6 Shades of Shades

Have you ever had an idea, and then just can't stop thinking about it until you've completed the task? 

That is usually how I roll. One thought, and then I just HAVE to get it done! Normally this involves cleaning something random at 10pm  after I notice it when I'm getting ready for bed. 

My recent "I need to cross this off my list!" moment has been about installing roman shades in our kitchen. I love our new white cabinets, but with white trim and white blinds (that are pulled down 90% of the time) there is a LOT of white going on. 

Solution to this white-out? Beautiful shades to hang over our windows! 

Image sources: here, here, and here

These are some of the inspiring photos I found poking around the inter-web, and the one on the far left is actually a fabric design I've been eyeing. 

For our kitchen, I think I want to create a fake version of a roman shade, one that simply hangs in front of our already existing blinds. The reason behind this is our windows are quite tall, and if we made the version that pulls up and down all the way with our blinds, that may be A) more fabric we'd like to buy, and B) too much pattern for one wall. 

So far, I've found 6 fabrics that I'm leaning towards. Most are from Fabric.com and are very reasonably priced. I've ordered swatches so we can see what they look like in person before placing a final order, but for now (through the power of Photoshop) we have a preview! 

These of course are just to give us a quick idea how the color/pattern would work. The end pattern will have a lot more repetition, but for now it's a cool little sneak peak! Right now I kind of have a couple I'm leaning towards more, but really I have no clue. Hopefully once the fabric samples come in, we can break down our choices easier and find one that we are head-over-heels for.

Once again, our shade contenders are:

Which one do you like the best? Have you ever made your own shades before? Do you have a sewing machine I could borrow if I can't complete this without one??? 

So many questions J 

Have a great hump day!