Kitchen Bay Window New Crocheted ROSE Curtains & IKEA Roller Blind

At the time that we lived and worked in Indonesia, I had crocheted the Rose Curtain for our Bay Window. Well, that was without ever being able to see the results on the actual window... I've always felt they were a bit 'skimpy'... So in 2017, after completing the new curtains for our Veranda, I knew I had to replace the Bay Window's as well!
Well, first I had to find new Roller Blinds for replacing the old ones.
That worked with IKEA's SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blinds in white.
Except, they did NOT have the size for the large window; only for the sides....
So I had to order that from Europe!
It arrived via my brother Jan in The Netherlands, on July 13.
On July 23, Pieter hung them all three in a perfect way!
Since the Ikea Roller Blinds are with aluminum, I could not use brass curtain rings to go with that.
So I found 20.5mm Sterling Silver CLOSED Jump Rings on Etsy.

Last week's white roses that came home from Trader Joe's Atlanta...
Let me show you first the IKEA SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blind in white that I'd found.

Ikea.com as always has great pricing and the size for our side windows, 32" was perfect!
BUT... they did NOT have the size for our large window... ARGH!
So what to do?

Ordering the large size of 140 cm or 55" in The Netherlands and having it shipped to my brother (nope they do not ship to the USA!) and he did forward it to us.
Worked very well, no custom charges either as I ordered it in my name, having used my brother's address as p/o address for delivery.
They arrived on July 13.
So now we could start working with them.
Pieter hung all 3 of them on July 23.

Most important thing DONE!
Meanwhile I had ordered more of the HH Lizbeth thread because I had still some left over from the Fleur de Lys Crocheted Curtains in the Veranda...
This time it was only 16 hours of speed crocheting for the center window and 8 hours each for the side windows = 32 hours.

 With one additional 1 kg cone, yes I had enough thread!
Let me show you first the before:

Never liked this but this was the previous roller blind, hidden more or less behind the white rod with brass ends. Curtain hung on rod with plastic clips!

Aside from these curtains being rather skimpy, it didn't look RIGHT!

ARGH those white plastic clips broke so easily and new ones are white but the old ones turn ugly yellow.

To the left the new IKEA SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blind versus the old on on the right...

Here you still see to the right (through the roller blind) the holes from previous roller blind and rod not yet being filled in.
Looks so much better and flat against the window, not gaping any more and the entire window gets covered now.

Using the same crocheted filet lace rose curtain that I made before but now with 2 edgings instead of just one. See link below blog {More of Our Kitchen}.

Yes, RAND MET BLOEMEN in Dutch or EDGE WITH FLOWERS
Roses that is!

So glad I'd saved my magazines and got them now scanned in, to go back to.

Where the arrow is to the left, that's the length of my 1st curtain.
Now I was going to make it full length.
Since these IKEA Roller Blinds were out of aluminum I could not use brass curtain rings like I did in the veranda where I used Mom's old ones.

So I searched and found them at 5starFindings.etsy.com 
20.5mm Sterling Silver 18ga CLOSED Jump Rings, Made in India

Excellent for using with the crochet thread as these will not stain the cotton when being laundered!

On July 23, showing you the large curtain, almost being done. Well, 3 more points that is... of total 8 = 16 hours at high speed!
I've used a low oak bench on top of my sofa, for having the pattern right next to me at proper height for eye movement.
You see also two more cones in the corner as I did set up for ALL 3 at once. The beginning is the hardest thing to do, counting all those stitches and getting it RIHGT.

Next day, on July 24, I started sewing on those Sterling Silver CLOSED Jumper Rings, for hanging.

July 24, just before dark the largest curtain HANGS!
Now the side windows, each 4 points or half of this one = 8 hours each...

On August 8, almost a small curtain done... Other projects do lie lined up on the sofa...
Wearing my biking gear, as we did keep up with that too!
Did not wear those sandals for biking though.

Pieter made me look up from my speed crochet as he placed a cup of tea in front of me...

