4Real Forums: curtains?- better to buy or make?

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry ( Forum Locked)
4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry

Topic: curtains?- better to buy or make?

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monica
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Posted: Feb 24 2009 at 12:55pm \| IP Logged

we are getting ready to move to a new (to us) house. i am estimating the start up costs we will have. it is an older home (77 yrs old) and has big windows. the bedroom windows go along side the driveway, so we will definitely need long curtains on that side. i have been looking at prices and WOW! curtains are so expensive. and i am looking at the simplest, tab panel curtains. i have thought about making them myself, but we really will need them from the first day we move in and my friend who is a great seamstress cautioned me that curtains arent as easy as they look, they can not hang well like store bought ones.
sooooo, would it be worth spending a little more and get curtains from the store. and- where do you recommend? i would go to target, but the curtains i have looked at online have terrible reviews, they dont wash well and arent all the same length
any advice much appreciated

JodieLyn
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Posted: Feb 24 2009 at 1:33pm \| IP Logged

What I finally decided to do was to buy some of the very cheap ones online (no local place to buy) and then once I had curtains.. I figured I would be able to slowly replace them one window/room at a time to a better quality. I don't know that I could make them out of the same type of material cheaper anyway.. not when you consider the time you have to put in.. BUT

My sister uses some ring curtain clips.. the ring goes over the curtain rod with a clip that drops down.. and she used them for sheers and it was very pretty.. didn't have to make anything really she used mosquito netting and you just trim that no sewing needed.. but then she got new windows and the blinds don't fit the new windows.. so she used these clips with extra blankets she had.. and while they look like blankets still.. they hand well.. maybe you could get clips like that and use sheets? no sewing needed and it would be a cheap way to cover windows while you work on buying good curtains.

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sewcrazy
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Posted: Feb 24 2009 at 1:44pm \| IP Logged

I made tab top curtains and sheers for all my windows. I don't think they are hard at all. You just have to be careful of cutting on the grain.

I back my curtains with flat sheets from Walmart and nice fabric for the "inside". My windows that face the north have a layer of flannel inbetween to keep out the wind.

For curtain rods I use closet rods from the hardware store and pretty finials for the ends. MUCH cheaper than curtain rods! And sturdier with little hands.

Good luck!

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LeeAnn
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monica
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Posted: Feb 26 2009 at 1:43pm \| IP Logged

if i found flat twin sheets on sale, would they work for panel curtains? could i just hang them up as is, or would they need to be cut on the grain? (can you tell i dont know sewing terms very well?)

St. Ann
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Posted: Feb 26 2009 at 7:58pm \| IP Logged

In Germany, you can buy material at IKEA and even have them sewn into curtains there. If you have an Ikea store nearby, call and ask about their services.

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CatholicMommy
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Posted: Feb 26 2009 at 10:13pm \| IP Logged

I have sewn curtains - and I do NOT sew well (and the curtains were my first ever sewing project!).

They really weren't as difficult as I anticipated - I just had to make sure the cloth was cut *perfectly* so that when I hemmed and sewed, I could just measure from the edge (I had very long windows to cover as well!).

My first set were all sheers - then we needed solid ones for the same windows and I just used flat sheets. They had to be adjusted some (length and such), but it was so nice to start with the pre-measured pieces.

I LOVE the idea of using the clips to have something to start with - then either buy or have more time to make replacements.

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