Hey everyone. Today we're sewing a cheerful pair of curtains, and we're letting a sewing-themed print dress up the window.
Meet the Fabric
This is Bits And Bobs Spools Black from FIGO Fabrics. It's from the Bits And Bobs collection by Sarah Hearts. And oh my goodness, it is fun.
The collection celebrates the joy of making. It's designed especially for sewists, quilters, crafters, and makers. It's filled with the everyday tools we all love. Buttons. Vintage spools. Pins. Measuring tape. Scissors. Zippers. Notions. Even classic ric-rac.
This print puts the spools front and center. They sit on a bold black ground. The wider collection palette pulls in cream, pink, teal, orange, and taupe, too. So it feels fresh and modern, not fussy.
It's 100% premium cotton. It runs 44"/45" wide. That's good, honest quilting cotton, y'all. It presses crisp. It holds a hem. And it sews like a dream.
Here's why that matters for curtains. A curtain panel is mostly flat. There's nowhere for a great print to hide. So you want a fabric that looks good from across the room, and this one does.
The Project: A Pair of Curtains
We're making two simple rod-pocket panels. No pleats. No fancy hardware. Just clean hems, a pocket at the top, and a whole lot of personality.
Finished size for each panel is about 40" wide by 63" long. That's a nice cafe-to-sill length for a sewing room or kitchen window. Want them longer? Add length before you cut. Completely up to you.
Why does this fabric suit it? Simple. If any room in your house deserves sewing-themed curtains, it's the room where you actually sew. The black ground anchors the space. The colorful spools keep it playful. And when the light comes through quilting cotton, the colors glow just a little. Super duper cute.
It works beyond the sewing room, too. Try it in a craft nook. A laundry room. Even a maker's studio. It says someone creative lives here, before you say a word.
Materials
- 4 yards Bits And Bobs Spools Black — that gives you two cuts, each 44" wide by 66" long, with room for hems
- Matching thread for hemming
- A curtain rod that fits your window, plus brackets
- Your usual tools: rotary cutter or scissors, ruler, pins or clips, iron, and your sewing machine
- Optional: curtain clip rings if you want to skip the rod pocket and hang them higher
Brief Steps
- Measure your window first. Write it down. Our 63" finished length starts from that 66" cut, so adjust your cut length if your window needs more or less.
- Cut your two panels. Keep them the same length. Lay them side by side and check before you press anything.
- Press and stitch the side hems. Fold each long edge in 1/2", then another 1/2". Press. Stitch close to the fold. Just like that.
- Make the bottom hem. Fold up 1/2", then another 1". Press well and stitch. A deep hem helps the panel hang straight.
- Make the rod pocket at the top. Fold down 1/2", then another 2 1/2" to fit a standard rod. Press and stitch along the lower fold. Leave both ends open.
- Slide the rod through both pockets. Hang them up. Then step back and fuss with the folds until you like how they fall.
Practical Tips
Prewash if you plan to wash these later. Cotton can shrink a touch. Better to know that before you hem to a perfect length.
Press every fold before you stitch it. I know, I know. It feels slow. But pressed hems are the difference between homemade-looking and handmade-looking, folks.
Take your time lining up the two panels. If one hangs 1/4" longer, you'll see it every day. Fix it now with a quick trim and re-hem. I've hung a crooked pair and lived with it for months. Don't be like me on that one.
And here's the permission part, y'all. Your corners don't have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic here. From three feet away, these look great. It's not a race. Enjoy the make.
If you want a softer drape, use clip rings instead of the rod pocket. If you want more privacy, add a simple lining. Both ways work. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Pick the finish that fits your window and your day.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Hang that pair up, let the light hit those spools, and enjoy your room a little more.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Bits And Bobs Spools Black 44"/45" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
