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| Living Room "Picture" Window |
Today, was a sunny day, after Friday's clouds and yesterday's rain. It was a good day to clean the living room window! Daughter helped me to take down the drapes, the valance, and the lace curtains (I guess some of you might call them net curtains?), as well as the drapery rods. I put all the curtains (there were four panels) and drapes in the washing machine, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best! The drapes were bought in 2004 or 2005, when my mother was still alive! They had been on clearance for $20 for the pair. I bought them and two narrower sets for the dining room windows (also on clearance for $10 per pair). The valance is even older as it was part of the previous set of drapes. The lace curtains were newer, but, not that much newer.
Then, while the drapes and curtains were being washed, I washed the inside of the windows, using my homemade orange cleaner (made by steeping orange peels in vinegar) and the window sill, etc. Then I replaced all the plastic sliders (with holes in them for the drapery hooks to hang) on the transverse drapery rods. Several of them had deteriorated and broken off over the years and a couple of weeks ago, when another one broke, half of the drape came down because there was nothing holding it up! The new sliders are made of a lighter, flimsier plastic than the old sliders; I don't think they will last quite as long!
I was happy to see that the valance (two panels) and the drapes survived being washed. But, three of the four lace panels had torn! Fortunately, I had three other lace panels that I had bought earlier! If I had four panels, it would have been better, but, I kept the one old panel that hadn't torn and added the three spare panels that I had. They are of a different pattern, but, that's OK. The mis-matched lace panel is at one side and it will be covered by the drapes when they are open.
Daughter put up the curtains and the drapes and the valance for me. I took a picture of the drapes, after they were hung up and drawn closed, but, the sun's glare was too strong and it turned out to be a bad picture. I will try again, tomorrow morning. I do still want to buy new drapes for this window, eventually, but, for now, another task on the Mile Long To Do List has been accomplished and crossed off!
Afterwards, I vacuumed the living room, dining area, family room, kitchen, and the hallway. That leaves the bedrooms and bathrooms to be vacuumed later. Cleaned the litter box, too, and swept the bathroom. The last item on the list to do today is order groceries to be picked up, tomorrow.
We had mostly leftovers for meals, today, and I made myself a cheese sandwich for lunch.
Today, I am grateful for:
- My daughter's help with taking down and putting up the drapes, rods, etc.
- The drapes didn't tear to shreds, after all!
- I had spare lace curtains to replace the ones that did tear.
- I had spare lace curtains to replace the ones that did tear.
- Leftovers!
- What I was able to accomplish, in terms of housework and cleaning
- What I was able to accomplish, in terms of housework and cleaning
Today's joyful activities included picking (and eating) fresh oranges from the garden and getting the living room window spring cleaned!
Plans for tomorrow include:
- Picking up groceries
- Taking the trash cans to the curb
- Get my tax documents ready to be taken to the accountant
- Clean the fridge
- Meal plan for the week
How was your Sunday? What are your plans for Monday?
That sounds like a major operation! Lace curtains are so fragile, but it sounds like you got your money out of them, and the drapes survived.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit involved, this time around, because it has been a couple of years since I last washed the drapes and longer since I washed valance and the rods had to be taken down, etc. Next year, I can just unhook the drapes and wash them (I inserted extra sliders, so, if some break, I can use the others and won't have to take the rod down to insert more sliders. Maybe by then, I might be able to get new drapes! :)
DeleteYou have been busy, taking down curtains and cleaning windows is such a big job and thankfully you have your daughter to help put the curtains back up, she is a good help to you. I only have net curtain in the bathroom now, I replaced all my net curtains with vertical blinds a long time ago. I always used to hand wash net curtains when I had them. Luckily you had spare to replace the ones that tore in the wash.
ReplyDeleteSunday was lovely here, another fine and sunny day. It felt like the holiday season had returned with so many people on the promenade.
I was very glad to have my daughter's help! It would have taken me twice as long if I had to do it by myself! I have vertical blinds in the family room (with a net valance!) and in some of the bed rooms. But, I like drapes and curtains in the living room and dining area. :)
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely day. I'm glad you had some sunshine after all the recent rain. Hope the fine weather continues into the week and you and Tilly have a great week. :)
A job well done. It is a shame about the lace panels but at least the drapes and valance survived. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. I was expecting the lace panels to fall apart and, in any case, I had some replacement panels. I'd have been in a bit of a bind if the drapes fell apart (although, I do have fabric with which to make new drapes). I'm glad I don't have to sew any new drapes right away, though!