Later on August 8, the small one for the side window was hanging!
Only one more to go = 8 hours of speed crochet.

August 10, staying in my silk Laurèl nightgown after breakfast to continuously speed crochet.
Wanting to get it DONE!

Yay, August 11, the last filet crochet rose curtain was up and hanging!
SO HAPPY...

This shows two curtains hanging...

Stepping back on August 11, to show the entire bay window area with the 3 SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blinds and the 3 crocheted rose filet curtains.
So happy that got all DONE!

Finally I managed to share this mega task with you.

Thanks for your visit!

Related links:
{More of Our Kitchen} | Previous post by me

My 2nd Fleur de Lys Crocheted Curtain is Hanging | Previous post by me

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My 2nd Fleur de Lys Crocheted Curtain is Hanging

Well, by hand crocheting those huge Fleur de Lys Curtains; I learned anew about PERSEVERANCE.

Feeling so very happy to have this 2nd Fleur de Lys curtain up and hanging; after only some 50 hours of crocheting!
On March 14, Speed Crochet... My final 1.5 Fleur de Lys.

After all, it was only HALF the size of the first one I did crochet in about 100 hours.

The crocheted table topper with roses was a gift from my dear friend Ellie.

An elderly lady Mia Keizers, in her 70s, did crochet that one.

The woolen rug also has the Fleur de Lys pattern.

Both of us are very pleased with the new curtains.

Husband Pieter even called it our home's prettiest room. Also with the view we have from here.

Our proud collection of Delfware houses, earned on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

If we only had the time to sit here, relax and read...

Having done this task, I need to catch up on so many other things!

And we are getting slower as we age.

Cannot complain though.

Thanks for your visit!

Related links:
Mega Task Crocheting DONE | previous post by me about the 100 hours of crocheting
{After 40 years Something's Gotta GIVE...} | previous post by me about the reason and the start...

{Our Veranda} | previous post by me
{Fleur de Lys in our Veranda} | previous post by me

Mega Task Crocheting DONE

On Sunday morning, January 22, at 4:30 AM the new hand crocheted curtain was hanging!

Mega Task Crocheting DONE

Photos taken later on Sunday, after I'd slept a couple of hours...

They also are perfectly in length, not touching our Delftware houses that we earned by flying KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (we got often an upgrade with our Royal Wing cards!).

On January 11, on my sister's 67th Birthday in heaven, I started...

'ONLY' 12 segments with Fleur de Lys to go and crocheting at a rapid, robotic pace without errors would yield one Fleur de Lys every 6.5 hours...

BUT how can a human being work without any errors?!

Impossible and I had to undo many times 2 rows.

You only 'spot' the error on the returning row... Arg.

It teaches patience and concentration!

Since it was such a Mega Task, I was determined though to have it hanging by Sunday!

It became heavy and harder to handle.

See the cone to the left, on the floor?!

Days were dark and the artificial light had to be used.

After breakfast, getting dressed and barely time for doing anything with my hair, I sat there.

Husband Pieter was the Chef for that time... He did well!

Using 2 sticky notes taped together I moved up, row by row.

On the left I wrote: 8 l (lossen in Dutch) for the 8 Chain Stitches it would take to add on.

I must say that the directions were POOR!

Lots of errors in this drawing too. Where I marked with the pen, bottom right, those should be openings for creating that wide V-shaped stitch. 

3 Chain Stitches and 1 Single Crochet done inside the 5 Chain Stitches of alternative rows!

So not 'around' but I did make those Single Crochets inside the Center Chain Stitches!

Harder to do but looking a lot neater.

One X stands for 4 Double Crochet and two XX = 7 Double Crochet etc.

For those that love this pattern:

Starting out on 156+3 (for Double Crochet at the beginning!) Chain Stitches and make your 1st Double Crochet inside the 4th Chain Stitch = 157 Double Crochet total.

At the end for adding XX you make 8 Chain Stitches and insert into the 4th for making Double Crochet = 7 added total.

12 Fleur de Lys done!

I had to sew on the 11 brass rings, that I have from my dear Mom, old ones for curtains that hung from a thinner rod.

