You know how tiresome moving can be. Now that we are unpacked and settled into our new apartment, I’ve been working on the fun stuff – decorating. I posted Harper’s room a few weeks back. Now I’m so excited to show you our family room, which I am almost completely done with. This room was tough for me as I knew I wanted new curtains and a brand new rug. Luckily, I didn’t have to get a new couch, as I kept the same chocolate brown sectional couch from our old apartment, but did have to separate it to fit in the new space. I finally decided on a new Moroccan style rug and got a temporary coffee table (because I cannot make up my mind). Then came time to pick out the curtains and new artwork for our big space. Two things that I have the hardest time deciding on, and a coffee table too. I found a beautiful print from minted artist, Emily Jeffords called Savannah Lands. Absolutely stunning.
Curtains can be so difficult to find. I was searching for the perfect light-colored and patterned curtains to go with the new rug. Did I really want to sew curtains for the large bay windows? Yes, because it is pretty darn simple! I found the perfect linen blend fabric on minted.com. Did you know they carry gorgeous fabric designed by global independent designers? I used a beautiful medallion print linen blend fabric from minted in grey.
These curtains are perfect for a beginner sewer. You would be surprised how many projects you could sew for your home that are simple – pillows, curtains, and duvet covers.
Read more for the full tutorial…
Measuring your window: First measure from your curtain rod to the floor (or where you want your curtains to land). Add 12″ to this number so you can leave enough room for hemming. If you want a more gathered look, add 1.5 to 3 times the width of your window. I used the width of fabric (54 inches) from the bolt and just had to hem the edges. This saved so much time. TIP: I knew I wanted my curtain panels to be 96″ long, so I ordered my fabric in 3 yard increments so I did not have to make one cut on my own! Isn’t that a fabulous time saving tip! I wanted my curtain panels to be 96 inches long so the 3 yard piece (or 108 inches) of fabric worked for me. This gave me 12 inches to use for my hems on top and bottom.
Before you start sewing, iron your fabric pieces to make it easier to measure and sew.
Supplies: sewing machine | fabric | thread | iron and ironing board | measuring tape | clips | rods
Step 1. Lay your fabric flat on a work surface (in my case, my dining room floor). Notice how wide your salvage edges are. You will need to make sure to fold in enough to not show the blank salvage area. Fold in the left edge 1/2″ and press with iron. Fold the edge again a 1/2″ and press and pin. Pin the double folded edge every 5″, with the ends of the pins to the outer edge of seam. This edge is dotted on the diagram.
Step 2. Fold in the right edge 1/2″ and press with iron. Fold the edge again a 1/2″ and press and pin. Now sew each side creating a finished hem using a simple straight stitch. This edge is dotted on the diagram.
Step 3. Next, create the bottom hem. This is a bigger hem to create a more finished weighted look. Fold the bottom edge up 4″ and press. Fold over again 4″ and press and pin. Sew this side to create the finished hem.
Step 4. Create the top hem. Fold down 2″ and press. Fold again 2″ and press. Sew this side to create the finished hem.
You can use curtain rod clips or the open rod pocket (or top hem of curtain) to use on the curtain rod. I used curtain rod clips so that opening and closing curtains was easier to do.
Thank you to minted for sending over the fabric for my new curtains and for the gorgeous art work!
The post How to sew simple curtain panels appeared first on Alice and Lois.