Hey everyone. Today we're making a pair of curtains, and I'll show you how one extra-wide floral can dress a whole window without a seam down the middle.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the 108" Petal Play Blue Teal Florals Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard from P&B Textiles.
It is cotton. It is 108 inches wide. And it carries pretty florals in blue and teal.
The product notes describe the look beautifully. It has a transparent feel, reminiscent of stained glass. I love that, y'all. The petals overlap and glow a little, like light through colored glass.
Petal Play is offered in 7 colors. This blue teal colorway is the one we're sewing with today. Cool, calm, and really pretty against a plain wall.
P&B says this print can stand on its own, and suggests table covers, shower curtains, and even apparel. A curtain is mostly print, hanging in the light all day — this fabric was made for that job.
And that width is the real gift. At 108 inches, one cut gives you both panels. No piecing. No seam to catch the light. Just like that, the hardest part is done.
The project: a pair of curtains
We're making two simple rod-pocket panels. Nothing fancy. Clean side hems, a deep bottom hem, and a pocket at the top for your rod.
Let's use real numbers. Say your window is 60 inches wide and you want curtains about 84 inches long. Two finished panels at about 50 inches wide each give you 100 inches of coverage — gentle fullness, not flat, not bunched up tight.
Why this fabric? The width cuts into two generous panels in one go, the stained-glass floral looks best in big, unbroken pieces, and cotton presses crisply, so hems sit flat. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
My preference is an unlined panel, so light filters through and the colors glow. A light lining works too, if your window gets hard sun. Completely up to you.
Materials list
- 3 yards of this 108-inch wideback — a piece 108 inches wide by 108 inches long, enough for both panels
- A curtain rod and brackets, already hung — measure from the rod, not the window frame
- Thread to blend — a soft teal or medium blue disappears nicely; plan on about 8 to 10 stitches per inch
- A long ruler, rotary cutter and mat, or good fabric scissors
- Pins or clips, a tape measure, and an iron — pressing is half this project
Cut math: cut the piece in half along the width — two panels about 54 by 108 inches. After side hems, each finishes about 50 inches wide. Trim length to 92 inches; hems and pocket bring it to about 84 inches finished.
Brief steps
- Hang your rod first. Measure the width to cover, and down from the rod to where the curtains should end. Write both down.
- Press well. Smooth fabric cuts straighter. Take your time — it's not a race.
- Square one edge, cut two panels about 54 by 92 inches, floral direction the same on both.
- Hem the sides: fold each long edge under 1/2 inch, press, fold another 1/2 inch, press again. Stitch close to the inner fold; tie off.
- Bottom hem: fold under 1 inch, press, then 3 more inches for a weighty hem. Stitch close to the top fold.
- Rod pocket: fold the top under 1/2 inch, press, then fold 3 inches and press. Stitch close to the lower fold — a 3-inch pocket fits most rods.
- Slide panels onto the rod, hang, and adjust folds by hand into soft, even waves.
Slow down on those long side hems, folks. Fabric loves to wander there. Check your fold every foot or so — rushing twists the hem. Ask me how I know.
Practical tips from my window
First, hang before the final press. Let panels hang overnight if you can — cotton relaxes, and then you can check the length is truly even.
Second, match the pair at eye level. A big flower at about the same height on both panels looks calmer. No need to match every petal.
Third, save trimmed strips for tiebacks. Fold, stitch, done — a matching set. Super duper easy.
And here's the permission part. It does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. Your family will see soft blue and teal flowers glowing in the window. They will not be checking if one panel is a quarter inch longer.
If I can do this, y'all can do this. One wideback, one afternoon, a whole window changed.
Thanks for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 108" Petal Play Blue Teal Florals Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
