I've been decorating and creating my own designs for over 25 years, and every so often, I come across something that truly inspires my work...ANTIQUE LINENS: my favorite medium! Many years ago, I inherited a great quantity of beautiful linens, trims, embroidery, and quilt pieces that were the work of two very talented ladies. Soon after, I found myself with a collection of four generations of linens.
I wanted to figure out how I could display them in a way that coordinated with the decor of my home, and also accentuated the beauty of these fabric items. The result was a combination of linens sewn together to create (as one customer called it) a modern day crazy quilt design. The more I experimented, the more applications for this design I discovered- lampshades, window quilts, pillows, and accent items...and now it's everywhere (in my house, and soon in yours!).
While some of the pieces I make are meant to be focal points, like the beautiful window quilt in the photo to the left, some other ideas are a little more subtle- a tieback on a curtain can be decorated in this fashion to add a little character to your living room window, without overwhelming the room. These tiebacks are a unique addition to your window treatment, and an easy project to complete. Read on for some simple instructions to display your antique linens and other heirloom fabric pieces...
Instructions for Embellishing Your Curtain Tiebacks Using Old Linens:
1. Start by gathering some embroidery, quilt pieces, lace, trim...whatever you have that you'd like to incorporate.
You'll also need the plain tiebacks that your curtains came with when you purchased them.
2. Arrange the fabric pieces on the tieback in a pattern that you like- make sure to pin it in place! When you're happy with the design, cut the edges so they match the edge of the tieback.
3. Now for the sewing: stitch all of the trim and fabric pieces with a neutral thread. Make sure to tack down all loose edges, otherwise the design will look messy! I recommend using a trim along the entire edge of the tieback, to keep the edge looking nice and finished.
4. Your finished tieback will liven up your old curtains, while creating an interesting and beautiful way to display your antique linens!
