Did you guess what it was?

Ok. No more teasing. I shall reveal what I've made with all those treasured pieces of French lace and crochet doilies. Although I must tell you, I did enjoy your comments, you did make me giggle!

Just to explain first, this months friends challenge was set by Lesley. The challenge is to make a curtain tie back, using anything we liked, fabric, felt, wool, yarns, beads, tassel's, wire, melted plastic etc etc.

I sat and pondered. I didn't really need or want any tie backs. Maybe I could make some for my bedroom curtains. Then inspiration hit me. When we moved into this house, well over a year ago, I bough some very cheap (£4) cream curtains. I didn't have any old ones that would fit the new windows, so these would tide us over until I had the time and money to do the job properly. I had to shorten them quite a lot and decided to make a pelmet with the fabric I had cut off. So I stitched together the lengths of fabric, but that was as far as I got, the barely started pelmet was consigned to the loft.

This is what my bedroom window has looked like for over a year. Yes you can plainly see a pelmet rail, kindly put up by my lovely Dad, waiting forlornly to be dressed. It has looked very unfinished until now.

Here's my sketch book page with my idea for a lacy tie back, which as I'm sure by now you have surmised, has turned into a lacy pelmet.

What do you think? I'm a little miffed that the light shines through and shows the seam up the middle of the pelmet, but it was either that or have two seams either side. Apart from that though I'm thrilled with the outcome.

All the vintage French lace and most of the crochet doilies came from a box purchased at our local auction, for £8.

I've decided that although I didn't want tie backs, they really would finish off the window. So I best get cracking.

Thank you Lesley for setting this challenge. I started off not wanting to do it and now have a unique window dressing and one of my many unfinished projects finally completed into the bargain!