Goal: Bedsheet Curtains

At the condo, our window treatments are somewhat lackluster (putting it lightly) so another one of my goals is to sew new curtains by New Years Eve. I've researched diligently and thanks to eHow & Google, I've pretty much figured out how I'd like to make these curtains. I'd like to use a gray bed sheet & since our couch is along the bottom of our whole wall of windows, I only need to make them half-length.

However, upon taking this picture, Bill mentioned that I need to make the two middle panels somewhat transparent as they are the way we let light into the room. The side panels can be a split bed sheet (hemmed, of course) but I'll have to go to the fabric store to investigate what fabric would be best for these center panels. The windows are 55" tall & 124" wide.

I only have a sewing machine at my mom & dad's & it's a Bernina from about 1965, so it's a little too heavy for me to transport to the condo. I'll have to sew them at Mom & Dad's or find a place in the condo I could possibly sew in peace. Sam & Hemmingway keep me from thinking such a place is possible....Maybe a small Singer should be on the Christmas list as well....