Getting Sill-y

Finally finished the window curtains for the window next to the cottage's front door. It's an important window because it gives the first hint of the cozy cottage interior behind it.

This treatment is two layers, one, a sheer embroidered gathered shade embellished with flowers & silk cord bows, and a heavier set of pleated woven drapes, tied back with rustic tassels. The curtain branch/rods, alive with emerging leaves, rest on more brass acorn brackets.

It may appear as though it's just a few bits of fabric thrown over a twig or two, but really what you see is a tiny sculpture. Everything is wired together and sewn in place, the edges anchored into the wall with small wire staples, the cords sewn in place, each iron ring secured onto the branch with hair-thin black wire.

The sill was finally installed with silicone caulk and carved and weighted down wile curing to fit snugly onto the casement. The brackets were epoxied into the wall as was done for the kitchen pair. Tiny brass whole acorns were made from the super small ones sent to me from Atlanta by Halfland's Official Naturalist, Marcie. I patinaed them with metallic paint and gave them iron caps.

The successful tassels shown were my third attempt, all taking a long time, but they had to be just right in terms of nature mixed with simple wood shapes, their texture, and scale.

Cirelle (seen sewing upper left--in daylight!!) and I attached the curtain panels and secured everything in place before I could add the final touch of adding growing leaves. I used dessicated vine trimmings I'd collected from a garden dried out a couple weeks in silica powder. I used flexible cement to position and attach the to-scale dried twigs to the main branches, let them dry. And then added on the preserved and dried & dyed green leaves the same way. Lastly, I carefully slathered on a slurry of cement tinted with strong brown walnut ink dilution, to further reinforce the delicate stems.

Bottom left shows the window from the exterior at night. Just the right amount of home-y warmth.

Thanks to Cirelle for fine contributions to this part of the set, for making such a fabulous working companion and creative partner, and for preventing me from hand-embroidering the centers of each flower on the shade. (Not joking!)

See them in person... sorta:

Halfland Entry Window Curtains from herself on Vimeo.