Curtain tutorial kind of

Dining room window treatments are finished.  They really took no time at all, because I was careful and made no mistakes this time.  Almost sewed the wrong sides together but caught it just before I started sewing.

The fabric reminds me a of a watercolor the way the pattern seems watered down.  The colors blend well with the entire room.  The wall color is a perfect blend to the background color in the fabric.

I always use lining. It saves the life of your fabric from fading and reflects the true colors of the fabric.   It makes it nice too, that the lining is always a bit shorter on the sides of the designer fabric.  When you sew your sides, you just have to overlap the lining a bit on one side to make the edges have a perfect overlap when you iron them.

Here is a panel with sides sewn, turned inside out and ironed.  I am measuring and ironing the tops and bottoms before I will hand stitch them.  You could do the whole project with stitch witch iron hemming. (if you don't like the sewing thing)  I have used iron on stitch witch when I don't want stitching to show on a hem.  

I stitched down both the top and bottom hems.  It did not show through to the front.

Broke out the hardware next.  Again best place, best price was at Cutting Corners in Dallas.  

Super easy to install.  I measure three inches from the ceiling because I wanted the curtains to go all the way up.  I didn't use the molly bolts that came with the brackets and it was just as tight a fit.  Does anyone really use those plastic mollies?  Screwed them right into the sheet rock.  

Which way is the correct top of the pattern?  Left side or right side? I went with the one on the right.  I thought the heavier green tear drop should face down?  

 I did not make a pocket, but used upholstery pins.  I gathered on the ends first, next the center gather and then in between the center and edge pin on both sides of center.  That was five double pleats for 54 inches of fabric.  The pins slipped right over the rod.

I was so glad I used the round ball finial.  My choices where fleur de lis, leaves or a swirly pointed one.  But I really wanted the curtains to take center stage. 

I'm so very pleased with how they turned out.   Curtains are the earrings on windows don't you think?

Now the kitchen window awaits her new treatment.

Just in case you are wondering the whole project was less than $70.00.  This fabric was originally $25 a yard.  It was marked down and then half of that. I happened in on a super special sale.  So at $3.00 a yard I was able to make the curtains really full.  I usually cut the 54 inch fabric down the middle.  But used the whole width for these.  7 yards, $21.00!!