Master Bedroom Makeover - sneak peak

Marianne over at Songbird has taken over the reigns of the

Gitter Done Challenge

that Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors first initiated, so that's where the party will be from now on.

Oh Marianne, I wonder if you know what you've gotten yourself into! :)

Once again, I decided to take the challenge. I've discovered that the best way to get something completed is to make yourself accountable to somone - someone that has a deadline for you, that it.

Now understand, Gitter Done isn't for all those little quick updates and craft projects we whip out all the time. Nope, like the rules say, there's plenty of other parties for that.

Gitter Done is special.

Gitter Done is all about finally checking projects off your list that you've been wanting to do for a long time but just haven't managed to yet for one reason or another.

Truth be told, it'll take me four years of Gitter Done to finally be finished with everything on my list.

Oi. (she says while wiping her brow....) 

We moved into this house one year ago today. Would you believe I still don't even have all the rooms decorated, and we're already looking at moving again? I know, I know.

At least once a week during all that time, I've told myself that I was going to get the master bedroom decorated. Never happened.

So, when Marianne resurrected Gitter Done on her blog I thought, 'OK, THIS TIME I'M GOING TO DO IT'. And I did. Whew!

However, I'm not quite entirely finished.

UPDATE Saturday Morning: It's taking a bit longer than I anticipated to finish all of the bedding - primarily because I changed my mind on what I wanted mid stream. I'll continue to work on it thru the day and try to have all the pics up by tonight.

So for now, I leave you with a sneak peak while I run up to the workroom to get all my pillows finished for the bed.

UPDATE Saturday Morning; I posted a few more sneak peak pictures. Pictures of the bed and bedding
will not be available until tonight.

*** BE SURE TO COME BACK SATURDAY EVENING TO SEE THE ENTIRE ROOM ***

Being a designer in the real world, I'm almost afraid to admit to these before pictures.

Unfortunately, they are indeed mine. No one ever sees the master bedroom but us, so I just kept putting it on the back burner. If any of my clients are reading this, please forgive me. I promise not to do this to your house. :)

Ready to see the raw, ugly truth that has been my bedroom for the last year?

Here it is.

And before you ask, YES, that IS a blanket hanging over my window. Hey, I had to keep the cold out somehow, and that window leaks air like dust in a wind storm.

I am so sorry you have to see this. It gets worse, as you'll see in the pictures.

Here is the vanity area.

 (The clothes everywhere is also a daily occurence in my daily bedroom life.)

BUT, NO MORE!

I can't believe I waited so long to do this bedroom. I'm loving it, and so is hubby.

Here's the AFTER of that same corner!

Here's several other pictures as I continue to make progress.

(I hang my head in shame as you look at this one....)

The coverlet is temporarily laid in place. It has finally become a duvet cover - but then I realized I didn't have an insert for it. No fear though - I won a $50 Home Goods gift certificate over at Funky Junk last week, so that's what I'll be buying with it when it arrives. (Ohh, lucky me! Thanks Donna!)

Can you believe I purchased mass produced drapery? Me - a drapery maker. Yes I did. And I like them. Even more surprising.

If you read my blog, you'll recognize this as the fabric I put out a plea for recently.
Sad to say, there is no more to be had -apparently anywhere in the universe - so this is all I was able to make from it.

Clean and simple.
The ceramic box holds my scented beads for my wave music machine. The jar of potpouri is flowers saved from my dad's casket. I've kept it on my beside since he passed.
The crystal is something a friend made for me to bring energy into the room. And the backscratcher is for hubby, so I have to keep it close for when he starts begging to be 'tickled'.

This area was our daily dumping ground.
I'm making an earnest effort to keep this clean from now on.

The runner is an antique mantle scarf that I have put in many sales over the years. Problem is, I kept pulling it back out! I loved the tatting along the edges, and I felt that surely I'd find a use for it someday in my own home. Glad to say I finally did. :)

I wanted to keep everything on top of the dresser usuable, so I kept the accessories to a minimum, and filled some of my favorite silver pieces with the items we use on a regular basis.
Useful accessories - can't beat 'em.

I found all of these items for the wall in a box in storage. I don't even remember owning any of it previously!

We are really enjoying the drapery pattern. It creates a very dramatic change in the room.

   Just the basics here. My goal afterall is to simply each room. I've edited all but what is necessary, and what is pretty.

Here's one of those pesky little details that have held me up on the bedding. I thought I would use this checked silk as is for my euro shams, but when I got the first one made, it was just too plain for me. So, I took it apart, quilted all three of them with interlining, and then ran a decorative stitch down every block. It added just the touch I was hoping for - but it took HOURS to do.

And then there's this. I had my duvet top all sewn together and thought I was pleased with it. When I layed it across my bed (in the pic above), it felt too white. So what did I do? I took it apart and dipped it in a coffee bath to get a small amount of aged color. I'm much happier with it now, but the staining process took up about another 8 hours.

I'm back to the workroom again. I'm determined to get the bedding finished today.