Last week, I shared how I stenciled some cream-toned tablecloths.
With only a few neat folds and straight joins, these transformed into our new Dining Room Curtains!
I really wanted to brighten up that space with some engaging fabric, and after extensive searching, this proved to be the perfect fix.
Curtains come in various designs, but this time I opted for simple rod pocket style. Rod Pocket Curtains feature a pocket for the curtain rod, with a top 'header' positioned above the rod.
A plus of repurposing a tablecloth is that it already has hems on every side. The tablecloths I utilized measured 97” in length and 59” in width. The width was ideal, yet they were excessively long. I began by trimming 18 1/2 inches from one end. My experience suggests it's safer to have too much length than too little!
After stenciling, I ironed the reverse side to set the paint. To prevent fraying and achieve a crisp edge, I pressed the top (cut) edge down by 1/2 inch.
Next, I marked key points: one indicated the distance from the floor to the curtain rod (top sewing line), and the other was 3 inches above that (marking the header top and where the fold needed to occur).
I pressed and pinned at the 'top of header' mark. You can observe my fold is quite generous—a direct outcome of my preference for having extra fabric!
I stitched a seam 3 inches below the upper fold to create the 'header'.
Typically, one would just sew a seam below the first one wide enough for the rod. However, given the surplus fabric, I added an additional fold.
I pressed the seam open...
...then folded the material down to align with the seam line,
and subsequently folded it once more. {Is this clear to you??} After that, I pinned in the sewing area.
Here is the finished reverse side. The 'pocket' for the rod sits between the two seams,
and the 'header' naturally forms a lovely ruffle above the rod.
If you are beginning curtains from scratch and need guidance on fabric quantity, this post might assist you.
