Upstairs, downstairs, a saga

These lovely cutwork valances have finally made it to the windows.

Around here I give the orders, a la Upstairs, and execute them, a la Downstairs. As do most of us. And when the project involves both upstairs and downstairs, it takes deliberation.

Upstairs window

Downstairs window

Several years ago these lovely cotton cutworked pieces came into my life and I can't remember how. I probably rescued them.

Then Mrs Downstairs put them in the linen closet to await the right mood. Clean but scrunched up. Like Mrs D.

Years later, in thelinen closet, winnowing out the extra sheets and blankets to donate, Mrs Upstairs found them and  carried them up to the studio, where the iron lives, found the starch, even, and awaited Mrs D's pleasure. The iron and starch are there for art making purposes, but could be borrowed.

In the fullness of time,  Mrs D found a spring tension rod that fitted, ironed and starched one valance, and climbed up and fought the kitchen curtains, hanging plants and island to a standstill, got the valance installed, caught it when it jumped out of the window frame, reinstalled it, then went to lie down quietly for a few minutes.

Mrs U approved all these moves, and went on to find that the second valance for the window one floor up, needed  another rod. Ordered same, after mulling for a few weeks. Needed to recover the intrepid frame of mind for confronting window frames.

Today the rod arrived. The little screw and washer separate in the packing material, clever little miniature paper with instructions not explaining relations of components. Figured out.

Sent Mrs D up to starch and iron, promising this will never be repeated. Then Mrs. D climbed up through and among the plants in the upstairs room, the Nook. Installed the valance, glared at it to make it stay, made a getaway before it jumped out.

And Mesdames U and D take a bow, reminding you that you're not the only lady who keeps on having better things to do than iron and hang stuff. Years of better things.

But it does look nice, and it honors cutwork.

So there's that.