Window Dressing

Tara Dennis looked at a fairly common decorating problem – how to make the best of a window without any privacy or a view, but lots of light. Tara came up with a modern twist on a traditional theme that is easy to do and won’t break the bank! She used a heavy purple curtain at the back and a beautiful, sheer fuschia curtain in front. This created a spectacular fusion of purple and pink, giving privacy but allowing daylight to shine through.

Making your own curtains really is a great way to save money and get exactly the look you want. There are several ways to hang curtains. You can use tabs, which are loops of fabric that hold the curtains onto the pole. With the rod pocket method you fold over the fabric at the top, run a stitch along it and then slip a metal or a timber dowel through the pocket. Tara demonstrated a method using gathering tape, which gives a more professional finish.

You’ll need

• Sewing machine
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Screws
• Cordless drill

Instructions

1. Measure up the window frame (width and drop/height) prior to shopping for the fabric and curtain fixtures (rod and brackets). Measure the window width and multiply by 2.5 for fullness.
2. Choose and purchase the fabric, curtain rod, hooks and brackets.
3. Cut the material in half for centre opening curtains. Using a sewing machine, hem the fabric. For a professional look, turn the side edges over twice 2.5 cm and stitch in place.
4. Sew on the header tape. Pull on the heading cords to gather the fabric. Insert your curtain hooks every 7-10 cms along the header tape.
5. Attach the rod and brackets to the wall, as per the instructions on the packaging. (Tara attached her brackets to a masonry wall, so she used a masonry drill bit and wall plugs.)
6. Once the rod is in place, measure the drop to make sure that your curtains will be exactly the right length. Trim off the fabric to equal the drop of the window plus 20 cm. Turn up the bottom edge 10 cm twice and stitch in place (this gives you a double hem).
7. Press your curtains if needed. (Tip: make sure you check the iron setting so as not to burn the fabric.)
8. Hook the heavier fabric on the first/rear track, hooking the side edge around the end of the track to reduce light filter. Hook the sheer fabric on the front track.
   

Cost and availability

Wall plugs and screws come with wall mounting brackets. 2 x 2 metre curtain tracks, $21.95 each from haberdashery stores. Gathering Tape, 50 mm wide, $1.53 per metre from haberdashery stores. Curtain hooks, 100 pkt, $5.50 from haberdashery stores. For the sheer curtain we used 7 metres of Leaf Organza in Fuschia, $9.95 per metre from Spotlight. For the heavy drape Tara used 11 metres of Talbot fabric in Eggplant, $9.95 per metre from Spotlight.

Copyright 2003 CTC Productions