How to Design and Make Lined Curtains

The easiest and most reliable method of lining curtains is called tube lining. Lining a curtain requires no extra sewing skills and adds body and fullness to your finished curtain. Curtains tend to hang better and of course you get the added benefit of a layer of insulation at your windows.

When calculating the amount of lining fabric you need to purchase, you should allow the same amount as for your curtain fabric. Although you will not need so much allowance for hems.

  Calculate the fabric amount required for your curtains using our guide "how to calculate fabric amounts for curtain making".

  The width of your lining should be about 5cm less than the width of the curtain fabric.

  The length of your lining should be the same as the curtain length less the hem allowance at the top.

  Cut the main fabric and the lining to the correct size for each curtain. Join fabric panels together if necessary for awide window. See our guide "how to join fabric panels together".

  Place the lining fabric on top of your curtain fabric, right sides together.

  Ensure the fabric and lining line up exactly by placing a mark with tailors chalk at the centre along the base of each fabric. You may find it helpful here to use table clamps. This hold layers of fabric securely in place against the table top while you pin, tack or handstitch. Always use professional curtain maker's clamps to avoid damaging either fabric or table tops.

  Tack together the side edges of both fabrics. As your curtain fabric is wider than your lining fabric, allow ther curtain fabric to fold underneath the lining fabric as you join the fabrics together.

  Stitch a 1cm wide seam along each edge of your fabric. Stop 10cm above where you will make the hem line.

  Turn you curtains right side out. Line up the central tailor chalk marks and press the fabric. Your curtain fabric should fold over to the lining side each side of your curtain. Press.

  Fold over 1cm of the top edge of the curtain, press, and then fold another 4cm over to hide the raw edges. Press.

  If using a heading tape or buckram, pin and tack this across the top of the fabric about 3mm below the top edge of your curtain. Purchase enough heading tape to fit across the entire flat width of your curtains, allowing an extra 4cm per curtain for tucking under raw ends.

  Turn the raw edges either side of the heading tape or buckram under before removing pins and sewing in place using two lines of stitching - one across the top and one across the bottom of the heading tape of buckram.

  Always sew each line of stitching in the same direction to avoid puckering of the fabric.

  Re-measure the length of your curtains before creating a hem at the base of your curtain fabric, tucking under raw edges. Using hemming stitch, stitch the hem by hand so that stitching cannot be seen from the right side of the fabric.

  Create a second hem on the wrong side of the lining fabric. The finished length of the lining should be about 2cm above the finished length of your curtain fabric.

  With the right side of the main fabric facing down and your lining facing up, press your hems. Press the fabric at either side where you left 10cm open at the join between the fabric and lining on the curtain panel. Now slip stitch the open edges together.

  Follow our guide "Curtain Headings" to create your desired curtain heading, then press and hang the curtains.