Cutting and Sewing Glass Curtains

Cutting and Sewing Glass Curtains 

Always measure and cut from a perfectly straight edge. To straighten the edge in a glass curtain pull a thread and cut along this. Be careful, however, if you are not accustomed to sewing, that you don't end up by making a wide tear in your fabric. If this first thread does not appear to be a straight edge, don't keep trying; it is safer to mark your line with tape pinned to the material and to keep measuring as you go along. Be sure your scissors are sharp, to avoid pulling threads. Cut the selvage off, as this material shrinks faster than the rest, and will tend to draw the fabric to the edges.

Sew your side hems first, before finishing top and bottom. Hems at the side can be narrow, although currently it is fashionable to have at least 1 inch for large windows. It is also customary to make those hems of each panel that meet at the center o the window facing one another, at least 1 inch wide. Double stitching at the side hems insures long wear. For wide hems, turn the raw edge under one quarter inch, and crease, measuring every few inches to make certain the hem is even. Pinch, baste and then hem. Go through the same steps with your bottom hem.

When you have your bottom hems basted do not sew to the edge where the two hems overlap. Instead, pull out the loose triangular piece left at the corner, pin it on the diagonal, and cut above the pin, leaving just enough on each side of the seam to turn under. Sew the turned-over edge, starting at the lower edge and sewing toward the center. This is what is known as a mitered corner.

Cutting and Sewing Glass Curtains 

Allow a double turn of material for very sheer fabrics. If you need weights in the bottom of your curtains, the recommended kinds are the round string weights, and they can be laid along the bottom, tacked on behind the hem.

Several alternatives are possible for the top hem of your glass curtain. First, if yours is a tailored curtain, you may want just a plain casing for the rod to slip through. Allow enough material for the rod to slip in and out easily. And if you intend to attach the curtain to a brass pole, as in a sash curtain, with small brass rings, a simple, wide hem, 1 to 2 inches, will do.

Or you may want a plain heading with a plain casing. For this make a simple hem with open ends. Double your line of stitches on your side hems to prevent the stitches pulling out. Take a tuck on the wrong side of the curtain, just under the casing, for your shrinkage allowance, and if your allowance for shrinkage is large, divide the total sum in half and put half at the bottom hem in the same way, on the wrong side, just above the hem. Use basting stitches for the tuck. If you are making a heading and casing in ruffled curtains, extend the stitching through the ruffles.

If your material is too pliable or your heading is too wide to stand up by itself, then you may want to add some buckram or crinoline to stiffen it. Draw a thread on the stiffening and cut along it, making the stiffening slightly less than the finished width of the curtain. Lay it along the top edge of the heading and fold over, folding the sides in two to make them equalize with the width of the side hems. Stitch the heading and stiffening at the top and then fold over and stitch at the bottom of the stiffening again. This time you will be stitching in the stiffening and at the same time making the seam that divides heading and casing.

Another possible heading for glass curtains is to make a series of rows of fine shirring, and then hang the curtains from the back with small brass rings attached to the back. This makes the heading stand out a little, and if you cord your shirring it gives a pleasingly stiff impression. If you are using a sewing machine you can get an attachment such as the Singer gathering foot, which pushes the fabric into even folds under the needle for this work; if you are sewing by hand use fine running stitches, spacing even rows.

Cutting and Sewing Glass Curtains 

To make corded shirring, another attachment is useful, the cording foot, which makes it possible to stitch close to a raised surface. Crease or baste evenly-spaced rows across the fabric and lay a cord along the creased line on the wrong side, folding the material over it and stitching close to the cord. For either the plain shirring or the corded shirring, the procedure is the same: make a group of three or more rows of shirring, at least 1 inch from top of curtain, then skip about 2% inches, fold, make more rows of shirring, and fold over so that the two groups are even and can be stitched together.

In glass curtains various types of fancy stitching are often used at the hem or heading, as particularly with simple gauzes and muslins they are felt to add to the effect of the material. Currently, however, with the vogue for straight hanging, softly-tailored styles, an even hem or double bottom hem with, perhaps, a soft ruffle at the top, is sufficient, and the beauty of the curtain lies rather in the color and texture of the fabric than in any applied ornamentation. But there is still room for hemstitching and Italian hemstitching in informal Provincial rooms, and this type of needle-work in threads of contrasting color provides a gay detail.

A plain woven fabric is necessary for hemstitching since it depends on the cross-hatch pattern of the weave. You begin by pulling out about 5 parallel woof (horizontal) threads. Sometimes in pulling a thread you may have to prick at it with your needle as you go across the length of your material, and you should be careful not to get careless and make a hole. Then, beginning at the left, fasten your thread to the top of the hem by sewing the hem and body of the curtain together. Catch up several of the vertical (warp) threads (some four or five) starting with the furthest thread and coming back towards the left, and fasten this stitch by stitching a bit of the curtain and hem together. The Italian hemstitch is one in which you pull your thread in two directions, leaving some untouched, solid fabric in between.

