dreamfish

Measured up the living room, kitchen and dining room windows for some curtains today (you may recall I live in a greenhouse).

Popped to a shop in Tawa just out of interest to see what it would cost to have some made up. THey offered free making which I thought would be a winner.

So when they told me that it would cost just shy of $5000 in a very average material, i swallowed hard (trying to stifle a snigger, imagining the look on Dribble's face when I break the news to him).

And the cost of the material I actually liked? About $7500. *bom shiiinnnnng* (thats the drum and cymbol noise you get after the punchline in a joke).

"Oohhh shhhh**" (thats me wetting myself from laughing {mild panic laughing} all the way home).

Guess I will be talking to Karonious at some point about some curtain making!!!

Gill and Rob

We had the same shock when we first arrived. Think they heard our English accent thought they could rip us off. The thing is, kiwis only have one pair of curtains for each window, so they are made to last and most people don't EVER change them. I often changed mine in the UK depending on the time of year etc, but here it's thermal curtains all year round. Eventually I bought some in the Wearhouse and also in Spotlight, which were in the sale and very reasonably priced. Spotlight has some great curtain material, but again it works out quite expensive.

Gill

Steve and Julie

Could you not get some on line in the UK and get someone to post them out here for you? CH Fabrics do nice ones ready made, M&S, next, Oh I do miss popping in those shops.

dreamfish

i was just thinking about this option. A friend of mine has just taken up curtain making, so I could ask her to make some and perhaps throw them into a willing expat's container

....or post them. Which I imagine would cost HEAPS but still cheaper than getting it done here!

dreamfish

Yes i have scoured these two shops, and others, but just havent seen anything that really fits the bill. Good point that the curtains are 'for life' and I really do think we need them, if we expect our heating (panel heater) to have any effect. I have odd sized windows too. Three of them are over 3 metres wide

Kiwiprincess

Hehe did you go into Creative Curtains or Lewis's? I am guessing so because I think they are the only places in Tawa which do curtains.

Nothing to do with the fact they heard a British accent - they are just really really expensive!! I remember my parents always using Lewis's but that was before ready to hang curtains in packets were available. Quality is great (in fact, my parents curtains are still very nice looking 10 years later) but yikes! $4,000

In fact, the CEO at my work recently got a quote from Lewis's and, while conceding the quality was excellent, admitted to me that he would rather just spend the money on a holiday and so nipped off to the Warehouse instead to buy them!

Kiwiprincess

ooh what about Arbuckles. Do they sell curtains? The quality of their cheap sheets and duvets is a bit nasty but their higher end stuff is normally ok. Not sure if they do curtains though.

irnbru14

The Warehouse sell curtains

dreamfish

think i might be popping over to Creative Curtains next time

dreamfish

they do indeed - but have already scoured the ready made curtains and I cant get any in the right widths and lengths I need. Plus havent really seen anything that floats me boat.

karonious

I'm off tomorrow!

dreamfish

yehhhhhh
need to change the title of this thread - i keep thinking i have written ' Curtains - oh, how I farted.'

irnbru14

Hmmm, perhaps there is a gap in the market, maybe you could set up "Dreamfish's Drapes"

dreamfish

HAHAHAHHAHAHA

gawd i have a filthy mind

Kiwiprincess

Oops I should have followed that up by saying they are just as expensive as each other!