Success comes after failure after failure after failure...

Hallelujah!  My roman shades are finally done! 

That only took 9 months. 

It was hard to make myself work on them, because they were a constant source of failure for me.  This project reminded me why it's better to use fabric with a random pattern rather than obvious straight lines -

Every stitch was sewn 2 or 3 times.  I use this tool way more than I use my sewing machine -

I was also haunted by the never ending rings.

I learned that it's better to spend the $2 for extra screws than to run out.

I learned why you start from the middle when you staple fabric onto a wooden rod.

The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I was saving over $1,000 by doing it myself.  Sewing has taught me more about patience and pushing through frustration than anything else I've ever done.  It is such a good picture of success being built on a pile of failures.   And in the end it's never perfect, but it's done.  And maybe I'll do a little better next time.