Next in popularity to straight-tailored glass curtains are Priscillas, or looped back, ruffled, cottagy-looking curtains. Ruffles may also, of course, be used as trim for the straight-hung types. Whiles ruffles may be bought by the yard ready-made, they are easy to make, particularly with a sewing machine attachment that both gathers and pleats. Generally the more sheer the fabric, the fuller the ruffle should be. It is considered proper to cut strips for ruffles the length of the material, since crosswise ruffles eventually lose their stiffness. This also eliminates the problem of seams. But for pleated ruffles it is necessary to cut on the crosswise thread. The Singer Company makes the suggestion that when using the Singer ruffler it is wise to test this attachment with a scrap of your fabric and adjust it to gather up just the amount of fullness you wish. Figure on having 3 times the length of your finished raffle for a moderately full ruffle.

It is customary to hem the edges of ruffles. For an even, narrow hem, effective in a sheer fabric, use a flange hemmer, if sewing by machine. To apply ruffles to the curtain, stitch them to the first row of stitching on the hem. Crowd the gathers up slightly at the corners. This results in a heading, or row of gathered tucks, on the portion of curtain which overlaps the  ruffle overlapping the curtain. To attach a ruffle without a heading, stitch it to the curtain, placing the wrong sides together as for a French seam, turn the material over the seam, bring the right sides together, and stitch on the wrong side through the first row of stitching. Double rows of ruffles are very feminine and pleasing, and if the ruffles are narrow, as many as five rows may be used.

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Curtains and Draperies Decorating Ideas

We have been concerned with the basic problems of curtain and drapery making. But you may want to use your imagination, and window treatments lend themselves to the fanciful touch.

Decorating your shades may prove amusing. Use regular canvas paint, available at art-material stores, and trace or free hand whatever gay design you like, whether it is a sophisticated abstraction or a quaint Pennsylvania Dutch or peasant motif. You can paint your entire shade to match or contrast with your walls or fabrics. If your draperies have a pattern, trace the pattern on the shade. With a broad window treat the shade as a mural, and paint a rural scene or seascape, thus enlarging the horizons of your room. Or, if you have found a stunning fabric that is too expensive for draperies, use it for shades that you make yourself.

Take your old shade as a guide, adding 2 inches for a hem and 2 for tacking the shade to the roller at the top. Hem the sides with a narrow hem. Use your old shade rod for your hand-made shade, binding it in with firm stitches.

Although bamboo blinds are very handsome in their natural state, if you have an elegant room, with metallic fabrics, echo the glint of the gold or silver with metallic paint, or better still with gold or silver leaf, brushed or streaked, very thinly, on your blinds. The effect seen from the outside is entrancingly rich. Another idea is to paint your blinds the color of your room. This also applies to the wider porch or slat type of blind which may be used on a large picture window.

When hanging bamboo blinds simply use large hooks at either end of the window to hold the top bamboo pole. Use cleats, like those used on sailboats, to fasten the rope that pulls them up. Attach these on the inside of the blind, and they will not be seen. Venetian blinds, now available in aluminum or galvanized steel, won't rust, sag, warp or break. They last for years.

In a small room with a high ceiling, you might continue your valance all the way round three walls, directly under the ceiling. This will help to focus attention on the window, and will seem to expand the walls.

If you have television, remember that plain white spaces make it easier to concentrate on the screen. Try a three-quarter length white opaque glass curtain, hung from a bold black or brass pole, and used with draperies that can be drawn aside when your set is in use.

The very newest idea in window styling is that of the fabric vertical blind, for average windows or for large picture windows and window walls. They are custom-made to varying designs by a handful of companies, but the hardware is not as yet available for making these blinds yourself. They are fairly reasonably priced in a wide range of modern bold and pastel colors, come in fabrics such as corded acetate faille, and can be drawn back from the window by one control, and set at angles by another. They are proving a handsome addition to sun-shielding devices for large glass areas.

Finally, use your imagination when it comes to tying in your draperies with your other fabrics. Use the same patterns or colors for portieres, slipcovers, spreads, lampshades. Ensembles, particularly for the bedroom, are more popular than ever. 

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Life-Saving Hints for Curtains and Draperies

Life-Saving Hints for Curtains and Draperies 

A few precautions in storing, cleaning and laundering your curtains and draperies will add to their attractiveness and prolong their usefulness.

Curtains may be kept up and hung in cotton bags during the summer, which is an effective way of keeping them clean when windows are open, or when the family is away on vacation, or storage space and help are limited.

If the unwashable draperies are taken down, they should be brushed, aired and packed away in large boxes. Never pack curtains tightly, since it is hard to get the creases out again. Pile fabrics should be sent to the cleaner to be steamed if they are badly crushed.

With sheers that you wish to put away for the summer, wash them first, and then in the fall dampen and iron them before putting up.

When laundering glass curtains, let the tucks out first so that you can correct the length afterward, using your shrinkage allowance if you have to, and leaving a smaller tuck than the original one for the next tubbing.

