Jump to content

If you know how to measure fabric...


raspberry

Recommended Posts

I found this beautiful stripe pattern for my kitchen...the problem is it's only sold in valances...and I wanted to make panels...

I'd like to make 84" long panels...and about 50" wide...

I'm not that great at buying fabrics, by the yard and such...maybe someone could tell me how much fabric I need? I would like 4 panels in total...so 4 at 84"longx50"wide...

I just thought this was the best place to ask!!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How wide and long is the fabric you like? Do you want the curtains to be flat or have a little fullness? How are you finishing the tops?

As a general rule you want 1 and 1/2 the distance in width for your curtains to have a little fullness to them. I'm assuming you are trying to cover 2 windows. You will have to seam it in the center to get the 84" length; the width depends on how full you want it as well as how you plan to hang them. Tab tops are easy, but if you are getting valances they may have a rod pocket in them already. Remember a yard is 36" so if you want 50" of curtain you need at least 2 yards of fabric for each panel to take into account seam allowance and repeat of the pattern plus any additional fullness.

Curtains can be complicated! Just break down your measurements into what you need for 1 panel, then multiply that by 4 :thumb:

Hope this helps :wave:

(My mother was a seamstress/decorator for 25 years; she can measure curtains in her sleep!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember making draw drapes for my MIL, I put pins in the pleater tape and onto the rods to get the width, then cut the tape, removed the pins and that was the width of each panel plus any seam allowances and side hems by the length she wanted plus 6" for the turn at the top after sewing on the tape, plus the bottom hem. For 84" long panels you'd want to cut them at least 90" long, each. The increasing expense of fabric is what finally put an end to my DIY decorating days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what you mean..it's only sold in valances. Do you mean only premade valances and not in curtains?? You can get the fabric by yard? What is the width of the fabric? Does the 84 inches include a header and hem? Those are important details before yardage can be figured.

Rita

I found this beautiful stripe pattern for my kitchen...the problem is it's only sold in valances...and I wanted to make panels...

I'd like to make 84" long panels...and about 50" wide...

I'm not that great at buying fabrics, by the yard and such...maybe someone could tell me how much fabric I need? I would like 4 panels in total...so 4 at 84"longx50"wide...

I just thought this was the best place to ask!!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what you mean..it's only sold in valances. Do you mean only premade valances and not in curtains?? You can get the fabric by yard? What is the width of the fabric? Does the 84 inches include a header and hem? Those are important details before yardage can be figured.

Rita

The manufacturer made valances, but not panels

Yes, I found the matching fabric at Joann's

It's 54" wide

I don't know...I just know that when I go to the store to buy curtains I need them in 84" length... :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 54" is the length not the width. So from top to bottom is 54", and one yard is 36" long. It's confusing :) The stripe will run the length of the fabric. $50 a yard is expensive, but drapery fabric is expensive. If you have any quilt or decorator shops in your area, you could ask them about where they get their fabric. Where I live, there are wholesalers that sell to the general public. Fabric Store this might be helpful to you. Just look for that type of place where you live. You pay a huge markup at places like Joann because they have to buy that fabric from somewhere and they don't sell a lot of it.

You might want to consider curtain fabric from non-traditional sources. You can make curtains from sheets, shower curtains, tablecloths. All of those are machine-wash, which is a great feature since most decorator stuff is spot clean or dry clean-only.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 54" is the length not the width. So from top to bottom is 54", and one yard is 36" long. It's confusing :) The stripe will run the length of the fabric.

Fabric Store this might be helpful to you. Just look for that type of place where you live. You pay a huge markup at places like Joann because they have to buy that fabric from somewhere and they don't sell a lot of it.

You might want to consider curtain fabric from non-traditional sources. You can make curtains from sheets, shower curtains, tablecloths. All of those are machine-wash, which is a great feature since most decorator stuff is spot clean or dry clean-only.

O.K., this is much helpful!!! Thank you!!! :)

Hmm...I have one of those Fabric Stores about an hour from me...I wonder if I email them, they can help me out... :huh:

I didn't go any other direction because the valances are already pre-made...so I wanted to make panels to match...so the valance is in the middle and panels on the side...

Um...what to do now...this wouldn't really work for me, would it? If I need at least a 64" length...and it's sold by 54"...that is super unhelpful!!! Maybe just the valances then!!!:lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I faced the problem of making drapes and curtains for all of the windows in a new house several years ago. I made drawings of the windows with the dimensions, also the distance from window sill to the floor and from the top of the window to the ceiling, and had little sketches of what I wanted the finished panels to look like. I took them with me when I shopped for fabrics. The experienced clerks in the fabric store were able to tell me exactly how much I needed to buy and also made suggestions regarding lining, etc. There's nothing like asking an expert! (By the way, I bought an extra yard of most of the fabrics, just in case I messed up. I didn't, so I had extra to make pillows.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...