A Thrifty New Blind

This week I thought I would share with you how I revamped the roller blind in my son's bedroom, in an ideal world I would have taken step by step pictures but as it was a spur of the moment job I didn't.   I only went in the room the open the window and let some air in (teenagers!) but while I was there I thought the blind was  looking a bit grubby so I thought I would make use of some fabric that was gifted from a friend.

I have recycled my roller blinds before in this way and last time it was the bathroom one.  My only problem with this latest job is that I didn't quite have enough lining in one piece so there is a join.  The join behind is visible as the light shines through,  but never mind it is still clean and fresh.  I had to line it as it is for a bedroom and the main fabric  is light in colour.

So you can just see the faint line behind where I had to join the fabric, my son didn't mind he is pleased with it.

On this particular blind the tube is plastic so what I did was lay all the fabric out on the original blind, pin it to the lining using the original as a pattern piece then when I had stitched all the seams I cut the original fabric away from the tube a few inches away from it.  Then I handstitched my new fabric to the old at the top.  This was going to be rolled over so it didn't matter.  If you had some special glue that would stick fabric to plastic there wouldn't be any need for this step, but I didn't.  On the previous blind I made over the tube was heavy duty cardboard, on that one I stapled the fabric to the tube.
A  little channel at the bottom ensures you can slot the bottom baton back in.  I have to say this job was complete in under an hour and didn't cost me a penny, just a little of my time.

This job was made a little easier due to this little extension  my husband made for my sewing table.  It stops the fabric falling off the end and the leg pulls out and the table folds down when it is not in use.  I love it and again it was made from odd bits that  we already  had.  The leg is in fact part of an old windbreak.

At the recommendation of a friend I have been watching the Marie Kondo show about tidying and decluttering. As I read the book when it came out I knew what the basics were but the show's focus is more on the families.  I have watched a few but it is one of those shows where once you have seen one it is all pretty much the same.  I love the folding methods but I am a person that likes to re-use and there seems to be a lot of emphasis on getting stuff out of the house. Now I don't think we should hang on to everything but if we always got rid of things that were not immediately in use then we wouldn't get the chance to recreate and recycle.   I also suppose it is a matter of style because a plain room containing nothing but a sofa and a TV is not a welcoming space to me, it feels devoid of all personality.

I am fully back into the going to work routine, it's funny how quickly the holiday is a distant memory. I keep taking a few minutes to read my book in the evening.  I am currently reading The Choice by Edith Eger, I ordered it form the library and gives her account of her experiences as a prisoner during the war and the mindset that got her though it.   I have nearly finished it so I am on the lookout for my next read, any suggestions anyone, nothing gory though!

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