Instead of attempting to shake out dust, rinse the curtains in a preliminary tubful of clear, lukewarm water. You will discover that you have loosened black dirt too, especially if you live in the city. For delicate materials use lots of suds to cushion the material, more than you would with apparel. If yours is a sturdy fabric, it can be washed in a machine. Use a mild soap. Squeeze the water out, don't rinse, and hang the curtains straight. If the fabric is net or lace and is not shrinkproof, you will need to use a stretcher. With many shrinkable materials, no matter what pre- cautions you take you will have shrinking, and the only course remaining will be to add a new heading that is, of course, unless you have included plenty of room in your shrinkage allowance. A little starch used with most glass fabrics will help to make them look crisp after washing. Ruffles particularly need stiffening for attractive starchiness.

Life-Saving Hints for Curtains and Draperies 

With delicate fabrics and colors, rolling in a towel after washing will help to preserve both the color and the fabric.

Color-fast heavy fabrics may be laundered, if care is exercised. Curtains and draperies may be dyed or tinted each season, as you will find they do not keep their color.

Iron curtains lengthwise with a warm iron, stretching them evenly, and when you are through hang them immediately, or lay them on a bed as, again, creases are hard to take out. Sometimes ironing causes curtains to hang unevenly and there is not much you can do about this. Automatic ironers do a better job of ironing, since the pressure is even.

Curtains and draperies that are faded, soiled or sun- burned irremediably at the bottom may be turned upside down, and the damaged part can be covered with cornice or valance, or carefully pleated so that it does not show.

Luckily, curtains and draperies that are somewhat worn always look much better once they are hung than they do in our hands. And trimmings and ruffles over worn edges will word wonders. Also panels may be reversed quite easily, with the right-hand side changed to the left, so that the outside edge which is worn or faded can be next to the trim and tucked under as much as possible, the other edge which was formerly protected by the trim now appearing quite fresh and unfaded. 

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Creative Ideas for Living Room Curtain

What looks better at night than luxury curtains drawn in your living room, they make the space appear warm and cozy and add texture and color to the room.

Throughout the day the curtains frame the window adding softness and design to the living room.

Get some ideas for unusual types of curtains that can be used in the living room as decoration or as functional curtains. The photographs will probably glimmer your imagination and provide you with ideas to create original curtain design ideas of your own.

Curtain Ideas for Living Rooms

Creative Ideas for Living Room Curtain

It isn't necessary for Curtains to be functional; they can be used purely for decorative purposes, adding design flair. Here a lovely brass curtain rod is used and fabric appears to be draped over the rod and the tied in a waisted form. It is a very novel and individual approach to window drapery. It covers the window frames and breaks up the window space form, softening the wall of blinds.

Creative Ideas for Living Room Curtain

This is a curtain design idea that I have never seen before. For myself, I don’t like it but it does create a talking point. As you can see different fabrics have been used for each side of the window curtain and the tie backs. The more I look at it the more I dislike it. Firstly I think that the fabric is too light compared to the upholstery fabric of the chairs and sofas, it is in a different style and not in keeping, secondly I feel that they are hiding the lovely detail of the windows behind. I will stop there!

Creative Ideas for Living Room Curtain

We don’t always have to have heavy lined curtains for the living room. Here you can see sheers have been used effectively as curtains, creating a soft and delicate look at the windows. This curtain design idea creates an informal feel to the living room space.

Creative Ideas for Living Room Curtain

Once again, a brass curtain rod has been used to create decorative window treatments in this living room. These curtains are purely decorative and sit at the sides of the windows and have a contrasting swag hanging from the top. This look formalizes the living room, and is an idea for window treatments if you don’t need the privacy or insulation properties of curtains, you solely require the aesthetics.

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How to Measure Glass Curtains

How to Measure Glass Curtains

Glass curtains traditionally were hung close to the glass to assure privacy and diffuse light, even when the draperies were drawn open, and consequently they were placed just inside the window frame, next to the top window sash, either to just above or just below the apron, or mouldings, of the window sill. But it is also proper to have glass curtains hang to the

moulding or just clear the floor when no draperies are used. And, increasingly, the new popular window sheer curtains, used by themselves, hung on traverse rods, fall to the floor. If you have built-in window seats, bookshelves, or radiators just below the sill, don't try to conceal them with a glass curtain, but have your curtain extend only to the sill or built-in surface.

How to Measure Glass Curtains

After obtaining the length, you will want to add to it extra inches for hems, casings, headings and shrinkage. For your double top hem you will need 4 inches (this includes a double fold-over for stiffness or for your heading). For your double hem on the bottom, you will want at least 2% inches, although it is currently fashionable to have a generous 5-inch hem at the bottom. If you plan to buy a ready-made trim you need only one-half inch to use for the turn. Then also allow at least 1 inch to each yard of curtain length for shrinkage, unless you buy a shrink fast material. Generally speaking, as has been said, the problem of shrinkage is more serious with a coarser weave.

Curtain fabrics usually come in 36, 50, 72 and 90 inch widths. For under-curtains or glass curtains you will want soft folds for which you plan to have 1% times the width of the window in material. If your fabric is very sheer, allow for twice the width. (This is the case with voile, orlon, nylon, fiberglass, etc.) Measure the window from jamb to jamb for the average double hung window where you will want the glass curtain to come within the framework of the over draperies. But in the case of picture windows or window-wall glass curtains, your traverse rod will extend beyond the window frame work some 3 or 4 inches.

