OhSewCrafty Blog

I finally made some window treatments for my breakfast room, a rather large and airy space with a skylight and some big windows.  We eat most of (casual) meals in here.  

For the large window that faces my backyard (113″ wide x 57″ tall), I made grommet curtains, following this tutorial (though I added lining to mine).  The fabric is Waverly Spa Linear; I had to piece it for the panels but that was pretty easy since it is striped and also has a checkered effect (line up the boxes and pin carefully before seaming).  I had a roll of roc-lon blackout lying around, so I used that for lining.

 Though it’s great for lightproofing, this fabric is just too plastic-y and inflexible for my liking.  It seemed like it took forever smoothing the layers so the finished curtains wouldn’t pucker.  I used three packets of the Dritz grommets, since my panels are so wide (about 77″ each).  The pic below is more true for color, I took these pics in weak winter sunlight.

After a week or so of use, I noticed some of the grommets coming loose from the fabric.  I don’t think so, but perhaps they were misaligned when I installed them?  I guess I will have to take the drapes down and try re-inserting those grommets, but I am not thrilled with the durability.    It’s nice to have curtains finally; most of the year the trees are full enough to provide privacy but in the winter when the trees are bare, this huge window creates a show for our neighbors.  

For the side window that faces my deck, I used Butterick 5582, view C.  That window is 77″ wide and already had blinds.  I made two of the small (38.5″) valances, to fit side by side, I altered the pattern slightly because I needed a few more inches of width.  This is simple, just extend the edge of the pattern (side opposite the fold) and cut the panel a bit wider.  I added an inch, thus 2″ (because the fabric is cut on the fold).  Note that much more than that would distort the curvy proportions.  The main fabric is Waverly Spa Harmony (it coordinates with the Linear fabric used for the drapes).  For the other fabric, I found a Richloom ivory jacquard on the clearance table at Joann; the price was right.  For the interlining, I used some white calico I had lying around.  I wasn’t thrilled with the cutesy bows in the pattern, but they serve a functional purpose (creating a channel for the rod in these reversible balances).  So I used a sheer ribbon that adds a whimsical touch and doesn’t demand attention to the bows as a satin or grosgrain might.   

Though I was never a huge fan of the boring blinds, these valances go a long way towards making this window more aesthetically appealing.  There is a a good bit of the Harmony fabric left over and I may do roman shade for a large window in my back staircase (which faces the backyard like the large window with drapes), that lacks blinds.  I’ve never done a mounted (on wooden board) window treatment before, so this would be an interesting twist on my typical projects.