Has anyone ever made curtains?

Witzend

That’s interesting, Welshwife - hemming before hanging. I’d always understood that you should hang first, at least in the case of heavier, lined ones, in case the weight makes them drop slightly.
Of course that makes it that much more of a PITA when you have to take them down for hemming and re-hang.

Yes, I always did that, hung them for a bit, pinned then took them down and hemmed them, measuring one against the other as well..

Though I suppose it’s more critical for heavier, floor length
curtains, Callistemon - not so much for shorter ones.

I think I probably just measured, held them against each other etc for bedroom curtains.

The last full length ones I bought for the sitting room I had shortened but I could have done better myself!

I have made full length for years - I never found any dropping with the curtains but I made them an inch short so they just skimmed the carpet and the bottom s did not get dirty. I always found with separate linings that the curtains did not hang as well as when it was stitched in. In our last house the fabric for the sitting room cost me £500 as the windows were very wide - 6 widths and 3 widths on the second one and almost 3 m long. As it was a bay I could not do eyelets so I did triple pleats which I hand stitched in place and I added a covered button in a plain colour to each pleat. I made plaited tie backs - covered foam sausages and plaited - looked good.

Yes, but not eyelet ones. I’ve made traditional ones with header tape and also tab top - lined and unlined. It’s fairly easy with a decent sewing machine and there are some good tutorials for beginners on YouTube. You just have to be sure you have enough fabric for pattern matching - and start with unlined curtains until you’re confident.

I made all my own curtains until a couple of years ago when my back became too bad to sit hunched over the sewing machine. Curtains are quite easy, but I never made eyelet ones so many that is more complicated.

I’ve made several pairs of eyelet curtains, including floor length ones. They are not difficult, just take your time. The sense of pride and achievement when they are finished and hanging is worth the effort. And you save money!

My mum was a tutor in soft furnishings at night school for years. Consequently she started me off sewing and curtain making totally agree long lined ones are heavy, but she taught me to get the bottoms correct as they show more, any adjustments or balancing do at the top, as not so noticeable.
Amazing stuff in YouTube tho. Good luck

I’ve made curtains and Roman blinds. I recently taught my daughter and we made two pairs with rather pricey fabric. TBH it wasn’t the easiest of jobs helping her but her satisfaction was well worth it. At least she had a lovely large table for cutting out.

I need some new curtains but just not up to manipulating the acres of fabric.

In the past have made curtains and never had problems with repeats/matching up.

I know I can't do these massive ones however. Big windows, tall rooms. I currently need 3 sets. One is for a window 3m x 4m!

Never made them with eyelets. mine have always had a tape at the top, but yes, made most of our curtains and blinds. I have a couple of books that show you how but there are masses of Youtube videos.

I always keep a look out in charity shops for curtains - if I like the fabric I use them to make smaller curtains or blinds. Before lockdown I bought two beautiful pairs of off white damask, fully lined floor length curtains for about £20. Took them apart, washed and ironed them and used the curtain fabric and the lining to make two lovely big roman blinds for two bedrooms.

You can buy eyelet heading tape which I believe irons on (or could be sewn) then you buy the rings, they come in different sizes depending on pole depth, then I am not sure if the rings click into each other on the fabric or not. Again, YouTube it. I used to make all my curtains, but I find full length now too much weight to cope with. Also I can't kneel on the floor now which causes a problem. One thing you must be careful of is your tension on the sewing machine. If you machine the lengths, make sure it doesn't pucker or they won't hang correctly. I used to hand stitch mine and I always used lead weights on the hems. Good luck with your project.

I stitch the eyelet tape - the holes need to be carefully cut out and then the front rings clicked on. In Dunelm you can get different finishes for the rings.

Last pair of eyelet curtains I made, I put stay stitching around the eyelet holes before cutting just to keep the fabric/lining and interlining all together.

Itsawelshthing

I am looking to make eyelet curtains from scratch. I need to get a better sewing machine first and then I can get started. Watched lots of YouTube tutorials and I think I'm ready! I have sewed curtains before, clothing, blankets etc but never actually made anything from scratch. How easy is it & is it more expensive than buying them? The ones I want are very expensive (£150) but I only want them because of the pattern.. But the pattern is cheaper when you buy the roll.

