My MIL approached me with a project last night. She has this palm tree fabric that was given to her. She thought it would make nice valances for the living room and thought I could do it for free, of course.

No problem....

I just wish people would realize you can't just give someone fabric, tell them what you want and assume they can do it with what you gave them. There is a limit to what you can do with the amount of fabric you have! LOL Nobody gets that I'm totally winging this stuff when I do it. They think it comes naturally and I have some "curtain" book or something. I don't! I do what works, not necessarily what the rules are!

The fabric is one-sided, so I would like to fold it in half width wise. If I do that, it gives me 21" to work with for the seams and rod pocket. Might make short valances. MIL said she didn't need the header because she's draping a scarf across the top and that part will be hidden anyway so I just have the bottom seam and rod pocket to deal with. I can do like a 1/4" seam at the bottom and use a minimal amount for the rod pocket just to make it work.

If I don't fold, I have lots more to work with, but the back will be the wrong side of the fabric. She does have bamboo shades in the windows so you wouldn't see that from outside...

Here is the larger problem....I have three pieces of fabric, two of them are 116" long (that's with them still doubled so the front and back are the same pattern), one is 61".

This is an older house, the windows aren't all the same size. I measured from trim to trim because her rod hooks are on the outer side of the trim. I have windows that are 74", 90" and 86" wide. (They are replacement slider windows. This was a sun porch, that's why there are so many windows. It was cheaper to do the large sliders than to replace each individual window). MIL wants the valances the whole width of the window. I am trying to figure this all up and I should have a little extra to make the valances puffy BUT not a lot!

I am considering doing two valances per window with a seam down the middle. (Only thing is, it will be noticeable because of the repeating pattern!) It's not what she wanted, BUT the fabric is cut and that one is so much shorter and the one window is shorter but not enough that the valance could be as full as the other two windows.

I know I'm going to get this done and she'll only use them for a short while. She's always changing things. The palm trees could go all together and the curtains could end up in the yard sale pile...it's hard to say!