{Project Reveal} Striped Drapery Panels

Anybody who visits our home can read between the lines rather quickly. Stripes are a house favorite. True, we may have wandered off recently into chevron territory, but we're starting to right our path and return to the bold basic that started it all. 

See, I've sort of let my freak flag fly with all the color and pattern hanging around in my Home Office lately. I originally considered some solid, panels to help balance out all that activity and even thought of hanging a simple valance in lieu of the drapes. Maybe it was the strong feelings I had for the black and white patterns in Tenka Gammelgard's studio or the zig-zag curtains that hang confidently behind Kelley Moore's desk, but once I had the notion for black and white stripes in my head, there was no shaking it. 

I searched high and low for a fabric with just the right stripe width and spent some time combing Pinterest for some DIY inspiration, until I remembered my go-to table cloth fabric at IKEA. 

There was however a slight catch (isn't there always?) //: the pattern runs vertically and I wanted horizontal stripes. I put my thinking cap on and cut two 55" pieces for each panel and then sewed them together with the stripes running horizontally like I envisioned.  The result appears seamless.  I'll admit, the pattern is bold. But it's brought to order by some tidy pleating up top that came together in a snap.

Not bad for a gal who got a D in her only sewing class.