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Valances, Cornices, Swags and that Built-in Look

Valances, Cornices, Swags and that Built-in Look

Today when a smooth, unified look is one of the things we expect from a good room, built-in bookcases, desks, and even furniture, are designed to suit it. We attempt to make furnishings seem so natural to the room that they are actually part of its architecture. Curtains and draperies help to achieve this smooth-flowing atmosphere, and when they too appear to be built in, the feeling is enhanced. Cornices and valances go a long way towards uniting the drapery with the wall, relating the window to the rest of the room.

They not only conceal the mechanics of the drapery operation, the rods and hooks, and the window frame itself (which is apt to be anything but ornamental in an older house or apartment), but they unite two or more windows, making them seem one large unit, and they can be used decoratively to echo a color or wallpaper or fabric pattern in the room. As they are, in a way, part of the architecture of the room, they must be used judiciously.

You can actually use your wall paper to cover a wood or metal cornice or valance board, or you can cover the boards with a correlated drapery material. Many firms are now producing wallpapers and fabrics in exact duplicates, and some fabric houses have groups of three correlated fabrics so that you can match your valance and drapery in complementary colors and weaves.

Other ideas include mounting a group of small framed prints or photographs on your valance; using stripes on a bias to match vertically striped draperies; using the expensive fabric you could not afford for draperies in your valances; covering them with the new wallpapers that simulate marble, brick, etc. If you make a hobby of finishing woods, you might give an interesting wood finish to a plain pine cornice.

You can buy unpainted hardwood cornices and valance boards at the hardware counter of the drapery section of your department store. Some stores even have assembled cornices with traverse rods installed.

If you buy a ready-made cornice, it is safest to get an adjustable one.

Valances, Cornices, Swags and that Built-in Look

Just to make things clear, valances, cornices and swags are variations of the same thing, the top finish of the window. A valance may be either hard or soft, depending on whether it hangs from a wooden board or not. When it is a curving piece of material with draped ends it is a swag, and when a swag is held at either corner by rings it is a festoon. A cornice is  usually a valance of straight rectangular shape with the board parallel to the window whereas the valance board is at right angles to the window like a shelf. Valances are often used to make a tall window seem shorter, and to make a high ceiling lower. Swags provide color contrast and interest to draperies without headings.

If you or your husband is at all handy with carpentry tools, it is simple enough to make your own cornice, however, since you need only nail together three boards, each about % inch thick. The two side boards will be about 6 inches long, the front board the width you wish the cornice to be. If you want to make your cornice adjustable, take 3 boards for the front piece, and nail them together with the center one on top, and overlapping the other two. To make the cornice shorter, increase the amount of overlapping. Decrease it to make it longer, pulling out the nails. Cornice brackets for attaching the cornice, or valance, to the wall, may be bought in hardware stores and many stores carry them. One part of the bracket plate is attached to the wall; the other to the cornice, and a screw fits through holes in each.  

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How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics

How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics

Tired of the way your home looks?  Add a fresh, updated appearance to your home with fabric! Sewing for your home can be quick and easy, and you'll have professional results using timesaving methods that require a minimum of sewing skills.  If you don't sew at all, don't give up!  Many items can be created with no-sew techniques.  Guidelines are available for selecting fabrics appropriate for your project . . . whether you’re making the items yourself or having someone makes them for you. Fabric furnishings add softness and a distinctive character to any room.  You’ll discover almost limitless ways to use fabrics in decorating with curtains, draperies, upholstery, bedspreads, dust ruffles and tablecloths.  Fabrics are both attractive and practical on walls and ceilings or when used for room dividers, padded headboards for beds, wall hangings, picture frames, pillows of all kinds and shapes, storage devices and any number of other creative uses.  Look for ideas as you browse through decorating books and magazines or page through pattern books found at fabric stores.  Take time to observe the uses of fabrics in store displays, model homes and even the homes of your friends.  Don't try to copy ideas, however, but adapt them to create your own one-of-a-kind items.

 

Fabric Choices

Shopping for fabrics can be both fun and frustrating because there’s an unlimited variety of fabric colors, textures and designs available. Consider trying an idea used by professional designers by selecting a fabric in a pattern and colors that you like as the basis for a room’s color scheme.  More companies are now offering coordinating fabrics that make designing your room a real delight.  Wide fabric widths of 54", 60", 90" and even 120" mean less piecing and also reduce both cost and sewing time.  Bed sheets provide another source for wide widths of fabric in the latest colors and patterns.

Select fabrics that are appropriate for the intended use and desired method of care.  They should also look well with the other furnishings in the room.  Study design trends for current colors and patterns and be alert to new ideas that are starting to appear in stores and magazines. Then use these new colors and patterns to give your present furnishings an updated look.

How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics

Purchasing Pointers

As you are planning your project and selecting the fabric, consider the following guidelines:

* Know your budget limitations before you go out to buy. Having a price range established help to eliminate some choices immediately.

* Take time to plan your project carefully.  What colors are used in the room?  How will one pattern complement or blend with another?  What will this item add to the decor of the room?

