We never give these puppies away because they're so freaking expensive. AND they're made of really nice fabric that we like. AND what if we buy a much bigger house and someday have three guest rooms and might need a bed cover and we'll be able to decorate an entire room around the duvet cover. OR maybe someday we'll change our minds and really like the look of the thing on the bed. EVEN THOUGH all five times we've given it a go, we've hated it.
So they live in the backs of our linen closets. Staring at us about someday. Mocking us for keeping something pretty pent up and hidden.
So cut 'em up, sistahs. Have at it with the scissors. I'm telling you it is a huge thrill to cut up something expensive. This probably speaks to the same part of me that likes to watch ice skating just because at any moment someone might fall down wearing a fancy lycra outfit.
But I've had two great successes with duvet re-purposing. First, I made curtains for my friend's ENTIRE HOUSE out of a couple of beautiful linen duvets she had hiding in the back forty of her linen closet. That was early this summer. (That cutie pie hanging over the window was actually a linen table runner I chopped in half and sewed curtain rod loops for. Like taking a candy curtain from a baby.)
Then just a couple of weeks ago I finally conquered the Nothing-at-Bed-Bath-And Boogeyman-Matches-the-Puke-Pink-Bathroom-Tile-My-House-Came-With Dillemma I've been boggled by for the past year and a half with a big gorgeous, funky duvet cover a friend gave me from her stash. (She got it at a garage sale thinking she'd use it someday . . .)
I even made curtains to go with (and I mixed it with an irish linen tea towel with game birds on it that I've bee hoarding like Gollum).
A couple of words about cutting up and re-using duvet covers for house projects:
1. Don't be afraid to use existing seams. These things tend to be sturdily constructed (sort of because the whole concept of a cover to cover up a cover is a skoshe high-end to begin with) and so I say never re-sew what's just perfectly fine as it is. Re-use existing hems where you can.
2. Don't feel the need to be too fancy. I had great luck letting the beautiful fabric do the talking in both of my curtain-making projects (for windows big and small, and for the shower). I did add a small detail to the shower curtain just by playing with the direction of the fabric. Nothing life-changing but it added some interest. And I mixed it up with the smaller bathroom curtain. But with the big stuff (large window curtains and shower curtains) it's okay to let it just be about the fabric.
3. Remember to have a really good time when you're cutting it up. Come on--when did you get to do this as a kid? Never. You're a grown up and if you want to cut up something expensive, then you can. Just because you said so. Don't miss the moment.
Good times with scissors, expensive material and filling an otherwise exhausting-to-shop-for house need.
