Shelbee on the Rags: “Not That Innocent” Rag Curtain
I just finished a gorgeous rag curtain that was custom-made for a lovely woman named Brittany. When she saw my “In the Garden” and “Saved from the Landfill” rag curtains, she immediately asked if she could custom order one. Of course, I was thrilled to accept her order.
She asked for something in pinks, purples, and reds with some black and white thrown in as accent colors. She wanted a tree branch instead of a traditional curtain rod and she wanted it to fit a doorway. She likes florals and most other prints and she is a big fan of Britney Spears. And that is all the information I needed to get started!
First, I created a color palette as a shopping guide.
Then I went thrifting in search of 99 cent items in the desired color palette. I hit the jackpot that day!
Next, I have to launder all the stuff and dry it. When the weather permits, I hang everything outside to dry so the shopping and cleaning process takes one full day. Then I start cutting the clothing into strips and I store them in the “rag palette” that my husband made for me out of sheet metal. The cutting process takes a few days because I have to cut each garment separately. It takes about 5-10 minutes to completely cut up one garment so approximately 6-8 hours of cutting time for one large curtain.
Once I have it all cut up and laid out before me so I can see what I’m working with, I begin tying.
This curtain is the first one I made using my new dining room table rigging system and I have to say the new process is so much better for so many reasons. I can get the length even along the bottom. Also, tying the knots standing over the table is much easier on my back, shoulders, and elbows than working with the curtain hanging on a door.
This curtain began with a branch wrapped in black twine. Then I clamped it to the edge of my table to secure it (although it looks like Slim Jerry is holding it in place for me) and began tying black fabric strips onto the branch. I like to use heavier fabrics for these “anchor” pieces which hook onto the curtain rod/branch since they are bearing the entire weight of each raggy rope. These black strips all came from a bag of donated black pants. About 6-8 pairs were used in this curtain.
After I had the black valance formed on the branch, I started adding all the different shades of purple, building each rag rope until they were all about 36 inches in length.
Once I had all the purple added, I decided I was going to create a sort of ombre effect with the pinks and reds. I added about 24 inches of pinks next.
Then I added another 24 inches of reds until the curtain was the desired length of 84 inches (7 feet).
I could have called her finished at this point, but the valance needed a little more sparkle and shine to properly represent both Brittany and Britney!
I measured down 18 inches and added some more black strips to fluff up the valance section as well as to shorten the section of purples so it is more even with the pink and red sections.
Next the sparkle and shine! I had found this amazing piece of purple lace long before I had even met Brittany. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it but it was too pretty to not buy for a dollar at the thrift shop. It ended up being exactly what this curtain needed. So I cut up the lace and this pretty purple sequined table runner (also 99 cents at the thrift store) to fluff up the valance.
And now she’s all finished!
While I was creating this curtain, I listened to The Woman in Me by Britney Spears on Audible. Wow! What a heartbreaking yet inspiring story. I laughed, I cried, I cried harder, and by the end I was smiling and feeling empowered by her strength and beauty. So there is a little bit of inspiration from Ms. Spears in this curtain, too, which led me straight to its name, “Not That Innocent”.
And now I am packing her up and delivering her to Brittany. I know she is excitedly waiting for me!
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
Marsha Banks
I think I say this for every rag curtain you share, but this is definitely my favorite! I love that ombre effect as well as the striped bits here and there! I think your “Not that Innocent” curtain is going to elicit all kinds of oohs and ahs! It’s just gorgeous!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Marsha! I think each new curtain I make becomes my favorite until the next curtain I make! I made a really fun one this weekend that is more of wall hanging than a curtain. I think it will make you smile! I will share it soon.
xoxo
Shelbee
Kylie
Wow, Shelbee! Your custom-made rag curtain looks amazing, especially with the unique tree branch instead of a traditional curtain rod. I’m curious, do you have any tips for someone who might want to try making their own rag curtain at home?
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kylie! I only just started making these curtains this summer so I have been learning by trial and error. This post outlines my step by step process for building a rag curtain. As for the rest of it, I get very spiritual, ask my creative spirit tribe to guide me, and then I just follow that lead wherever it takes me! I do view all my little fabric scraps as a paint palette and I pretend I am painting a canvas as I am tying all the bits together. I think that are like big abstract paintings made of scraps!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joan
Another beautiful raggedy artwork. Thank you for sharing your creative process. It was very interesting. You obviously put a huge amount of thought and effort into this wonderful piece, and I love that you are recycling or “upcycling”, and I like your branch curtain rail.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Joan, thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I feel like my lifelong obsession with clothing has led me right here! Now I want to minimize all the stuff I have accumulated over the years but I have to find sustainable ways of doing it because I just can’t, in good conscience, dump all the stuff in the garbage!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Another beauty! I love it! It really pops. And I loved seeing your process as well. I am glad you found a less strenuous way to work. That is so important. While I am not a huge fan out Britney’s music although I realize she is amazingly talented, I am a huge fan of Britney herself. The book sounds intriguing.
xoxo
Michelle
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you. The new set up has definitely relieved much of the discomfort, but the tennis elbow is a thing that I am going to have to deal with no matter what, I think. I tried listening to some Britney music while I was making this curtain but I also am not a fan. I think I got through 3 songs and switched to the book, which was much more interesting to me.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
I’m so sorry about the tennis elbow. I recently got a cortisone shot in my shoulder due to inflammation / tendinitis. It helped, but what an annoyance!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It really is an annoyance! I just have to take days off in between to let it rest and recover. Then it’s usually oaky. But I get on a roll and keep going further beyond the pain than I probably should. I must listen to my body better!
xoxo
Shelbee