* Measure carefully and write down these dimensions to take with you when shopping.  Also include a tape measure, pad, pencil, paint chips, fabric and carpet samples, so you'll be prepared for comparing colors and purchasing items that you need for the project.

* Be careful with color!  If you are considering either a bright or a dark color, will it be placed where direct sunlight will hit it?  Some dark colors fade very quickly, and bright, intense colors will stand out as new when combined with older furnishings in a room.  In situations such as this, choose more subdued or grayed colors.  And remember that colors change dramatically when viewed under different lighting or with different color combinations.  Play it safe by asking if a large sample is available to be taken out and viewed in the intended setting.  When samples are not available, purchase a yard to try out in your home in both daylight and night lighting.

* Examine the fabric construction before buying.  Remember that  fiber content, type of yarn, fabric construction and finishing techniques all play a part in determining the serviceability of the fabric.  As a rule, the tighter the yarns are twisted, the longer the wear you can reasonably expect.  The tighter the weave or higher the thread count (number of threads per inch), the stronger the fabric. It pays to use good quality fabrics for most decorating projects. The items last longer and give a finer finished look.  Consider, too, the  length of time you expect to use these items. You'll need a better quality fabric for draperies that you expect to last 10 to 15 years than you will for a pair of kitchen curtains that you plan to replace in two or three years.  Don't hesitate to ask your County Extension agent for help or guidance.

* Carefully evaluate the appropriateness of the fabric, color, pattern and texture, keeping the intended use in mind.   Is the fabric sturdy enough for the intended use?  Is it soft enough to drape if you want it to drape or crisp enough to hold a desired shape?

* Ask for and read carefully any labels and hang tags that are attached to, printed on or come with the fabric.  These are important guides in knowing how to care for your finished items.  If using a washable fabric, plan to pre-shrink it along with other materials, such as buckram or linings. Do not wash a fabric if dry cleaning is recommended.  Vacuum these items regularly to prevent dust from accumulating on the fabric surface.  It is recommended that fabrics be thoroughly vacuumed, dry cleaned or laundered after the pollen season for health reasons, especially if someone in your household has allergies.  Electronic air cleaners or regular cleaning/changing of the filter on forced-air furnaces will help to protect fabrics from dust.  Dust may also be removed by tumbling fabric items, such as drapery panels, in the clothes dryer without heat.

* Consider the size of a design when selecting fabric for your project.  Random patterns, small all over prints and stripes are easier to work with than large, strongly defined repeat patterns. Figuring the extra yardage that is needed for matching a repeat can become quite involved and add to the total cost of the project.  If you fall in love with a large or dominant pattern, be sure to purchase enough additional fabric to match patterns and complete the project.

* If a vertical line is important, such as for window curtains, be sure that any pattern is on-grain. Don't buy fabric that is printed off-grain or that has been pulled off-grain during finishing or wrapping on the bolt.  Examine the fabric carefully, and ask the sales clerk for help in determining if the fabric is grain perfect.

* If you are covering furniture or pillows, will the fabric require a lining to prevent showing through?  Most window coverings will be more durable and save energy if they are lined.

* Has the fabric been treated with a stain-repellant finish?  These finishes help in maintaining the appearance over a period of time.  To test the effectiveness of a stain resistant finish, drop a small amount of water on a fabric sample.  If the water beads up instead of soaking in, the fabric will repel stains.  After laundering or dry cleaning, this protective finish may need to be reapplied either by the dry cleaner or with a spray that can be purchased at retail stores.  However, read hang tags and warranties carefully for any precautions regarding recommended care and application of additional finishes.

* Buy all the fabric you need at one time and make a note of the dye lot number if available.  Dye lots differ, and what started as a raspberry color may turn brighter red in a later shipment. If a fabric continues to be available over a period of time and you decide to add more furnishings in the same or a coordinating fabric, be sure to check colors carefully before purchasing.

* Textile products and fabric furnishings are expected to be serviceable.  Ask yourself which of the following characteristics are most important--durability, comfort, care, appearance, fashion or price.  Use these rankings as guidelines when making your final selections.     

* Remember . . . haste makes waste.  Take time to think each project through carefully.  Allow time, too, to consider creative ways of finishing your project.  A little extra time and some imagination can turn the ordinary into the unusual and distinctive.

 

* Enjoy the creative process you are experiencing.  Then appreciate the praise and satisfaction you’ll receive for a job well done!

How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics

Figuring Fabric Amounts

Determining the amount of fabric that is needed for a project can be confusing.  However, it's not really difficult!  Purchased patterns and project instructions give instructions for yardage and suggested pattern placement for cutting pieces.  You can also make your own "layouts" just like those in pattern instructions to make best use of fabric if using odd shapes and sizes. To do this, use graph paper to draw rectangles to scale to represent widths of 45", 54" and 60" (or 90" and 120" widths if you know that you will be shopping for these wider fabrics).  Make a number of copies to use as "master" forms.

For each project, refer to the measurements you have taken and sketch out the pieces you'll need (fronts, backs, sides) on your master.  These sketches will tell you how many yards are needed for the width of fabric you are considering.  If piecing is necessary, you will also be able to determine how many "lengths" of fabric will be required to complete the project.  (Before you actually purchase fabric, remember to consider any additional allowances that may be needed for ½ inch seams, hems, directional patterns, fabric nap, design repeats and loft from batting or filler.)

