Gone With the Wind used Kirsch Rods in 1939 - Team Vedder Finished Ours

Yay, on February 11, I had my second half of the newly sewn Ripplefold curtains hanging on the Fascia Wood Kirsch Rod!

So very proud of Team Vedder!

Lots of research I did before finally daring to order this Fascia Wood Kirsch Rod in white, with the snap carriers already pre-installed. Also the additional length of Ripplefold snap tape, for sewing onto my existing curtains.

Already in 1907, Charles W. Kirsch founded the Kirsch Company in Sturgis, Michigan.
kirsch.com

In 1939, Kirsch Rods were used exclusively in "Gone With the Wind."
Hah, and on July 6, 2012, I did read a blog from blogger friend Ginger, under the name of Savannah Granny: Ripplefold Curtains Tutorial, Pin It! and I have saved that link ever since... It was coming closer to home so to speak, as she lives only 2 hours away from me in the state of Georgia!

But HOW to figure out how much fabric was needed for such a Split Draw Ripplefold Drapery System?
I found this on the internet but it did not reveal much.
Ginger's tutorial was not helpful as she had a curtain in one piece...
Only on BRIMAR Hand Drawn Fabrication Chart I found my answers...
So I figured out that I had to order for 80% fullness and went ahead to place my order for the 78 inch Kirsch 2 inch Estate Fascia Wood Ripplefold Rod!

Non returnable and it is after all over $ 300...
We got ours from Designer Drapery hardware: Kirsch 2 inch Estate Wood Trend Ripplefold and it arrived by UPS on the 8th.
They also delivered the Ripplefold snap tape under item # 9003.

So off came our Rayon Cotton damask curtains with Rose pattern and I started taking the tape and everything off.
I'd bought them on March 5, 1998 from Britex Fabrics in San Francisco, California.
Still LOVE their quality in a soft cream color!

This was the inside. Don't think that with those hooks on, it would have been possible to launder them.

After sectioning the curtain with my serger, I did launder them however!
I had dry cleaned them only once and was not very happy with the result.
Now they looked like new!

The trick for preparing for those Ripplefold draperies is to measure and adjust the tape while the Rod is still on the floor, within easy reach!
Instead of reaching above your head, way up on the wall or ceiling...
For the Master Butt the distance between one snap and the next is 1 inch so you have to cut the tape and sew it together again.

You have to snap the tape on, or at least count the carriers on your rod so you know exactly where to cut off your tape.
To the right you can see how much extra I  left on for the sides of the curtain, beyond the last snap.
Left shows both centers where the Butt Master is!
My 50 year old quality scissors from Italy...

While I prepared for the sewing, the other half of Team Vedder, did hang the white Kirsch Fascia Wood Rod with the Butt Master for the left panel visible here.
You also can see the carriers with the openings where the snaps will be snapped in.
They fully rotate!

This shows the right panel's Butt Master with Ripplefold Carriers.

On the side, it got hung and this is before husband Pieter did paint the brackets.
Oh, on the ends there are also decorative wooden stoppers!
It only is a half round wooden 2 inch rod, backside is flat!

Okay, around 2:30 PM on February 10, Team Vedder's installation part was done...
Now only waiting on my sewing to snap them on!

After first neatly pressing the panels, I started sewing on the snap tape with the use of a zipper foot!

On the sides of my curtain panels, I did fold the fabric back and stitch it, as shown here.

After turning and pressing it, I now started stitching with a regular foot, the side seam of the drapery panel. 
I had pressed that too, for having a smooth stitched seam.
You can tell I've been using pink chalk... for marking the fabric.

 Now I can start putting the snap tape on at the end here. It could have been cut a bit longer but it's double and thus okay.

Just folding the tape over and stitching here the bottom part of the tape.
Of course, on the inside of the curtain!
Again, using a zipper foot which you can use left and right side.

Tada, by 8:15 PM on February 10, I made this photo with one panel hanging!

Showing you here the left outer side of this left panel, with the overlap. 
It nicely folds back, creating a perfect 'S' wave.

Kirsch Ripplefold Helpful Hints Kirsch Training video shows clearly the Master Butt, how to work the snap tape. Keep in mind that over the years those snap carriers have been improved also. In this video you needed to spin them around for finding the 'one' side in which to snap the tape.

Ours did have both sides available, so no need to worry at all! 

They come a bit hard off though but when I measured the tape at the Master Butt carrier side, I used a small screw driver for prying them open and that worked easy!

After all, you don't need to take them down for laundering every month.

