Magothyrivergirl, Aahhh!!! You hit the nail squarely on the head!!LOL!! I am guilty as stated! More than once I looked at the trash can but could not bring myself to toss the bleeding red fabric! After all was said and done I thought about how much water, electricity, time, frustration was spent on a few dollars worth of fabric. Oh well, sewers never learn....we just keep on trying to salvage all we can from fabric. A few weeks ago I did toss used drapery fabric donated to our quilt group. One soaking, washing, and the light damage showed up big time. I folded the fabric and placed it on top of the recycle container on pickup day so workers could use the fabric if desired for who knows what. Might make good hand wiping rags!! Even that was hard to do, however I could not use the drapery fabric in quilts. See, I could not even toss that in the trash can, had to to make it available for someone else to use!!!! In no way was I desperate for fabric. My dear friend Polly passed away and I inherited at least 3,000 yards of her fabric. Polly was a perfectionist sewer/quilter.... everything she made had that special "Polly Touch". I did not realize she was a fabric hoarder, big time. The fabric I received was only a third of what her house contained. Is there a cure for us? Krissie

I just popped in today to ask for information, and it looks like I am doing the same thing --- almost. Our Recreation Room is off the kitchen and used to be a garage. We need to cover the windows that go across the front of the two car garage, but we do not want people to see in. There are no valances that will fit, so I am going to take your fabric idea and go with it. Should I line the fabric? Could you tell me how much to get? Do I double the width? We will have a number of curtains together gathered at the top running through a rod -- at least that is what we have now. I would appreciate any advice you can give me. (I am not trying to hyjack your thread, but it is a real coincidence that I am doing the same thing. I, too, have not sewn much for quite awhile, but I have made most of our curtains, and even slip covers. Slip covers are the hardest things I have ever made, and will not do that again, but curtains aren't bad. I like tab tops, but are there any modern ways to do the tabs other than to make them, and turn them? Thanks Sammy

That really covers a lot of territory...do you want something modern? bold? floral? striped? paisley? Maybe make an apptmt with Smith and Noble and they will come out with swatches and make you some drapes. Many fabric stores will also do custom drapery treatments. Or check out the usual suspects...jcpenney, overstock, country curtains....

An old fashioned and truly red perennial is the Lychnis calcedonica, called the Maltese Cross. Because pink, orchid, purple, etc, are not my choice, I grow any number of white clones, like the white Phlox 'David', 'Miss Lingard' and Phlox sublata and stolonifera. Also Mazus repens 'Alba', Irises tectorum and reticulata 'Alba, the white Obedient Plant, Physiostegia virginica, and more. I have not been successful with the Cardinal Flower, but you might be.