Then I proceeded to launder them in short cycle and pressing the pointed area.

Should have pressed the entire Fleur de Lys however...

Had to use the hammer for first putting the 2 lower brass nails on the sides.

So they got hung wet and stretched up into perfect shape.
Love the quality of this 100% Egyptian Cotton by Lizbeth in a 6-cord Cordonnet!

Next day my left index finger and middle finger were still red and very tender from working with that steel crochet hook over 100+ hours!

My tip of the thumb is still kind of numb and index and thumb feel like a mix between callous and blister...

Before I fell onto the mattress, I wrote this for Pieter:

Bid maar voor mij..  In English: Pray also for me... meaning that I would not join him to Church!).

Pieter wrote in Dutch: Jij bent een verbazend iemand! 

Pracht resultaat!

English: You are an amazing person!

Splendid result!

It will take a while before I will create the smaller, half sized one and even that will take 50+ hours.

So happy that I had enough thread and that my design worked out perfect for these windows at this scale.

Hope you like them too.

Catching up on lots of things...

Related link:
{After 40 years Something's Gotta GIVE...} | previous post by me about the reason and the start...

{Our Veranda} | previous post by me
{Fleur de Lys in our Veranda} | previous post by me

My 2nd Fleur de Lys Crocheted Curtain is Hanging | newer post by me

{Silver Grape Scissors with Roses and Champagne Grapes}

On August 22, I was finally able to make some outdoor photos, using our Silver Grape Scissors and the Champagne Grapes that we found at Trader Joe's the week before. I had not seen them in quite a while... 

So it's off to our balcony, the new polyurethane balustrade and railings are not yet painted but nevertheless.

Here they are... Silver Grape Scissors from Sweden, on our silver gallery tray.

Again it is shown with two gifts that I received from blogger friend Susan, the author of Ava Grace's Closet; the filet lace hand crocheted doily that lines the tray and the very finely crocheted lace table topper.

On the silver gallery tray are two Baccarat Champagne glasses...

Susan's Mama did such an excellent job on crocheting these pieces.

Thanks again Susan!

Have you ever tasted Champagne Grapes?

They are so sweet and a lot tinier than regular seedless grapes.

Here you can see the roses and leaves on the Silver Grape Scissors.

Some sweet golden wine is poured into the Baccarat champagne glasses.

Some laughing cow cheese and crackers from Costco, to go with the grapes and wine.

Mary's Gone Crackers are ORGANIC • GLUTEN FREE made with Whole Grains & Seeds and contain no added oils or trans-fats, sugar or dairy.

Why don't you join?

China is French GIEN ROSE.

For the moment, the sun is shining...

Related link:

What are Champagne Grapes? Champagne grapes are the name given to a specific type of grape, the Corinth. They are also being used for black currants.

{My OPA - GRANDDADDY}

Today, November 3, it is 120 years ago that my OPA, paternal GRANDDADDY was born. He also was my GODFATHER. When I picked up my childhood poetry album and read his words, it made me think of him on this special day. He passed away because of a fatal stroke when I was only 14 and he 73... He was a hard working man, a plasterer (stucadoor in Dutch) and doing also ornamental and decorative interior plasterwork around ceilings and lamps. Nowadays we buy it ready made out of resin... His two brothers were also plasterers and his Dad, my Great Grandfather, did whitewash or lime wash walls for a living. Tough job and it sure didn't make them wealthy. My great-grandfather only lived to be 52 years old. But they were honest and very much Church going people that raised their large families by maintaining high morals and ethics. They were happy and content, something that is often lacking nowadays especially amongst the younger generations. The youth often throws away the religious part that their ancestors lived by for centuries. It was a culture, handed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Now people think they can 'have it all' with minimal efforts and all on their own. Often life does not unfold like that as somewhere down the road, there will be a bump and what then? Facing it all alone, without any spiritual support and believe, will be hard. Okay, let's see what message Opa wrote for me way back...