DeleteThat was a big task, but isn't it a great feeling getting some of those tolerances taken care of.
ReplyDeleteYes and yes! It was a big task and one that I would have found difficult to do on my own (I could have taken down the rods, but, putting them back up would have been difficult), which is one reason why I was postponing it and tolerating! I thought of you and what you said about the tolerances when I was doing the window. :)
DeleteI would be lost without my son and daughter, they help us a lot.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Hi Briony; I'm glad you have a son and daughter who help you. I find it increasingly difficult to do various things without some help, these days. Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. I look forward to hearing from you, again. :)
DeleteYou and your daughter tackled an ambitious project. Our curtains will certainly need washed when all of the dust settles here. Do you plan to make new drapes?
ReplyDeleteIt did turn into a big project, didn't it? But, it was too good an opportunity not to clean the windows and wash the drapes, etc. Yes, I suppose you will need to wash your curtains after all the construction is done!
DeleteI do have fabric in my stash to make new drapes - it might be a project for later this year! :)
I feel worn out just reading all that you achieved. Well done, and I'm glad that the drapes survived the wash even if the lace ones didn't. I'm intrigued about the red square on the window ... is it a sticker?
ReplyDeleteIt's been a lovely sunny day so far here (Monday). This morning I met Joy at Edington to look around the priory church and am now back at home trying to put together a shopping list for later in the week.
It's my equivalent of moving any number of pots from one end of the patio to the other! :D Yes, the red square on the window is a sticker - or the remnants of what used to be a neighborhood watch sticker (from when we used to have a neighborhood watch group, led by M's aunt Katy). It is starting to peel off now and I would like to remove the rest of it, but, so far, it has resisted all my efforts to scrape it off.
DeleteSounds like you've had a lovely morning. I hope you took some pictures of the priory church to share with us. :) Good luck with putting together the shopping list. I picked up my groceries, today, and found several substitutions!
Isn't it satisfying when you can give your windows a jolly good clean. Glad your drapes survived, Bless, you've certainly had value for money from them 😀
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to have that window cleaned, top to bottom! Those drapes have given me really good value for the money! They were bought as a "temporary" stop-gap set, just to get me through the summer while I looked for a better set of drapes! In reality, they have lasted longer than the ones I had bought earlier, as my "permanent" drapes! LOL.
DeleteI suspect that the lace panels had deteriorated due to the power of the sun, as I had a similar experience with the topper over my kitchen window. All the hand crocheted edge was falling apart in places. I made a new topper and crocheted new lace!
ReplyDeleteIt must feel good to get that job done and the window all clean.
I have to replace some sliders on the drapes in one of the bedrooms. I still have some left in a package, just waiting to get a round tuit. : )
We have had snow falling gently most of the day, and the trees are covered. It's a winter wonderland so we might as well enjoy it.
Yes, the sun probably caused the lace to deteriorate, especially since they've been hanging up for a few years, now. I remember you saying that you had to redo the kitchen window topper a couple of years ago, I think. It feels really good to get that window cleaned in full, rather than just bits and pieces.
DeleteHa, ha, I need to find my round tuit and post a picture of it! :D Back in the 1980s, someone in the office passed out a photocopy of a circle with an explanation that it was a "round tuit"! :D
Oh, I'm sure it looks beautiful, outside, with the snow covering everything! Winter isn't ready to give way to Spring yet, I guess. :)
Wow that sounds like a really busy day! You got a lot done. Glad your daughter was able to help too
ReplyDeleteIt was a good, productive day, and I'm glad I had the energy to do everything. I don't think I could have managed putting up the drapery rods without my daughter helping me!
DeleteWhat nice view out the front windows.
ReplyDeleteSuch a big job completed. I know you appreciated your daughter's help.
That's so good you had the spare lace panels and it sounds like you did a good job arranging them to make it work out.
You must've been exhausted after completing all you did. I know I would've been lol
Thank you, Debra.
DeleteYes, it was a big job and I'm so grateful for my daughter's help! I'm also very glad that I was able to get this window "done" to my satisfaction (it's been a while since I last took down the valance to wash!) Washing the windows from the outside will be a project for another time! :D
I did take the day off from housework on Monday! :D