<![CDATA[We don't talk enough about Big Curtain.]]>We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. Nobody has ever moved from one home to another and been able to just hang up the same curtains. Nobody they know can use the curtains they now can't use because the curtains don't fit anyone else's windows either. No curtain has ever fit any other window. Not once, not ever, never in the history of the human world.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/624b09e4-85f1-4f04-9be5-fa5df9aa5b8a/we-don-t-talk-enough-about-big-curtain.RSS for NodeMon, 05 Oct 2026 01:37:40 GMTSun, 04 Oct 2026 09:01:03 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:39:13 GMT]]>@nusher It's a great idea to leave them to the new people if they want them and if you can. Perhaps for a nominal price.

I think people sometimes take curtains with them in a flash of optimism, especially if they were chosen to match their decor and furniture. They hope to tailor them to fit. And they may hang them in some make-shift way, not fitting properly, at first, just for privacy in a new place until they can either tailor the old ones or get new ones.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382208149706933https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382208149706933Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:39:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:37:25 GMT]]>@nusher @CiaraNi I've heard (but not seen for myself) that in some parts of the world people take electrical fittings when they move and leave wires dangling out of holes in the ceilings.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382201074309820https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382201074309820Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:37:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:34:24 GMT]]>@CiaraNi I’ve always left curtains behind for precisely that reason. What’s the point of taking them away when you aren’t going to be able to use them anywhere? To me, carpets and curtains are as much part of the house as the paint or wallpaper on the walls.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/nusher/statuses/117382189218895171https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/nusher/statuses/117382189218895171Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:34:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:21:32 GMT]]>@Badgardener That's amazing. People are amazing. If only people like that put their creative thinking to good use instead of bad!

"People do bad things when under the thrall of Big Curtain." 🙂

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382138575603092https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382138575603092Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:21:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:19:36 GMT]]>@arratoon @snowgaze Blinds are even worse than curtains - even less chance they could be tailored to fit any other window, if someone wanted to pay for a refit.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382130993303753https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382130993303753Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:19:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:16:37 GMT]]>@snowgaze People do sometimes offer the curtains to the new owner or tenant for a reasonable price, much cheaper than new. Necessity can prevent this, though. Curtains are such a major expense and tailored ones take ages. And moving is miserably expensive in itself. So I think people often take curtains with them, knowing they won't fit properly in the new place. But they'll hang them in a make-shift way as a 'make-do' for a while, just to have privacy until they can get proper ones.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382119254169734https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382119254169734Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:16:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:13:59 GMT]]>@snowgaze @CiaraNi We left our blinds when we moved out last time. I mean, they weren’t going to fit our new windows, were they?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/arratoon/statuses/117382108877736559https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/arratoon/statuses/117382108877736559Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:13:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:10:46 GMT]]>@ApAlun @TimWardCam I have a similar stash of fittings from different homes and moves - mounting brackets, the odd door handle, curtain rings, etc. And motley screws and bolts. The chance of them fitting something I need in the future is slim, but someone else might need exactly this one particular kind of out-of-date curtain ring I still have. I'd love a community system of 'rummage boxes' for stuff like this. Something like a 'Free Little Library' in neighbourhoods, but for this kind of stuff.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382096266906212https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382096266906212Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:10:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:00:12 GMT]]>@TimWardCam @ApAlun I was going to say that was lucky, but it wasn't luck, it was foresight!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382054674675270https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382054674675270Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:00:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:55:27 GMT]]>@TimWardCam @CiaraNi I now have a cellar full of surplus curtain rail fittings which I am hanging onto as "they might be useful one day". No doubt I will get rid of them in a decluttering purge only to need them the week after.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/ApAlun/statuses/117382036020398439https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/ApAlun/statuses/117382036020398439Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:55:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:54:38 GMT]]>@CiaraNi I will never understand why people don't leave their curtains behind when they move out. And am very grateful for the ones who did (I moved a lot).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.pt/users/snowgaze/statuses/117382032801084075https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.pt/users/snowgaze/statuses/117382032801084075Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:54:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:54:03 GMT]]>@CiaraNi

Just to go off on a bit of a tangent - but I promise, it's relevant(ish):

Decades ago, some friends were buying a house from an elderly couple. As our friends were just starting out, they negotiated a price for the carpets and curtains that were already hanging in the house, to save them having to fork out for new ones.

