabric. Then I got the idea to use all of those odd bits in one giant colorful curtain. But before I began the curtain, I visited my dear friend Denise at Solitary Consignment. She had recently renovated and updated the aesthetics of her shop and she conveniently needed a refresh of her fitting room curtain. I showed her some photos of the three curtains I had completed and asked if she might be interested in a very colorful rag curtain to adorn her fitting room doorway. Of course, she said yes because she has incredible taste! And so Bohemian Ragsody was born.
This would be my very first “commissioned” curtain and it looks amazing in her shop! In fact, she has already commissioned a second curtain, a very wide valance style curtain to frame out the whole front wall of the store. I am just waiting for her to gather enough unwanted clothing that she will be contributing to the project to cut the cost. Yes, I will definitely lower the cost of a curtain if I don’t have to purchase the fabrics myself.
This curtain used much thinner and smaller strips of fabrics than the ribbon style pieces I used for Bohemian Blues so it required a lot more tying, thousands upon thousands of knots to be exact. The strands for this curtain are more like a rope style than a ribbon style which gives them a bit of stretch and bounce. Because this was made for a fitting room, I needed to ensure that it was not opaque so I added a second rope strand to each of the initial ones. It ended up being too heavy for the skinny curtain rod that I began with and I had to subsequently remove each strand and attach it to a thicker, sturdier curtain rod. Before the extra rope strands were added, the curtain looked more like Saved from the Landfill.
And here she is installed at Solitary Consignment. She looks perfect in her forever home!
I think it would be cool to make “Memory Rag Curtains” as well using old unwanted clothing with personal meaning attached. Similar to the Memories in Tie Dye wall hangings that I made from our old tie dye tee shirts. We do love our tie dye so capturing the sentimental value of old clothing in unique wall art is a fun way to save some memories.
By the way, I am accepting commissions and special orders for any type of raggery you may want. If you are interested, just let me know in the comments, send me an email, or contact me via social media.
If you are interested in my other raggery creations, click here for the full list.
Keeping it on the rags,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
10 Comments
Nancy
Fabulous! Keep on going!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Nancy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
That is fabulous!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! Honestly though, the pictures do not do these curtains justice. You can see all the different textures and colors so much better in person.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
This is so much easier than making a tee shirt quilt! I made one of those for my youngest. He had a huge collection of bands he’d seen. When I finally got it done and gave it to him, he was less than thrilled. He said it was something a teenager would like, but not necessarily a twenty-something! I get his point, but he still uses it!
Love how you’re utilizing these scraps, Shelbee!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Marsha! I would love to have the skills to make any kind of quilt, but I don’t have the patience to learn! I guess I am content just making all my raggery crafts anyway. I love tee shirt quilts with sentimental and favorite tees incorporated. And I definitely don’t think that only teenagers would enjoy them. I think your son was fibbing a little to you…especially since he still uses his quilt!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
These rag curtains are so original, fun and pretty! The fact that they eco friendly is a wonderful bonus. And what a perfect fit for a consignment shop, which is all about recycling and reusing. I love this new passion of yours!
Michelle
mybijoulife@pm.me
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I literally feel like the universe has been conspiring for my whole life to bring me to this point. These rag curtains are also literally the only way I can comfortably and painlessly clean out the hoards of clothing that accumulate in my closet. I struggle with letting go of clothing because I quite literally fall in love with beautiful prints and fabrics and garments. That love will persist long beyond the garment fitting me properly making it even harder to dispose of things. But now, I get so much joy as I am cutting up the beautiful prints and fabrics into rag strips to share their beauty in a new form! It’s not just eco-friendly, it’s also a tremendously therapeutic process.
xoxo
Shelbee
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shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much for sharing your unique style of window treatments! Have a fabulous day!
xoxo
Shelbee