Stained Glass Curtains

My Stained Glass Curtains

I was about six years old when my parents bought a new house.  At first, they couldn't afford to buy curtains for the sliding glass door in the family room, so Mom retrieved her collection of fabric scraps.  Mom made patchwork curtains for the sliding glass door.  They were supposed to be a very temporary solution, so she didn't even line them.  When the sun came through those curtains, it was magic!  The whole room lit up!  It was like a beautiful stained glass window.  We all loved them so much, that Mom left them there until they completely rotted away before replacing them.

I always said that someday, I would have "stained glass curtains" in my house.  We built the addition to our home the winter of 1986 - 1987, I believe.  For the first time, we had a sliding glass door.  I didn't have a collection of sewing scraps because I'm not the sewing wizard that my mother was, but I bought some fabric to make curtains.  I wanted all the colors of the rainbow.  I wanted them to last a long time, so I bought white muslin and lined them.  I thought they were beautiful, and I was very proud of them.  I loved being in that room!

As my children became older, however, they referred to my work of art as "gay" curtains.  It's was very odd to me that "all the colors of the rainbow" meant something completely different to my children.  About a year ago, I finally had to replace those old curtains.  It was a sad day for me.  The curtains I made this time around are from one fabric.  It was a much more expensive fabric than my original curtains.  I lined them with better fabric, as well.  I like them.  They go with my family room. quite nicely -- but nothing could ever replace my stained glass curtains!

Kids, laugh all you want -- but sunshine coming through the colors of the rainbow still make me happy.  Mom, thanks for teaching me that beauty is seen in many ways -- and it doesn't have to be expensive.  I miss you.