Cover Up, Will You?

I haven't done a sewing blog post in awhile, so let's talk about curtains.  I've made the curtains for most of the rooms in my house, not because my windows were oddly sized (which CAN happen in old houses, am I right oldhouselovers?), but because I just couldn't find the fabrics and colors that I wanted.

Anyone who knows anything about home decorating will always tell you to pick your fabrics first, before picking your paint colors. Matching paints to fabrics is SOO much easier than doing things the other way around.  Problem is, when you're moving into a house that sits empty, yet needs new paint on every single paintable surface, chances are you're going to paint first and decorate later. 

SO THANKFUL they left the lace curtains and house phone.
Phew.  Close call to having to buy these gems all over again.

Thankfully, none of the paint colors I picked were so crazy that I couldn't find great fabric to make curtains out of, but it did make it difficult to find pre-made curtains that I liked.  With a little sewing knowhow, you don't have to worry about pre-made curtains, though- just DIY! 

First things first- decide on the length of your curtains.  I really love floor length curtains, so I mostly went with that. Personal preference, though- you decide.  As for curtain height placement- I really prefer to hang long curtains somewhat close to the ceiling.  Hanging the rod a few inches below the ceiling is a pretty good rule of thumb, but again, personal preference.  The higher you hang your curtains, and the longer they flow, the more dramatic the look (as well as the taller your ceilings look!)  It's all a Jedi-mind-trick, people.  Keep in mind to just be consistent with your hanging height between your rooms that flow into each other!

The additional top down/bottom up curtains are a necessity when you have a
dog that thinks all forms of life outside the windows are possible invaders.

As you're deciding your curtain length, you also will need to decide how in the heck you plan on actually hanging these curtains off of the rod.  Will they be hung with grommets, with rings, with loops that keep the rod hidden?  You'll need to decide this before you calculate how much fabric you'll need.  (You'll need more fabric if you decide to go with grommets, by the way). 

Grommets.

Rings.

Hidden backside loops.

 I would also HIGHLY recommend buying some white fabric to back your curtains with.  I know I said it in an earlier post, and I will say it again:  Whether you use the curtains for decoration or for function, they should appear uniform from the outside, no mix of stripes, patterns, and colors should be visible.  Lucky for me, I have a big fabric warehouse in my city that sells curtain backing fabric at ridiculously low prices.  If you're not lucky enough to have one of these places, go to your local Homegoods, Target, or Marshalls.  You should be able to find a cheap white sheet set that'll work just as well, and will be plenty big enough to back your curtains with. 

(See last picture for curtain backing example).

Once all of these HIGHLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS are made, make your calculations and buy that fabric!  It's not as hard as you think, I promise.  You're sewing rectangles.  Really can't get any easier than that. 

Unless.....you decide to throw a wrench in the works and sew Roman shades.  I do not care what Pinterest tells you- do not believe the posts that say, "Oh, Roman shades are soooo easy", or "No Sew Roman Shades".  BULL.  There's a lot of measuring, double measuring, and letmemeasureoncemorejusttobesure going on that really eats up your time.  Plus, no sew curtains?  Bound to look absolutely terrible from outside of your windows.  People can see that shit.  I've now sewn roman shades once, and they turned out great, but they were nowhere near as easy as good old solid floor length drapery panels.  I'll take you through my drapery travails in part 2 of this post, I promise.  This advice column of a post has gone on long enough, wouldn't you agree?

Look at those pleats.  Sends a shiver down your spine, doesn't it?

Perfection comes at a price.  It's called YOUR TIME.

Whatever you choose, just remember:  If you can see other houses from your windows, they can see you, too.  Cover it up, unless you want your neighbors to see you naked.  In that case, by all means, leave your windows unclothed.  I'm sure the creep down the street will appreciate it.