Joining Lengths of Fabrics

When figuring the amount of yardage needed, remember that the primary rule for positioning seams is to make them as inconspicuous as possible. That usually means that seams will be placed on the side, rather than down the center of tablecloths and bedspreads.

Use selvage edges when possible for sewing lengths of fabric together.  Be sure to add ½ inch seam allowances to each piece for seams.

How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics

Matching Patterns

Any design repeat must be measured and figured carefully when purchasing fabrics.  Small prints may not be that noticeable, but larger prints can be as much as twenty or thirty inches in length for one repeat.  Measure the repeat on the fabric you are considering and add to the required yardage of each length to be pieced.  (For instance, there should be a full design repeat positioned along the top of each panel on fabric-covered walls or along the top of each curtain and drapery panel.)

One-Way Designs

If arranging pieces on a one-way design or napped fabric, such as velvet or corduroy, be sure that all pieces are placed in the correct (same) direction.  Check to be sure that patterns are matched when necessary and that large motifs are centered on cushions and tablecloths.

Also, check the design repeat across the width of the fabric to be sure that you will have enough fabric to complete your project as you would like for it to be finished.

Trims

Fringe, tassels, braid, cording, lace, ribbons and bows add distinction and character to otherwise plain items.  Consider the decorating style in the room as well as the weight and recommended care of fabric when you are selecting trims.  When planning the placement of trimmings, mark guidelines with either a water-soluble marking pen or a marker using ink that disappears. A glue stick will hold the trim in place while stitching.  Some trims can be attached with fusible fabric or glue.

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Tailoring for Professional Looking Curtains and Draperies

Tailoring for Professional Looking Curtains and Draperies

JLF there is any one single key to turning out tailored, professional looking curtains and draperies, it is measuring accurately before you start. Count on having enough material to avoid a skimpy result, so that you won't be haunted as you go along by that nervous feeling that you're not going to have enough material to provide full hems and ample trim. Remember particularly that if you use a hard-to-match color or an exclusive print, your fabric supplier may not have any more material in stock when you discover that you've underestimated your needs; and to avoid needless delays once you've begun, be sure you have sufficient yardage. You can always use material you have left over for pillow flounces, slipcover trim, valances, tiebacks, and so forth. On the other hand, when measuring don't be too lavish, or you may end up with too much material in your draperies or curtains with that clumsy, home-made look. As with every other art from cooking to painting the trick is to strike a happy balance.

Use a steel tape or yardstick for measuring your windows. A dressmaker's measuring tape will not assure an accurate measurement. But when you come to measuring your material, a yardstick or steel tape may stretch your fabric, so use your cloth tape. Lay the tape measure right on the material so that it will be in line with the edge you are measuring.

Tailoring for Professional Looking Curtains and Draperies

It goes without saying that you've made your decision as to what type of draperies you plan to have before you purchase your fabric. And before you shop for materials you want to have your measurements very firmly in mind. In fact, you will benefit from keeping a little notebook for measurements window measurements, size of valance, cornice, or swag you'll want to make, and how much material you'll need for the glass curtains, the draperies, the valance, the lining, etc. You can also enter in this book comparative prices on fabrics and hardware. Before you shop then, you will have measured the window and approximated the length and width of curtains and draperies, and in addition the allowance you will want to make for casings, headings, shrinkage, hems, and other details.

Tailoring for Professional Looking Curtains and Draperies

The first step in measuring is to measure each window in a room. Sometimes even windows right next to one another are of different heights, especially in older apartments and often even in new homes where some structural detail may have caused the builder to place the windows at different levels. You may find as great a variation as two inches, and since one advantage in having draperies is that they can conceal structural unevenness in a room, you will want to know whether you have such a problem.

Measurements you will need for each window are 1) the width from trim to trim; 2) the length from top window sash to sill; 3) the length from top window sash to just below the apron; 4) the length from top window sash to floor; 5) the length from above the window frame to floor; and 6) for draperies, the width from outside the window frame to baseboard or floor. Measurements will depend on what type of window treatment you plan. On the whole, it is possible to generalize that glass curtains generally require measurements for within the window frame, whereas draperies, which are hung from above the window, also extend below it. 

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How to Sew and Make New Curtains

How to Sew and Make New Curtains

Here is a good lesson to learn an indoor DIY project: how to make new curtains. The carrying out is not difficult; if you can sew a straight line with a machine, you can make new curtains to slide over your windows. The challenge is in the planning.

Fabric

A medium-weight drapery fabric is a good choice; it is often wider than dress material.  Avoid large designs. They can be overwhelming in a small space, and you will need extra fabric to allow matching. Avoid dark colors, too, as they are prone to fading. Your curtains will last longer and offer more privacy if they are lined. Laminated fabric is hard to find, but drapery lining is widely available and can be sewn to your curtain fabric. Look for a medium weight lining that provides some sun and thermal protection. You also need a roll of "stay tape" (to stabilize the stretchy diagonal edges of the corner curtains), about 12” of sticky-back white fuzzy (loop) Velcro, and 12” of sew-on hook-side Velcro. These items are available from fabric stores.

