Hey everyone! Today we're sewing a pair of curtains that look fancy and sew up simple, thanks to one extra-wide piece of fabric.
Here we go. First, let's talk about the fabric itself.
This is Black Opulent Bouquet Cotton Wideback Fabric, from Michael Miller Fabrics. It is sold by the yard here at Linda's.
It is cotton, and it measures 108" wide. That width is the whole story here, y'all. A pair of curtain panels comes out of one cut length, side by side, with no piecing.
The ground is black, and the design is an opulent bouquet — a floral pattern with a watercolor feel. The colors running through it include blues and purples, from baby blue and iced blue to crown purple and dark purple, with touches of aqua too.
That black ground is really really useful in a window. It makes those watercolor flowers glow, and it goes with just about any wall color you already have. The fabric has sturdy construction, so it holds up to daily opening and closing.
Why this fabric for a pair of curtains?
A curtain panel is just a big, finished rectangle that hangs. It softens the light, adds privacy, and dresses up a plain window in one move. Super duper simple project, big payoff.
Here's what I use, and why. Regular quilting cotton is about half this width. You would piece narrow lengths together, and that seam would sit right down your pretty bouquet. With a 108" wideback, both panels cut across one width, side by side. The bouquet lands at the same height on each panel, so the pair matches without extra fuss. Just like that.And a large-scale floral wants a large surface. On curtains, the bouquets get room to bloom instead of being chopped into little squares.
Materials
- Black Opulent Bouquet Cotton Wideback Fabric: 2 3/4 yards — that is a 99" cut length, enough for two 84" panels plus hems; go to 3 yards if your windows are taller
- Thread: good all-purpose or 50-weight cotton thread in black
- Curtain rod plus clip rings, or just a rod for a simple rod pocket
- Basic tools: rotary cutter, long ruler, pins or clips, an iron, and your sewing machine
- Optional: lining fabric if your window gets strong sun, completely up to you
My finished pair is two panels, each about 48" wide by 84" long. Cut across the 108" width, the two panels sit side by side, and you trim the leftover strip for tiebacks. Together the pair covers a rod up to about 48" wide with nice fullness, or stretches across a 64" rod hung flatter. Measure your window first, then add your hem allowances. Those are your cut numbers.
Brief steps
- Press your fabric well. Lay the wideback out flat on a big surface or a clean floor, and smooth it from the center out.
- Cut your length first, 99" for my size. Then cut two panels across the width, each 50" wide — that's your finished 48" plus 1" on each side for hems.
- On each long side of both panels, fold under 1/2", press, then fold under another 1/2" and press again. Stitch close to the inner fold. Go slow on these long runs.
- Make the bottom hem deeper for weight. Fold under 2", press, fold under 2" again, and stitch. A deep hem helps the panels hang straight.
- For the top, fold under 1/2", press, then fold under 3" and stitch close to the lower edge. That makes a rod pocket. If you prefer clip rings, hem the top at 1" instead and clip the rings on evenly.
- Hang the panels, let them settle overnight, then give them a final light press.
Practical tips
Take your time, it's not a race. Curtains are forgiving. Your hems do not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic, folks — once they're hanging, nobody is measuring your stitching.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Pressing is half the job here. A well-pressed fold practically stitches itself.
One honest note from my own windows. I once cut the second panel a touch shorter than the first. The fix was easy. I let out the deep bottom hem on the short panel and re-stitched it higher. Nobody ever knew. Check both panels against each other before you hem the bottoms, and you'll skip that step entirely.You have options, too. Rod pocket for a soft, gathered look. Clip rings if you like them to slide open easy. My preference is the rod pocket, so the bouquet gathers in those pretty folds. The rest is completely up to you.
Alrighty. Thanks for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Black Opulent Bouquet Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
