Kokopelli Valance

As I mentioned in my last post, this project is a request from DH. I've had the fabric hanging from the rod for months, so I guess he was a little tired of looking at it.

It's a pretty basic project, basically a panel of fabric hanging from a wooden rod that was used for the previous window treatment. No gathers, DH and I both agree that the final project will look better flat. I'm also planning to line the panel with flannel to give it more heft and to prevent show through. The fabric is quilting cotton that I got at Ann Silva's--good quality but not upholstery weight.

What's a Kokopelli, you ask? Well, it's one of DH's favorite mythological figures. According to Wikipedia:

Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a hump-backed flute player, who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music.

He is basically depicted something like this:


(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The fabric is covered with 'em. Today, I seamed 3 widths of it together to make a panel wide enough for the window. I also pressed up a casing at the top and a hem at the bottom. After pinning in place, I placed the panel on the rod for a test run:


Not bad, considering the casing and hem are just pinned. Next, I'll mark the finished width so I can finish up this project and get on with more garment sewing! No, I haven't forgotten the pillows, it's just that I have a couple of things in mind for me to wear. The pillows can wait a bit longer.