All went smoothly, until the day they moved in, to find carpets and curtains in every room - but not the ones that had been there at the house viewing. All of the 'new' curtains were six inches too short for the windows, and none of the carpets actually reached the walls.

When they enquired about this, the vendors smugly said that whilst they *had* bought some carpets and curtains, technically they were never promised the *original* ones. Apparently, the couple's daughter had swapped the nice ones in the house for her own grotty ones.

Lawyers were briefly involved. Our friends got compensation (and some pretty grubby threatening phone calls off the daughter).

People do bad things when under the thrall of Big Curtain.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mountains.social/users/Badgardener/statuses/117382030525464953https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mountains.social/users/Badgardener/statuses/117382030525464953Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:54:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:52:56 GMT]]>@CiaraNi @ApAlun We had some tenants move out. And we discovered that some of the curtain fittings were missing or broken. And we discovered that you can't buy them any more.

Fortunately I also discovered that back in the day I'd bought an additional rail and set of fittings for a window half way up the stairs that I eventually chickened out of fitting - working at height isn't really my thing - so I had just enough spares to cannibalise.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382026151864412https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382026151864412Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:52:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:49:51 GMT]]>@TimWardCam @ApAlun Yes, shelving too. The enshittification of non-digital things too - it's as if we're actively *trying* to destroy the planet through over-production and over-consumption, doing our best to make sure things can't be reused.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382014011572203https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382014011572203Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:49:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:48:02 GMT]]>@ApAlun Oh yes, Big Curtain Rail too. That's a common problem here (Denmark) too.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382006887510699https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117382006887510699Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:48:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:47:25 GMT]]>@ApAlun @CiaraNi Yeah. Once Upon A Time there were two (or possibly three) standard fittings. Now every one is different.

Same with shelving. Try buying new brackets to fit whatever uprights you have installed - used to be trivially easy, isn't any more.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382004420213867https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/users/TimWardCam/statuses/117382004420213867Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:47:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:44:58 GMT]]>@CiaraNi And Big Curtain Rail. You move into a house which already has curtain rails, but no sliders/hooks to go with them. You go to buy new sliders, but can't find anyone selling the right fitting. So you end up buying new curtain rails. (This is a UK story. From visits to other European countries I suspect they may use more standard fittings?).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/ApAlun/statuses/117381994822622717https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/ApAlun/statuses/117381994822622717Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:44:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:34:35 GMT]]>@stuffjolikes These are great. So useful and sustainable, and then lovely to boot.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381953977026221https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381953977026221Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:34:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:31:18 GMT]]>@CiaraNi can't find a picture of the funky duvet cover ones..but these were our first wonderbag attempts made out of an old patchwork table cloth, the other was made from some pieced together scraps from colourful shirts. More on wonderbags here https://wonderbag.co.uk/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/stuffjolikes/statuses/117381941081484903https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/stuffjolikes/statuses/117381941081484903Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:31:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:28:52 GMT]]>@stuffjolikes That's a brilliant initiative! And lovely results. Fair play to you.

The 'wonderbags' are especially brilliant - modern hay boxes, wonderful!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381931479721447https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381931479721447Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:28:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:23:07 GMT]]>@louisa_ This is amazing. I think that may have used up all the curtain luck for all humans. I am happy you lucked out here - I love the fact that the £25 was even including delivery!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381908881636497https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/CiaraNi/statuses/117381908881636497Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:23:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:21:12 GMT]]>@CiaraNi when we moved into our current house, we had a lot more windows and I was wondering how to cover them all. One room had three windows, a large one, a small one and one in-between (all the same drop thankfully). I found someone selling 3 sets of second hand curtains, in a design I liked, at a quality level I liked, for about £25 in total (inc delivery) on ebay. They fit perfectly.

I think that transaction used up all my luck for my entire lifetime. Never to be repeated.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/louisa_/statuses/117381901356210182https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/louisa_/statuses/117381901356210182Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:21:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to We don't talk enough about Big Curtain. on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:14:45 GMT]]>@CiaraNi I run a community project and we occasionally acquire free big curtains or super king size duvet covers from the charity shop who can't always sell them..we make things from them.. lampshades, bags and more recently been making wonder bags which are kind of haybox cooker type things..cook food up a bit, pop in wonderbag and keeps hot for up to 8 hours so cooks with very little energy input.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/stuffjolikes/statuses/117381876001603260https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://climatejustice.social/users/stuffjolikes/statuses/117381876001603260Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:14:45 GMT