Things that don't go to plan.

I asked one of my sisters and her husband (they just celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary - cool huh?) to give me a hand in making and hanging the curtains in the lounge room.  I think we all envisaged curtains hanging in the lounge by this evening.  Well, maybe not.

So they turned up today, not too early, but early enough for me to still be in my dressing gown.  (Plan 1:  be ready)

Firstly the top of the window on one wall and the top of the door and window combination on the other were not level...nowhere near it.  So good old brother in law had to put up wood above the door so that the curtain rail could be fitted higher.  (Plan-2:  Fit tracks) 

Didn't your mum tell you not to stand on the furniture?

I want the curtains over the door and windows to pull to the sides and the curtain over the window to pull to the right only.  That way when the curtains are open, there will be three fairly even lots/bunches (there has to be a correct term for that, but you get the drift)  That sentence makes more sense if you look at the photo on the left. This meant that some tinkering with the pulleys on the tracks was needed.  At present the track over the door/window combination pulls one way only and the one over the window opens to the sides - opposite to what was planned. (Plan 3: Alter pulleys)

My sister brought her sewing machine and we were going to sew up a storm.  By the time we chatted, ate, chatted, measured, ate, calculated, chatted, cut, drank tea, recalculated, chatted, pinned and decided on the sort of seam to use only 4 of the fourteen drops were joined...and not finished.  (Plan 4 - complete and hang curtains)

But you know what?  I had a great day with my visitors who included my great nephew who is seven and on school holidays.  It was so nice to see them.  We had beautiful homemade soup, and roast potatoes cooked in the Coonara with lots of delicious toppings.  We ate freshly baked whole orange cake made with our own oranges and lots of eggs and served with yoghurt.  We had countless cups of tea and all that 'chatting' was fantastic.  

I am going to plug ahead with the sewing...after all the main thing I have now is time, so why not use it in a leisurely way.  I have learned a new seam that is flat and tailored and finishes the curtains off beautifully.  I got to spend time with my great nephew who is delightful and looking very cheeky with his front teeth missing.  He enjoyed collecting the eggs and took them home with him.

Because the tracks are up, but still aren't quite right, they have offered to come back soon to fix it - so that will be another nice visit.  Thanks family for your help and for the terrific visit!