How to make -
Hand Pleated Interlined Curtains
Materials
  • - Fabric
  • - Lining
  • - Interlining
  • - Thread
  • - Buckram
  • - Weights
  • - Curtain Hooks
    • Tools
  • - Sewing Machine
  • - Needles
  • - Pins
  • - Clamps
  • - Scissors
  • - Set Square
  • - Straight Edge
  • - Invisible Marker
    • Step 6: Make up the Fabric panels
    Printable Worksheet
    Printable Worksheet

    CHECK YOUR FABRIC

    Check your fabric for faults and that the correct length has been supplied NOW before making any cuts or presssing. Also if using a patterned fabric measure and check the quoted pattern repeat is correct.

    Press your fabric* before measuring and cutting so any shrinkage will be before the curtain is made up. As once the curtain is made it will probably be quite creased and if you have not already ironed the panels they will shrink if you press/steam them later having not done this first.

    WARNING *

    This video shows you
    • How to check your fabric.
    • How to press your fabric.

    PLAIN and PATTERNED FABRIC are treated differently at this stage

    PLAIN FABRIC

    CUT PLAIN FABRIC DROPS

    • Cut the widths of plain fabric the length of the FABRIC CUT DROP calculated in step 3
    • As with the lining if you are working with an odd number of widths each curtain will contain a half width. Cut down one of the widths to split it into 2 equal halves.
    • Check the bottom of the panels are straight, if not trim.
    This video shows you
    • How to measure and mark your cut drops.
    • How to cut your cut drops.
    • How to split a width in half.
    • How to make sure you use the correct sides the right way up later.

    If each curtain is more than one width wide, we now need to join the required widths to make each curtain fabric panel.

    JOINING PLAIN FABRIC

    • Lay fabric panels to be joined right side together (make sure the panels are the same way up) align bottoms and edges.
    • If you are working with an odd number of widths each curtain will contain a half width. The half widths should be on the outer edges of the curtain. Join the selvedge to selvedge.
    • Join the panels with a plain seam.
    • Press the seams open
    • Check the bottom of the panels are straight, if not trim.
    This video shows you
    • How to make sure you are joining correct sides and the right way up.
    • How to sew a plain seam.
    • How to press a plain seam.

    How to deal with PATTERNED FABRIC is covered next.

    Your Questions & Comments

    Anne Caiden

    Do I have to pay to see these videos?

    SewHelpful:

    Yes

    Claire

    I am making my first pair of curtains (full length) and have just successfully pattern matched what I consider to be a tricky Sanderson patten - thin decorative tail feathers of birds of paradise! The instructions given here and in the accompanying video are superb! They are so clear and easy to follow and enabled me, as a complete beginner, to join fabric lengths with confidence and relative ease. A big thank you to Sew Helpful x

    Upload
    Ulrika

    Where can I find a long tbar ruler like the one you've got?! Many thanks for your great videos!

    SewHelpful:

    Try Merrick and Day


    Merrick and Day tools

    Clare

    My query is about aligning the fabric panels. My pattern stops about 5cm in from selvedge. The horizontal pattern repeat is 44cm. The nearest point that I can align the pattern when folding the top layer back is about 27cm away from selvedge, clearly i cannot pin & sew at this point or would lose too much fabric. How would you proceed to get the best join? ( my fabric is clarke & clarke halcyon melrose)

    SewHelpful:

    Have you followed the instructions correctly for patterned fabric and cut adjusted cut drops (where each drop of fabric has been cut so it starts at the same point in the pattern repeat) .

    Post Here