Hey everyone. Today you will learn to make a pair of café curtains with soft Oceanfront wool appliqué bands.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is the LN07 - Oceanfront Merino Wool Fabric, from WonderFil USA.
It is part of Sue Spargo's mill-dyed colors, 60 colors in all. This one is Oceanfront.
The fabric is 100% Superior Grade Virgin Australian Merino Wool. It is proficiently woven and richly dyed. It is raised to a perfect hand.
It feels soft and luxuriously felted, designed for ease of stitch penetration. Your needle slides through without a fight.
The color boasts an even and saturated dye. It also possesses unparalleled colorfastness.
Now the real numbers. This size is a Fat 1/8. It measures 18 inches by 14 inches. It is cut from a true 36-inch yard.
The listed usages include wool appliqué, rug hooking, quilts, apparel, crafts, and more. We are using it for home décor today.
A matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread is available separately. Use it, or use what you have. Completely up to you.
The project: a pair of Oceanfront café curtains
Café curtains cover the lower half of a window. They give privacy and still let light in up top.
Our finished pair fits a window about 36 inches wide. Each panel finishes about 20 inches wide and 30 inches long.
One Fat 1/8 will not make two whole curtains. That is just fine, y'all. Cotton does the big, drapey work.
The Oceanfront wool becomes a wavy appliqué band across each panel. It also makes two simple tiebacks.
Why does it suit curtains? Wool appliqué edges do not fray. Your wave edges stay clean without turning them under.
And remember the permission part. Your waves do not have to match perfectly. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. This is not a race.
Materials list
- 1 piece of LN07 - Oceanfront Merino Wool Fabric — Fat 1/8, 18 inches by 14 inches
- 1 1/2 yards of quilting cotton or cotton-linen blend, for the two curtain panels
- Optional matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread, available separately
- All-purpose sewing thread for construction
- Freezer paper, a fine marker, and sharp small scissors
- Hand-sewing needles, pins, a ruler, a rotary cutter, and an iron
- A café curtain rod to fit your window, about 36 inches wide
Brief steps
1. Measure your window. Measure the inside width and the length you want covered. Our panels finish 20 inches wide by 30 inches long, each.
2. Cut the cotton panels. Cut two rectangles at 21 inches wide by 34 inches long. The extra length allows the top casing and the bottom hem.
3. Hem the sides. Fold each long side in 1/2 inch, then again 1/2 inch. Press well. Topstitch 1/8 inch from the folded edge.
4. Make the top casing. Fold the top down 1/2 inch, then down 2 inches. Press. Stitch close to the lower fold. Leave both ends open for the rod.
5. Hem the bottom. Fold the bottom up 1/2 inch, then up 1 inch. Press and stitch. Check the finished length is 30 inches.
6. Cut the wool waves. From the Oceanfront wool, cut two wavy strips at 18 inches long and about 3 inches at the widest point. Cut two tieback strips at 6 inches by 2 inches. Cut slowly, or the curves get choppy.
7. Stitch the waves. Pin one wave across each panel, about 4 inches above the bottom hem. Blanket stitch both edges. Aim for stitches about 1/4 inch apart and 1/4 inch deep.
8. Finish the tiebacks. Blanket stitch around each small strip. Sew a small loop of thread at each end, or simply tie them loosely. Hang the panels and slide them onto the rod. Just like that.
Practical tips
Test your blanket stitch on a scrap first. Wool forgives a lot, but a test tells the truth.
I once pinned a wave on upside down myself. Oh my goodness. The fix was easy. I unpinned it before stitching and flipped it over.
That is why we pin first, folks. Check both panels side by side before you sew.
You have options here. One straight band works instead of a wave. My preference is the gentle wave, but it is completely up to you.
Save every wool scrap. Tiny circles and fish shapes make sweet extras later. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Super duper fresh, and really really pretty at the window.
Thanks so much for stitching along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the LN07 - Oceanfront Merino Wool Fabric at Linda's Electric Quilters.