I don’t make curtains, but my sister has made me some eyelet ones. Got a kit from Rufflette I believe, she said it was easy, but then she is a whizz at most things? good luck.

Absolutely amazing how talented you all are! I have ordered the eyelet tape and a roll of curtain liner, I just need to visit a fabric shop next week and should be ready to go. I can't wait to get stuck in

Itsawelshthing

Absolutely amazing how talented you all are! I have ordered the eyelet tape and a roll of curtain liner, I just need to visit a fabric shop next week and should be ready to go. I can't wait to get stuck in

You sound much more cheerful itsawelshthing - keep it up!

I want to know how the eyelet tape works.
Do you cut holes the right size first? Or snip out the centres carefully afterwards?
Or am I being really dim?

Can you let us know, itsawelshthing, please!

I've been making curtains for over 50 years from light sheers to lined and interlined.

Sometimes it's cheaper to make your own curtains, a lot depends on the fabrics you choose, and whether you can get fittings and accessories etc at reasonable prices.

If you're going to make floor to ceiling curtains consider whether you can physically cope with the size and weight of that much fabric, especially if you're lining them, and have you got a big enough space to spread the fabric out for pattern matching etc.

I never use the 'bag method' of making them, I always hand finish linings and hems. If you're using a fabric that frays a lot it's worth overlocking raw edges before you start assembling the curtains, they'll survive laundering better.

On the upside curtains are basically just straight sewing, there's just a lot of it. If the fabric is washable, wash it and square it up before you measure or cut anything. Most fabrics are not square even straight off the roll.

If you have to pattern match, don't have a seam down the centre of the curtain.

I always stitch the bottom hems before the tops, they hang better.
When you press the side seams and bottom hem, only press lightly, they shouldn't have a knife edge. I actually put lengths of batting down the side edges and bottom edge to keep a soft edge. I also use hem weights.

I've often been asked to make or alter curtains for friends or colleagues. It's always a bit worrying, so lots of double (triple?) checking measurements etc. Some years ago a lady asked me to put hidden pockets in the linings for their passports and valuables! I hope she remembered they were there before she took them to the cleaners!

A friend who sewed for Harrods showed me how to make some beautiful and unusual headings for curtains, so I made little mini curtains to practise them. They're now hanging in a dolls house!

I know this might sound like a lot of work but it's so satisfying to see your own beautifully made curtains gracing your windows. Good luck, let us know how it's going......

What a lovely, satisfying post Happysexagenarian. You sound like my mother who was a wizard with the sewing machine, great at matching and placing, leveling and just about anything involving fabrics.

I am struggling to make decisions on curtains as my windows are huge and curtains required are over long. I know I can't handle the acres of cloth. I have bought two pairs which I hope will be good enough for two rooms but the downstairs rooms defeat me.
The fabrics I like best are way out of my budget and with the make-up costs they become ridiculous.

I love that you get so much pleasure from your sewing skills.
Thanks for posting.

Thank you all so much for your kind replies sorry I didn't get back sooner! Sad news is my sewing machine is no longer. It was rubbish anyway. It was a 1 stitch basic machine which I only got to hem up all the curtains and nets in the house but now I want to go onto bigger and better things so I need to get a bigger and better one. Currently looking at either a Brother or a Singer. Need to pay off the builders first though x x

Itsawelshthing
I didn't mention it previously but my trusty old Singer gave up when I was attempting to sew blackout linings to existing rather thick cotton/cotton lined curtains.
I bought a Brother, it's ok but do ask advice first.

I have made curtains over the years and the ones I made 40 yrs ago using Habitat material, lined with cotton, are still going strong.
I followed the instructions in the Penguin book of sewing.

However I cut them too short and had to add on a piece at the bottom which actually works well as a weight.

Good luck with the eyelet ones. Itsawelshthing
My DiL made a Roman Blind while we were at hers one evening, chatting all the while. Talk about multi tasking! I was well impressed.

It is too tempting to go to IKEA nowadays.