Hardware

For curtains that slide on a track, you need to purchase "glide tape" (which is sewn to the curtain) and "white wall track" (which is screwed to the wall). The standard tape package contains 72" of tape, and the track comes in lengths that vary around 45", depending on vendor. These supplies are not expensive, but since you have to pay shipping, be sure to order enough the first time. If you already have the sliding track system, order new tape. The plastic buttons become brittle with age and it's time-consuming to remove old tape. At most hardware stores, you can buy finishing washers for tiebacks) and decorative screw caps. Screws should be fully threaded, with no smooth shank, and stainless steel is best. Use an awl or ice for putting holes in the fabric and Velcro, and for starting screw holes in the wall.

Measuring

 Length: The finished curtains on the A walls should all hang to the same distance above the hinge.  Allow enough coverage at the top of the window for the wall track. Width: In order for the curtain panel to clip into the end of the wall track, and cover the hardware, the side edges of the curtain should extend 1" beyond a glide-tape button.

Hold the glide tape above the window to determine this minimum width. The measurement will be wider than the actual window. Measure all the windows, including the door. Add at least 2" to each width dimension to allow for seams. Curtains should always be cut lengthwise on the raw fabric, matching the fabric design, or they won't hang properly.

Corner curtains require special attention, noted here in italics. If your fabric has a printed pattern, you cannot create matching triangles by cutting a square in half – if you do, one triangle will be upside down! Matching triangles on a single wall must be cut as vertical, mirror-image twins.

NOTE: If your corner windows are the usual 21” high, and you want your finished curtain to have two equal legs of about 32”, those raw cut edges must be at least 33 ¾”, NOT 33”, or you have no seam allowance for the diagonal. The surest method is to make a paper pattern for your corner, pin it to the fabric, and cut ½” from the edges all the way around.

Knowing the width of your fabric, figure how many yards you will need for your project. Make a similar calculation for the lining, which may be manufactured in a different width. To confirm your calculations, sketch your layout on graph paper. You will also need fabric to make tie-backs for your curtains. These 4” strips can be cut horizontally. Remember to allow extra fabric for all seams and hems.

How to Sew and Make New Curtains

Construction:  The easiest way to line your curtains is to cut mirror-image pieces of fabric and lining, adding ½” seam allowance all the way around. Pin the right sides together and stitch ½” from the edge all around, leaving about 6” unstitched. Trim excess material from the corners and turn the piece inside out through the unstitched pocket. Use the scissor points to gently poke the corners into shape. Press the edges carefully, fingering the unstitched pocket into place. Top stitch around the entire panel, including the unstitched pocket, about ¼” from the edge. Press again. Place the glide tape along the top of the back of the curtain panel, with the end glide buttons about 1" inside each side. Stitch the top of the glide tape to the back of the top of the curtain panel, sewing along the top stitching. Use a zipper foot on the machine so that you can sew close to the glide buttons.

Finally, stitch the bottom edge of the glide tape in place. If you are using glide tape on both top and bottom of a curtain, as you would for the roof bubbles, make certain that the upper and lower buttons are directly opposite each other so that the open curtain pleats evenly.  Add a piece of sew-on Velcro to the back of any curtain hem or corner that you want held against the wall.

The panels for the corner windows are right-angle triangles. While construction is basically the same as for the rectangular curtains, the stretchy diagonal edges need special care. When you pin the lining for sewing, include a strip of Stay Tape along the diagonal sewing line and stitch it into the seam. The narrowest (bottom) point of the triangle will be thick and needs careful trimming to remove extra bulk before it’s turned inside-out. The large curtain next to the door may have one triangular side. This area can be cut separately, then sewed to the rectangle as part of the whole curtain.

Tiebacks:  Cut tieback strips 4” wide and 1" longer than the finished length. Fold the strip in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch ¼” from the long edge. Press the seam open and turn the strip inside-out. Center the seam and press again, turning ½” of the raw ends inside. Top stitch all the way around, ¼” from the edge. Sew a square of loop-side Velcro to one end, over the long seam. 

Mounting

Glide Track:  The plastic track can be cut to length with utility shears. If in doubt, cut it long and shorten it as needed. Mark the screw holes by holding the track, with curtain attached, at the desired location. Put a screw near each end of the track.

Fixed corner triangles:  Use masking tape to hold the curtain in place. Through the diagonal curtain edge, screw 4 small pan-head screws in decorative covers.

Tiebacks:  Through the non-Velcro end of each tieback, seam-side up, screw a short pan-head screw and finishing washer, hiding the screw behind the curtain.

Velcro:  After the curtains and tiebacks are in place, press the fuzzy side of sticky-back Velcro to each piece of sewn-on loop Velcro. Stick it against the wall where desired, pull away the curtain, and screw each sticky-back Velcro in place with a short, small flat-headed screw.

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Over-drapery Materials

In draperies by far the largest group is the cottons. Beginning with calico sized, plain-woven cotton with the pattern on one side these prints, which seem subdued, are fine for country homes. Cretonne was originally the French version of calico, and it is made with a heavier yarn. Usually cretonne, which is the same material as unglazed chintz, has larger designs than the unglazed chintz. Because of its lack of glaze, it gives a pleasantly subdued look to the print; in antique floral an authentic look, in modern designs perhaps a more subtle one.

