I was asked by a friend to fix up a set of curtains for her. She had 3 panels of store bought drapes with large grommets at the top for a rod to pass through and she wanted them changed to 2 wider panels of drapes, wide enough to cover her window, with some fullness, with a casing and header on top instead, and the length shortened too. No problem!
After careful measuring, I cut one of the three panels in half and cut the grommet tops off every panel. I unpicked the store seams on the sides where necessary. I sewed the raw edge of the half panel to a full panel on the side where I had unpicked the side seam. Same with the other half, I sewed it to a full curtain panel. I thought it best that I follow where the factory had sewed the seam together, not to poke too many needle holes in the sheer fabric, but when I basted the full panel and the half panel together I noticed …
This will not do at all! The factory, or wherever curtains are made, doesn’t really pay much attention to how they line up their seams or their vertical and horizontal rows. I followed their seam when I attached the half panel and I look what I ended up with! This fabric wasn’t very conducive to being picked apart but I did it anyway. The fabric did fray a lot, so once I got it apart I carefully cut and positioned my seams and my vertical and horizontal rows on both curtain panels and sewed them together with French Seams. Much better!
Can you see my seam now?
What about now?
After some more careful measuring, I sewed up the casing for the rod and the header above it. 2 inches for the casing and another 2 inches for the header on the front, the fold, 2 inches for the header and another 2 inches for the casing, plus 1/4 inch for the hem on the back.
Next, with leftover fabric I made two tubes, 2 squares wide, ironed them, hemmed the ends, and attached small grommets on the ends.
Sorry I didn’t get any photos of the grommets being inserted, I had to move out to the garage so as not to disturb the cats with all the hammering!
The finished product!
You picked some beautiful curtains, Jane! That’s a hard-to-find fabric!
And some lovely sunshine! Even though it is fall, we are still having some sunny days (alternating with the rainy days!)
Until next time, Happy Sewing!
Very nice job on the curtains. That looks like it was a big job. However I think you’re missing a picture. Given that you’re a Sewist who sews clothing and given that you just fixed curtains, where’s the photograph of the Scarlett O’Hara dress made from curtains? (Kidding). Great job.
Haha, it’s still sitting on the cutting table! Don’t worry, it’s coming! Speaking of which, I still remember after all these years Carol Burnett’s version of Scarlett O’Hara’s curtain (rod) dress! Do you? Now that is talent if you can remember one scene for all your life!
Isn’t sewing wonderful! The things you can do!
I agree!