How to set the folds by forming 'S' shapes in the drapery is being shown perfectly in this video: Wave Fold Drapery - How to hang for theperfect look even if this is NOT the Ripplefold snap tape being used but I learned from it!

At 2:30 PM on February 11, both panels got hung!
Okay, a 100% or even 120% would have been even better but keep in mind that I had already those curtains and that was the limit; using the fabric width I had.
Letting them dry after the moist pressing I did, and for those 'S' waves to settle a bit more, I took this photo today.
On the side on top of the cat-scratch tower, I have again a vase with Ehrlicheer daffodils that were blooming today.
So happy this is being done and it is simple and easy for taking off and back on.
The Hepplewhite shelf to the right still needs to be moved a bit away from the drapery.

This is how the Master Butt shows in the center at the right panel.
Maybe these photos might help someone in measuring and sewing such Ripplefold curtains, using a Kirsch Rod. 
A kind of a tutorial...

Pieter did fasten this cord glider to the wall, on the left side.
It's functioning well.
All in all, I'm very much satisfied and happy that this alteration project got completed and off our list of things to do!
Grateful for Pieter, that he still is able to do this!
In March these Rayon Cotton Rose draperies will celebrate their 19th Birthday at our home.

Thanks for your visit and have you been completing a project lately?

Related links:
{My French DMC Rose Filet Lace Crocheted Curtains} | previous post by me showing the Rayon Cotton Damask Rose Curtains

Our Japanese Magnolias in Full Bloom

Due to some extremely warm days in January we had our Japanese Magnolia, Magnolia x soulangeana in Full Bloom on January 27!
That was Mom's 2nd anniversary in heaven...

Strange as they usually would bloom on her Birthday, February 12!

Here they are already shedding their petals, on February 4!

But because of some dark weather I could not make photos...

Photo is taken from the neighbor's side, over the Vinyl Picket Fence towards our home.

This is taken from our side towards the road.

It is not entirely blue skies but enough light in-betweeen.

Looking at our veranda and kitchen bay window area.

Our patio is not yet filled with all planters, they still remain in the greenhouse.

Love this Vinyl Picket Fence!

This photo I also used for new header...

Oh, how I love those Blooms!

Here you see the fully open bloom and the more closed ones.

Petals are falling...

This is perfect, the color against the Southern Magnolia as a back drop.

Sad that for only about 2 weeks you can enjoy them!

That is, without frost as they turn brown and floppy...

Had to share these beauties with you.

We do have a second tree which is a lot later and not as good as one year a huge pine tree fell into it, splitting it in half.

But it survived and we get some flowers every spring.

After heavy rains and thunderstorms on the 7th of February, this was the view on February 9, from our veranda.
By the way, these 3 windows need to get a new Fleur de Lys crocheted curtain later.
Only 50 hours...

Thanks for visiting!

Related links:

{We at least got SOME Magnolia Blossoms} | previous post by me

Heavenly Fragrance of our 1934 Ehrlicheer Daffodils

Every year it is such a joy to fill a vase or two with our heavenly fragrant 1934 Ehrlicheer Daffodils!

This photo is taken on Saturday, February 4. 

Inside our veranda on a side table...

The fullness of these heirloom daffodils is like a dream!

The silver Christofle frame is holding this photo from both of us, taken on November 13, 1987

Yes, like heirloom daffodils, such photos too are rapidly becoming heirloom pieces!

Wearing both Burberry; Pieter a woolen tie and I wear the woolen skirt and a silk scarf in a matching Burberry plaid.

Thanks for visiting!

Enjoy your week and hope you got some fresh flowers too.

Related links: 

{Ehrlicheer & Sweetness Daffodils on my Birthday} | previous post by me
{Our Ehrlicheer, 1934 - Richly Fragrant Daffodils} | previous post by me
{Hot Chocolate Tastes Better From an Orange Cup} | previous post by me

Our Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant in a Vase

What a HAPPY feeling for having fresh garden flowers in a vase!

We're that far again... Even if the weather is not quite spring like.

Too much wind still but sunny, blue sky. 

Love the sight of this Camellia Sinensis in the spring.

It blooms along the wired fence and visible from our Veranda.

A small Baccarat vase makes them look pretty!

Wishing you all a Happy Weekend!

Thanks for your visit.

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

Tea Time and Spring Flowers

One of the our daily highlights is having Afternoon Tea

Yesterday afternoon with fresh cut Fragrant Daffodils from our garden with fresh Camellias.
On my side table with the beautiful Hand Crocheted Lace topper.
A gift from dear Susan from the blog: Ava Grace's Closet and you ought to visit this sweet blogger friend!
My other dear blogger friend Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista would very much approve of this Self Care Moment!

