Hey everyone! Today we're making a pair of curtains, and you'll learn how ombre fabrics can do the color work for you, band by band.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Boundless Coordinated Stash Builder Bundle - Blenders Ombre.
It is a Craftsy Bluprint bundle.
The total is 9 yards.
You get 5 pieces in all.
These are quilt-shop quality fabrics, made in Japan.
Every piece is 100% cotton.
The width is 44/45 inches.
The listed end uses are crafts and quilting.
Here is exactly what you get.
You get 3/4 yard of purple ombre.
You get 1 yard of warm purple ombre.
You get 2 yards of white solid.
You get 2 1/4 yards of fuschia purple ombre.
And you get 3 yards of dark purple ombre.
The pattern is not included.
That is fine, y'all. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Here is what I use and why.
I love an ombre for curtains.
The color already fades and deepens on its own. Stack the pieces light to dark, and the whole window gets a gradient. Just like that, big impact from simple bands.
The project: a pair of ombre curtains
We are making two curtain panels.
Each finished panel is about 40 inches wide and about 72 inches long.
Why does this bundle suit it?
Curtains want long, simple shapes. At 44/45 inches wide, one width makes one panel, with room for side hems. And cotton hangs clean and presses crisp.
We will cut each ombre and the white into wide horizontal bands, then sew the bands in the same order for both panels.
White goes at the top, near the light.
Then purple ombre, warm purple, and fuschia purple.
Dark purple lands at the bottom and anchors the pair.
Or flip it dark at the top. Or use white in the middle.
Completely up to you.
My pick is light at the top. It feels open and airy, and it is really really pretty in morning sun.
Materials list
- The Boundless Coordinated Stash Builder Bundle - Blenders Ombre - various fabrics 9 yards total, for both panels below
- About 4 yards of plain cotton lining, 44 inches wide, if you want a lined finish
- 50-weight cotton thread to match the white and the dark purple
- A curtain rod that fits your window, plus rings or clips if you prefer them
- Painter's tape or sticky notes, for labeling your bands
- Your usual tools: rotary cutter, ruler, mat, pins, iron, and sewing machine
Brief steps
Step one: measure your window first. Our 72-inch length is a guide, so adjust it before you cut.
Step two: cut your bands. For each panel, cut one band from each fabric, roughly 15 to 16 inches tall by the full width. Keep leftovers for ties or a matching pillow later.
Step three: lay both panels out side by side. Check that the order matches exactly, top to bottom. Label every band with tape. I have sewn a band in upside down before. Oh my goodness. We laughed, we fixed it, we moved on.
Step four: sew the bands together with a 1/4-inch seam. Press each seam flat as you go. Do the same for the second panel, in the same order.
Step five: add lining if you chose it. Sew it to the sides, turn, and press. No lining? Just turn each side edge under 1/2 inch, then 1/2 inch again, and stitch.
Step six: make the top finish. For a rod pocket, fold the top under 1/2 inch, then 3 inches, and stitch close to the fold. For rings or clips, hem the top at 1/2 inch and clip them on evenly.
Step seven: hang both panels before the final hem. Mark the length while they hang, then take them down and stitch a 2-inch bottom hem. Slow down near the thick seam joins, or the needle can jump.
Practical tips
Tip one: prewash if you plan to wash these later. Cotton can shrink a little, and curtains show a short hem fast.
Tip two: expect some light through unlined quilting cotton. That glow is lovely in a sewing room. For a bedroom, add the lining. And press every seam as you go — good pressing is most of the polish here.
Tip three: do not chase perfect band matching. Ombre is forgiving, and your eye reads the gradient, not one seam. It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic here. Take your time, it is not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty, folks. Thanks so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Boundless Coordinated Stash Builder Bundle - Blenders Ombre - various fabrics 9 yards total at Linda's Electric Quilters.
