I started my curtain-making project by looking for the colors and patterns to match the walls’ Sherwin Williams Carvern Clay paint. I wanted a cozy and tranquil ambiance space, so I chose warm earthy colors such as red and brown. Red is already the color of the walls, creating a flowy connection between the curtains and the walls. Though red and brown are dominant colors but they don’t look overwhelming thanks to the Chevron insignia pattern, an ancient V-symbol. The symbols break the colors into small pads, keeping the curtains bright and bold without being overpowering. Also, the Chevron insignia adds a retro and nostalgic feeling to the room.
To make my curtains, I bought pre-made curtains on Amazon that are 50″x96″ each, and made of polyester satin. Since I needed the curtains to be at least 1.5 times wider than my window to add volume and depth to the curtains. I sewed two panels together to create a larger size. With two pre-made pairs, I customized one pair of my curtains.
The pre-made curtains had the grommet style on the top edge but they looked a little too industrial for my taste. So, I cut the top off, and made double pleats instead to create a more traditional and elegant look. This part was easy. I sewed a pleating tape designed for pleats using hooks. This saved me a ton of time creating evenly spaced pleats. However, the pleats weren’t well-defined as I had expected as the fabric isn’t soft enough to drop down. Therefore, I sewed a 1.2″ line on each pleat, starting 3.5″ from the top edge to secure it.
Then, I added a lining to the curtains to block out light completely for S’s sleep. To save time and money, I cut the lining to a size that only covers the window. It works perfectly at night, however, during the daytime, it’s not 100% blackout as some translucent light still comes through at the edges of the lining. It doesn’t bother me at all, but if you are a perfectionist or you are very sensitive to any level of light while sleeping during the day, you can always cut your curtains longer to resolve this issue.
Generally, I’m happy with how the curtains turned out. But while making them, I wasn’t in the sewing mood, I just wanted to finish them quickly. There are definitely some areas where I could’ve improved the technical aspects, specifically sewing the lining more neatly and precisely.
Curtain: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GW664BZ/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_8QNPAYQ15YSTQ7HJH2RC_1?psc=1
Hooks: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B094NRB6FR/ref=cm_cr_othr_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1
Begin life at forty 