Just a short note

Not much in writing

But it's my wish,

That it may be long lived

And that it always

Reminds you

Of who wrote this:

He means so well!

Opa

Opa as a young man, wearing his border guard suit. Still having his own dreams...

The Netherlands had no military during WWI as they remained neutral; hence they only had border guards.

We have no idea where my Opa Martin Van den Munckhof, born in Horst on November 3, 1891 did serve... Maybe in Venlo?

He lived a harsh life through WWI; the Depression years; WWII and yet he managed to raise his large family of 12 children.

This is on their 25th Wedding Anniversary; 13 September 1943 during WWII...

My Dad is the one in the center, top.

Uncle Harry to the right is seen wearing his plus fours.

This was on their 40th Wedding Anniversary, 13 September 1958...

Dad is again in the center, top row.

Uncle Harry to the left, is again wearing his plus fours.

Sadly, Opa did not live till the 50th Wedding Anniversary as on February 15 of 1965, he passed away. On the birthday of his daughter, Aunt Nelly who's seated to the right.

Several of my uncles and one aunt, have followed their parents to heaven. My Grandmother passed away on November 26, 1984 at the age of 91. She was a long time friend of my husband Pieter's Mom!

Some treasures I keep from my Opa...

In the little jar is a blue stone that was once set into a little ring that I received from Opa when I was 5.

I walked home from Kindergarden and Opa met me on the road as he walked with his cane daily for exercise. He gave me this little ring and I was over the moon. Of course we had no jewelry then, nothing on my fingers, wrists or in my ears. To me it was a precious piece of jewelry and when it came apart, I still kept this little blue stone...

To the left is my very first Mass book that I received from Opa for my 1st Communion.

Going to a Catholic school, we went to Mass daily and that was marked even above our grades on our quarterly 'rapport'.

The silver charm bracelet (without any charms) was given to me when I did my Confirmation in sixth grade.

That I've kept also forever, as it is so dear to me. Sentimental value from a person that loved me and whom I loved and very much admired.

Opa went to Mass every day and he prayed for his entire family. He loved them and did visit regularly in order to keep up with everyone.

Sadly Opa never got to meet his three Australian grandchildren. When they'd boarded the ship in Adelaide, Opa had already died... sad for making the long journey over seas, to show the children to their grandparents and only one of them lived to actually see them.

My little treasures... The blue stone from the ring that I got from Opa when I was only 5.

The cross is from my Great Uncle, Heeroom, who was advisor to several bishops and living in Indonesia. Will introduce him later...

On this little 'Pochette' (pocket square), in crocheted rose filet lace, are some sentimental treasures.

Also the medallion with the Holy Mary is there, that got pinned onto my camisole as a child. Even babies had it on, for protection by the Heavenly Mother.

The blue stone has a little crack but that's fine...

By the way, the number 13, I bought in Germany and over there it is a lucky charm; Glückszahl.

Closeup...

Okay, the treasures are back in the authentic antique letterpress drawer. Pieter did put an acrylic sheet in front to keep (most) of the dust out. The little jar with the blue stone resides to the left, near the top under the small brown glass jar.

The acrylic sheet is kept in place with Swiss Clips, see top right corner how they look on the backside.

Easy to slide to the side for opening up...

Did you notice my Oma roses? Yes, they are blooming now, after the heat of summer.

Remember on August 13, the Oma mystery rose got resolved by Bea from Modern Country Lady and we now know it is the Floribunda rose: Queen Elisabeth.

Paired with some ever-blooming Rosemary they look gorgeous in a small Baccarat crystal vase!

It was perfect for this post for having Oma's roses as well. They belong together...

The blue Le Jacquard Français tea towel has served me well this week!

Guess that Opa and Oma are smiling down from heaven...

Related links:
{3 Most Prized Roses; from my Paternal Grandmother} | previous post by me
{Sad that ONLY on June 10 we had some 'Oma Roses'...} | previous post by me
{Mistery Oma Rose Resolved!} | previous post by me

In Memory of my BEST Role Model EVER | about Heeroom