Making your own...curtains

I am no seamstress! Just the same, I wanted custom curtains in my "new" kitchen, and making them myself was the only way.

I found great vintage repro fabric online and now I have curtains on my cabinets.

It took all day, as I still haven't messed around with my "new" sewing machine. I have not used a sewing machine since I was about 12 years old (really).

But thanks to a good iron and my needle and thread I'm done.

I still need curtains for the windows. I plan to make hourglass curtains out of sheers, with scraps of the repro fabric to hold the centers in.


Does anyone else make curtains? Or draperies? (That's beyond me just now, but who knows...)

We'll be making some soon as the ones that came with the flat are pretty awful.

Well, you've got that link to the place where I got my red print fabric.

I just bought some more repro fabric, this in brown with cream, red, green and blue. Also 30s.

It's for the uptairs bath. I'll be making window curtains and a shower curtain. As the floor is brown, cream and pinkish tan tile, it's easier to go along with that than try to impose other colors on the room.

I've made quite a few curtains without aid of a machine. I thought they turned out rather well. It just takes a long time to sew hems in so much fabric. I couldn't help but think how much quicker it would have been on a machine, though!

I made the curtains for our bedroom. We needed something to block out light, so a darker fabric was chosen. And, yes, using a machine did cut down on sewing time. Total time for the project (cutting, hemming, etc.) was 45 minutes.



(Curtains are straight, I'm not.)



(Detail of fabric, but color is true in first photo.)

Cute! I like the rickrack- nice detail.

I have a very (un)healthy relationship with rickrack. It's bad. Every circle skirt I make myself has it on the bottom.

Oh I have the perfect dress pattern for you then! It uses rickrack for trimming everywhere. I'll have to scan it in for you.

Still not made any curtains. I think it might be a project for the Christmas break.

For some reason, I want to sew in Summer, and knit in Fall and Winter...

So I have a couple of projects at hand, if I find the time. My aunt sent me her baby doll pajama pattern from the late 50s. Too cute. Eileen brought me a perfect pencil skirt pattern, and I need a few in something other than wool!

And I really want to do some flouncy 40s shorts, my mom has a pattern!

Oops...this was about curtains!

I need to do that, too, for the cabinet beneath the sink. Should be easy. My kitchen curtains are custom, and I can't find that fabric anymore...will it be ok if they're different?

Oh, who cares if it says "curtains"?

Do you have any scraps left from the other fabric? If not, what about a solid in the most prevalent color in the custom curtains?

I made my window kitchen curtains in white with trim from the cabinet curtains.

And yesterday made valances out of foam board and Liquid Nails. (I FINALLY put up the yellow satin draperies and toppers we've been hoarding for the past four years. They look great!)

I will be making a small valance for the bathroom, and covering it to match the curtains I'm making for that room....

hey, that IS a good idea! I could find a nice contrasting fabric and then use what's left of the check fabric...That will be the weekend project!

I won't be tackling any valances, good Lord Eileen!, but I will be looking into something new for the living room. The gorgeous barkcloth just does not match the new rug. And I think the rug is actually a better fit for the room.

What I think I'll do is use the bark cloth in the bathroom--I have four panels which should make a nice ensemble-two for the window and two for the shower...no sewing required!!

The bathroom set is getting there. The valance is about 80% and I need to make the curtains; tomorrow, I hope.

And even as I type, Jimmy is putting up the towel ring, etc. He put in the sink and I helped with the big mirror today.

Can't wait to see the pictures!

I took some yesterday. As soon as we get them uploaded....

...but the in-laws are due on Sunday (*sigh* my birthday) and though they're not staying with us, we'll be seeing quite a bit of them. Don't know how much time I'll have!