Charlotte is a vivacious southern woman in her 60s (my guess) that I "happened" to meet a couple weeks ago at Home Fabrics, a fabric store on the North side of Tucson. I was there with my mother shopping for fabric for Trevor and I's bedroom curtains and Charlotte overheard us talking. She walked right up to us and asked if I sewed, to which I responded "yes." She explained that she was looking for some fabric to make a curtain for a little window in her bathroom and went on about how she was an interior designer years prior and that she just didn't know what to do! Both my mom and I could tell right away that she was a fun lady, and next thing I know she's asking me about what I sew, how long I've sewed, and then for me phone number so she could call me! I was taken aback, but gave her a business card and offered my services. As we were purchasing our fabric, she as also at the counter and began asking more questions about our opinions on the large floral print on the fabric she picked and how much to buy, etc. Finally, we parted ways for the day.
Only a couple days later and I get a call from a number I did not recognize. This is not unusual because of my business, and I always answer if I am able because I just never know who's calling to inquire about Premier or something. I answer, and in her sweet North Carolina accent asks about making the curtain for her again. We set a time to meet at her home to pick up the fabric and measure the window. We get to her house and literally the two of us are floored.You want to talk about a large house in the foothills?? HOLY 3 GARAGES BATMAN! I think I went into a state of shock, and Trevor can vouch for the look that was on my face as we entered. While we were there, she asked my opinion on about three other projects before Trevor and I are able to leave. But it was all in good intentions. I left feeling good and slightly jealous of there (easily) 5000 sq. foot house.
The curtain took no more than an hour to make, since it was for a window that was only 21" by 21.5", and there was only one. This is the final result!
I was really pleased with the result! It fit well, although could have been a little longer so that the bar could have been placed higher. But oh well, she was happy!
Making a ruffle top curtain is actually really simple, and but I figured that it would be a really good thing to post to you guys because of its practical benefits. First things first, you'll need the measurements of the window, and whether you'll need one or two curtains. As I said, this window was 21" wide and 21.5" long, but we decided to make the curtain wider to give it some dimension with the wave of the curtain when hung. The final width was about 35" inches. She also did not want it lined, but adding a lining is also fairly easy if you wanted to.
Once you figured out the length and width that you want, cut out the fabric you chose and give yourself an extra 1" on both sides, plus an 1" on the bottom. The other thing thing you need to decide for yourself is how much of a ruffle you want on the top. For this size of a curtain, a 2-2.5" ruffle is perfect, so then you'll need to add an extra 3"-3.5" of fabric at the top. Here's all this in picture form for you visual people. :)
Ok, so it's not perfect but hopefully it helps explain what I so un-eloquently said above.
Moving on! I did not photograph all of this, but the first things that you'll want to do are use your serger (or a zig zag stitch on a regular machine) to finish all the edges. Then you'll want to sew down the sides of the curtain first, and then the bottom. It's important to do the sides first!! Here's where I started taking pictures, and what the last few steps look like. In the first picture, I have the top pinned how getting ready to sew.
See....sides first. Then bottom!
Just a close up of the serger seam, plus the straight seem to sew the side down.
Next, you'll need to pin down the top part as shown in the first photo in this last batch. Sew the first line close to the serger stitch.
The next thing is to sew a second seam above the first. To do this, the best thing is to measure the rod that you'll be using to hang it so that it's not too tight, but not too loose either.
Pin it where it's snug.
And then sew it across so that you have a nice amount of fabric to ruffle above the rod.
The end! Here's another picture...
This one is a little harder to see the pattern in, but you can see the fit better. Since she didn't want the lining the light showed brightly through the fabric. The curtain added a nice detail to the bathroom where it was hung up and hid the items that were set on the back of the window sill. I really like it. My plan is to make the curtains for our bedroom like this also...with the fabric that I bought when I met Charlotte! Of course I'll post pictures of them once I'm done. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and story!!! Please, if you make your own ruffle top curtains, share them with me! ariydesigns@gmail.com
Tata for now...
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