If you are looking for a home sewing project to enjoy, curtains are a go-to choice for many people who already have some sewing skills. Although it is often more convenient to purchase ready-made curtains, the selection can be quite limited, and you may not be able to find the right colour, style or weight of fabric. Serving both functional and decorative purposes, curtains are an important element of any room design, so if you are looking to make your own, the team at Fabrics Galore have put together this guide on what you need to know.
What type of curtains would you like to make?
Before beginning any curtain making project, it is important to decide their specific purpose within your home. For example, do you want your curtains to provide you with complete privacy? Are they primarily decorative? Do your curtains need to provide warmth in winter or do you need blackout curtains to prevent bright sunlight in summer? Establishing your priorities will allow you to stick to a design that suits your requirements perfectly.
Curtain Linings at Fabrics Galore
Unlined curtains
These are the simplest curtains you can make and can be made from a wide variety of different fabrics. They are ideal for a kitchen or bathroom, or even if you are looking to create an airier feel and more laid-back look for your living room or bedroom, as they have a lower resistance to sunlight.
Lined curtains
With an extra layer of fabric to them, lined curtains have better protection against strong sunlight and are often a better choice for your bedroom, with a polished professional appearance. These curtains are also much thicker, which would help you to keep your home warmer - which is essential during the colder months.
Interlined curtains
These curtains are the same as lined curtains except they have an extra blanket like layer of fabric between the face fabric and the curtain lining. The decorative main fabric faces into your room and the lining that faces out the window, and this extra invisible weight in between means they hang better and always look thick and sumptuous. The additional warmth from the interlining is great for older properties with poor insulation against the cold.
Which fabric should you use for curtains?
Choosing the right curtain fabric is the vital starting point for your project, as this is going to determine the finish for your design. Other than the colour you want, there are lots of things to take into consideration when choosing the fabric for your curtains, including the fabric weight, thickness, and grain.
William Morris Strawberry Thief Curtain Fabric
It is essential that you choose good-quality materials that are easy to work with, as you do not want your fabrics to fade, shrink or prove unsuitable in other ways, so furnishing cottons are the ideal choice. For example, if your window gets a lot of sunlight, you may want to avoid using dark coloured materials, as they will fade quickly. Fabrics like silk are not ideal for curtain making because they are especially prone to sun rot, and many dressmaking fabrics do not have a very high thread count so they won’t be as hard-wearing.
Pink Curtain Fabrics at Fabrics Galore
If you are unsure on what choice to make, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of the Fabrics Galore team, we can help you learn more about the different fabrics to use so you know what to look out for when making future purchase decisions. We have fabrics available for sheer, more transparent curtain designs - such as voile, lace and nylon net. On the other hand, if you want to create a classic curtain design, cotton, linen and synthetic fabrics would be great choices. No matter what fabric you choose, we are sure you will be happy with our recommendations.
Maison Thevenon Curtain Fabrics at Fabrics Galore
How much fabric should you buy?
The amount of fabric you need to purchase depends on the size of your windows, the hems and headers as well as what finish you are looking to achieve. You should put in the time to carefully measure the width and finished length of your curtains to ensure you purchase adequate fabric. There are many online tutorials to guide you depending on what style of curtain you want and whether you will hang them from a pole or track.
Just ensure that you take every factor into consideration before making your fabric purchase, as you do not want to be close to the end of your project to realise the curtains do not fit your windows correctly.
How can Fabrics Galore help?
As we have already touched upon, here at Fabrics Galore, we stock a lovely collection of different curtain fabrics from traditional fabrics by William Morris to more modern prints by Orla Kiely. We offer an interesting curated selection of curtain material including good quality plains and interesting prints, which are guaranteed to light up any room in your home. To have a chat with a member of our team, please feel free to give us a call on 020 7738 9589, and we would be happy to assist. No matter the style of curtains you are looking to create, at Fabrics Galore you can be sure to find the incredible materials you need.
