Silly to be frightened of curtains, but I was! Not in the way that you might think, it wasn't a phobia... it's just that when you buy a new pair you have to pull those cords and set them up correctly and hang the blighters!

I never seem to be able to get them to just hang professionally... and what about trying to make a pair???

Well we did some decorating at the Bear cave... lucky enough to have new carpet up the stairs that Mr Bear and I agreed on (that was a shock!) however, we couldn't find ready-made curtains that we both liked, that actually went with the carpet.

After trawling shops, internet etc., he said the unmentionable: 'Why don't you make a pair, it can't be that difficult?' Ha!

So the fabric warehouse visit loomed. Heart pounding, I was sweating, nervous. We found two fabrics we both liked. One was velvet and had to be hand-sewn, so that wasn't happening! So we asked how much it would be to have them made... ugh, squillions, so the second fabric was chosen and I enquired how much to have them made? (I was chickening out!). Slightly less squillions, but husband said if I made them it would save us £££s!

'But what if I made mistakes, cut it wrong, or messed up that tape-drawing thingy AND oh crumbs, they have to be lined!! I've never made proper curtains before!' I squeaked.

But I was persuaded, it'll be fine. So for two days I followed a YouTube video, measured, measured again, cut, sewed on my machine, hand-sewed hems, ironed, drew up the tape strings thingy, undid errors, (re-sewed lining hems) then hung the curtains. Took pictures because I couldn't believe it!

It took many hours for the first one, less for the second two and I feel I could make some more (one day), and what a sense of achievement! A great Ta-dah moment!

Having never been taught sewing properly and with any enthusiasm when I was younger, I can actually do it!! Oh and they're still hanging, opening and closing, a year later!! Woohoo!

Lack of self-confidence has held me back too many times.

What's holding you back from doing/creating/making and what can you push yourself to have a go at?

Love and hugs,

Bear

A Moodscope member.