Should've done this 8 years ago...

Eight (and a half) years ago we moved into this house.

And we had this massive sliding glass door to cover.

I found out that standard doors are 6 feet wide.

This one was 8.

Geesh.

So we bought these vertical blinds.

Not because they are cute, but because they did the job.

And guess what they look like 8+ years later?

(In crummy nighttime pictures nonetheless.)

Do you see that section of door that still shows, even though the blinds are pulled all the way shut?

Yep that gap is because the individual panels keep breaking off

and we no longer have enough to cover the whole door.

Geesh.

Not to mention this loveliness.

Our previous dog actually CHEWED some of them.

And we've been living with it for years.

It was definitely time for replacement!!!

On New Year's Day we took a little family adventure to Ikea

where I got everything I needed for the best price in town.

Horray!

I bought 4 of these fantastic panels and spent an eternity pre-washing, seam ripping, 

pressing, and sewing them side by side

to make one huge curtain.

They also come suuuuuper long and unhemmed

 so I had to measure and sew some more...

...let's just take a moment to admire that pristine handiwork!

Ahh!  They are so beautiful!

And they slide along the rod smooth like buttah!

What a joy it is to have something pretty

to transform the whole room.

Here's the new nighttime view without the light coming through.

And one last look -- before and after.

 You can't tell... I'm not happy or anything.