It took over a year to finish our master bathroom installation and it’s finally done! All it needed were some window coverings so I sewed up some simple linen cafe curtains this past week.
This was the room before we turned it into our bathroom off of our master bedroom. It needs to be entered through our bedroom, so it would never work as a real extra bedroom. It was Gigi’s room for awhile, but she ended up moving into Lily’s old room when Oliver went to college and Lily took over his room. He sleeps in the old office now when he comes home. It’s like a game of musical beds around here. I made the duvet cover, sham, monkey doll and curtains… and now she has a full bed, so these are in my storage closet. I’m not ready to donate them just yet.
I really liked having no curtains at all, but the neighbors can see in at night and I wanted to be able to bathe without having to worry about it.
I had someone from 3 day blinds out to give me an estimate and the prices were insane! They wanted five thousand dollars to make custom linen roman shades for my bedroom and bathroom.
I considered making my own linen shades, but decided I’m just not up for something that complicated. So simple curtains it would be. I managed to spend only about a hundred dollars on the bathroom hardware and use some fabric I had been saving for something just like this. The subtly printed linen, three yards was bought at FIDM for two bucks a yard. So everything for the bathroom, and the hardware, and linen and cotton lining for the bedroom curtains which I haven’t made yet, were about four hundred dollars. 
I found these black metal tension rods on the Wayfair website. The rings, too. I used some 1 .5 inch pleater tape from my stash on the tops. I just used the entire width of the fabric and hemmed it 1/2 inch on the sides and one inch on the tops and bottoms. Then I sewed on the pleater tape and pleated it by pulling on the strings. That’s actually the fun part! I used buttonhole thread to secure the pleats, then used little curtain pins to attach to the rings, hiding the jaw clips. The curtains are about double the width of the window. The pleats bring them in quite a bit.
When they’re open they almost disappear.
Making the bathroom was a big job. It had been a big open room before, so we made an enclosed closet from plumber’s pipe and raw lumber first. Then we started on the bathroom.
Love my closet!
Our friend Jim, builder extraordinaire working on the shiplap walls.
Soaking in this tub is sheer bliss. I had been sharing an old funky, pitted bath with the kids for ten years. When I would lay in it, I would feel the scratchy pitted bottom against my skin, so I rarely bathed and only used the shower part. 
It feels good to complete this,
but I still have to make the bedroom curtains. I’m pretty sick of being blinded by the light everyday at 5:30 AM.
Omg I LOVE IT!! The floors are gorgeous with shiplap walls. And that tub! Great curtains.
Thanks Amy!
Beautiful! I need to make some new curtains for a couple of rooms too so thanks for some inspiration.
Thanks Angela. Sewing curtains isn’t very exciting but sometimes we just have to do it!
I think you did a fabulous job with this bathroom! I admire your creativity with these curtains! What a comfy tub to enjoy! I’m so happy for you!
Justine, I agree that five thousand is an outrageous price to pay for roman blinds for a bedroom and bath. If you still want roman blinds, I have seen home dec patterns in thrift stores, but there are probably several good tutorials online. I do like your bathm particularly the tub with the high back for lying back. Looks very relaxing. I think cafe curtains go perfectly with your windows (privacy issue taken care of). You did a wonderful job!
Great job Justine! I have always been shocked by what is charged for window treatments… that I could make better, nicer, cheaper myself! Love your light, airy linen fabric!
I think home sewing is one type of sewing that actually saves money!
Wow, I always new that home dec sewing was a huge cost saver but yikes, five thousand! Love your new bath and the curtains came out wonderfully. I have a big curtain project coming up in the next few months so thanks for reminding me how much I will be saving.
Yes you will save so much!
Just Beautiful! Great job!
That bathroom looks like something out of a magazine,so beautiful.You guys are doing a wonderful job.Can’t wait to see what else you all do.Tfs
Kathi
What an inviting room. Makes you feel good. I love the fabric, Is there a link to FIDM? I don’t find anything with that acronym that leads to fabric. Thanks for posting.
it’s a shop in downtown LA that sells donated fabric very cheaply. They don’t sell online.
These photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing your bathroom remodel and the lovely linen curtains. Your work is inspirational!
thanks deborah.