Healthy Living and Relaxing with Green Tea, Mixed unsalted Nuts, Seaweed (Costco) and Rice Cake from Whole Foods Market.

A close up of that healthy portion...

Believe it or not, two of our feline brothers LOVE each a piece of Seaweed and Bandido-boy also eats one or two Cashews!
In reply to blogger friend Jim from The Road to Parnassus I have added these photos from the type of Green Tea used...

Organic Green Tea
A Blend of Sencha & Matcha

My photos got taken with very dark weather so that's maybe the reason the tea looks strong...
Having fresh flowers is one thing but the lack of sunshine for good photography is often another!

Thanks for visiting!

Related post:

{My Rice Cakes FIT in this Dutch Rusk Tin} | previous post showing you my Rice Cakes...
{Meaningful GIFT from The Fairmont Empress Victoria} | previous post showing you the table topper...

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{After 40 years Something's Gotta GIVE...}

Well, life happens and not everything we love will last forever...
It was August 10 of 2016, that I had cleaned our veranda windows and also laundered my hand crocheted curtains.
Next day I would have a group of girls for Etiquette Class so everything would be perfect...

NOT perfect...
All torn up but I hung them up anyway!
There are certain days that we too feel like these curtains look and life goes on! 

But our Delftware houses still stand neatly lined up...

Well, that's how they look after hanging up for 40 years!
I made them for our home in Panningen, The Netherlands, and adjusted them for Horst, The Netherlands and then they went to Dublin, Georgia where they hung and in Cornuda, TV in Italy and back again here in our new home in Dublin, Georgia.
They always did fit; a miracle in itself.
They have endured many hours of sunshine.

It was High Quality Cotton a 6-Cord Mercerized Cordonnet that I purchased from 3Suisses.
One thing I learned to never ever make again those tassels. 
What a job to untangle them after each laundry...

This is taken on August 17, 2016 and showing the short wall, where there are NO holes yet... Only one tassel (not shown here) had come off.
But I got the message.
The search for new high quality Cotton 6-Cord Cordonnet in a similar Mercerized type.
Well, we went to Europe in September so I tried my luck.
NOPE! Nothing...

But I was determined for using a pattern with Fleur de Lys from this very Anna Burda that I'd taken over from my Mom.
Dating from September 1995 and Mom had handwritten 'mooie kantjes' - beautiful laces...
So glad that I bought this over from her!

Mom loved this Fleur de Lys pattern and I was determined to work it into a curtain with some tweaking.
In our veranda there is a theme of Fleur de Lys, see the links below this post.

So I did search on line and found a Handy Hands Lizbeth 6-Cord Cordonnet Cotton Crochet Thread size 3.
I've never worked with a size 3... so I ordered just one 50g ball to work with it for assessing its gauze.

This came in a Scottish Thistle color, a purplish green...

Yep, all what I wanted!
High quality 6-Cord Cordonnet
Mercerized Gas-Singed
Outstanding body that holds its shape
Size 3 thread
100% Egyptian Cotton 
Made in China!

50g = 120 yds

With my 2mm steel crochet hook I managed to work this (black & white photo) only to assess the total weight I would need.
Loved the high quality as it glides on my crochet hook very easily.
So I found one lady in Colorado Springs, CO at DS9Designs Tatting and Beads who just had 3 one kg cones left in white!
As I have assessed by this piece, I would need 2.3 kg total so I needed to order 3.
Today, on my Angel Sister's 67th Birthday in Heaven, it arrived and I'm delighted that it is not a pure white! I'd love an ecru but planned to tea-dye it myself. No need now.

So here it is!
Ready for me to start my Mega Task...

These were the last 3 1 kg cones left!
Will let you know and meanwhile you know what I'm at for the time being!

Thanks for your visits and kind comments.

Related links:

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

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TEST

Will my Feed Burner work now?

{2,000,002 Pageviews on my Humble Blog}

It is always quite tricky for catching the right moment...

Well, on December 30, I was almost in time for capturing the 2,000,000 Pageviews.

On July 3, 2014 I did better by capturing the 999,999 Pageviews!

So about 2.5 years later, the next million views.

From November 2009, before I became paralyzed, I had a very slow start.

At the moment, barely finding the time to blog but still, I do get lots of pageviews!

Thanks for your visit!

Related post:
{999,999 Pageviews on my Humble Blog} | previous post by me from July 3, 2014