Chintzes are cretonnes glazed with a dull or high gloss. This gloss is acquired by a wax glaze or a starch glaze, (both of which come out in the laundry) and, today, by a chemical, durable glaze. Choose this type of finish for long use. Glosheen is the name of mercerized cotton with the satin weave reversed. This gives a permanent sheen, too.

All the printed cottons lend themselves to a wide variety of colors and designs, varying from those reminiscent of the past such as toile de Jouy to the free contemporary patterns by modern painters.

Familiar shirting and dress cotton fabrics are highly suitable for informal interiors. Among these are chambray (originally used in Chambrai, France, for sun- bonnets), a fabric woven with a colored warp and a white woof, resulting in a changeable colored surface. Percale, which is highly recommended as a summer curtain or drapery material, is a cool, crisp-looking fabric similar to chambray but finer. Originally hand blocked in India, percale has a dull finish, and comes in plain solid colors and printed patterns. Gingham, another plain-weave cloth, has figures made from yarns which are dyed before weaving, and is woven in stripes, plaids and checks.

Over-drapery Materials

A fabric borrowed from working-day life is denim, made in lighter weight for draperies, and in a variety of colors and patterns. This long-wearing, sturdy, fabric dyes to vivid colors and is always stylish. Of firm, twill-weave cotton, it often has a whitish tinge obtained by using white woof yarns with colored warp yarns.

Another suiting material that is very smart for draperies is gabardine, which is a tightly-woven twilled cotton, rayon or wool, with a marked diagonal raised weave on the right side.

Homespun is the designation given loose rough fabrics imitating tweedy materials formerly loomed at home. The homespun look is obtained by using unevenly-spun fibers of cotton, rayon or wool. Monk's cloth, a heavy basket- weave cotton fabric, usually seen in its natural off-white or beige color, is used too, to achieve a homespun quality.

Pique, a heavy cotton with a corded surface is highly suitable for summer draperies, as it launders well and wears well.

Among those materials which have a lustrous appearance, and which may be made of cotton, rayon, silk or synthetics, you will find poplin, a fine, durable fabric which drapes beautifully and resembles broad-cloth. Made with a plain weave it has fine cross ribs made by using warp threads finer than the woof threads.

Rep, which is heavier than poplin but quite similar, has a more distinctive surface texture produced by heavier woof threads than warp threads. It is produced in silk, rayon, mohair or cotton yarns in plain or printed fabrics. Jaspe is a mottled looking rep, made by having a series of faint, broken stripes woven into it.

Faille, a popular drapery fabric, has a rep weave which gives a heavy corded surface to what is, in reality, a soft, slightly glossy silk, rayon or cotton fabric. Faille drapes and tailors well.

Over-drapery Materials

Ottoman is a heavy corded silk or rayon with larger, rounder ribs than faille. The ribs, or filling, of the cloth are usually cotton, but they are completely covered by the silk or rayon warp. Moire, another rep fabric, has a heavy watermark impressed by engraved rollers when the material is damp, and this results in the material reflecting light differently on the crushed and uncrushed parts. This pattern is not permanent except on acetate rayon. Bengaline is similar to faille, too, but heavier, with a fine weave.

Satin, of silk or rayon, another glossy fabric, sometimes with a cotton filling, has a smooth, lustrous face and dull back. The luster is obtained by the weave, and the finish produced by running it between hot cylinders. Made in many varieties and qualities, it can be screen-printed and antiqued, and makes a soft, rich material when quilted.

Taffeta, which is also effective when quilted, is smooth on both sides, usually with a sheen on the surface. Of silk, rayon, cotton or synthetic yarns, it may be woven in such a way that its colors seem changeable, its texture crisp.

Certain fabrics have an almost undeviatingly formal manner, and among these are the heavy brocades, brocatelles, and "pile" fabrics like velvet, velour, etc.

They should only be used as side drapes, or in cases where no light is wanted.

Damask, a firm glossy-patterned fabric with a Jacquard weave, is woven so that the right side usually has satin face designs that are reversed on the other side. Damask is similar to brocade, but flatter and reversible. It may be o linen, cotton, rayon or silk.

Brocades, which have been having an influence on wallpaper designs, have subdued patterns made of mixed yarns against a plain background. Satin weave, an allover pattern resembling embroidery, marks this fabric, Brocatelle is a fancy damask, with stuffer threads under the raised design making a thickness that looks like heavy-handed embroidery.

A variation on the plain weave in which an additional warp thread is looped on the surface and then cut, produces velvet. Velours is a further variation on velvet, in which the additional thread is made in a plain or twill weave of a different color. Plush is another kind of caught pile woven from mohair. Velveteen is a cotton fabric with a short, close pile made to look like velvet.

Toweling materials also sometimes are appropriate as curtains, when a coarse fabric with a rough, irregular surface is required. Crash is such a fabric. Usually of cotton or linen, it is obtained by weaving uneven yarns. 

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