Making curtains with thin fabric

[kitchenlights]

I've got some fabric I want to use as curtains but it's very thin. Is there a good way to make it look a bit more sumptuous as curtains as well as improving the insulation?

I have very young children so can't spend long on the sewing machine I was going to just hem the fabric and sew curtain tape to the tops, then add ready made thermal blackout lining to the curtain hooks when I hang them.

Presumably they'd hang better if they were lined though? Or could I hang them on top of other curtains or a flat bedsheet?

[buzzlightyearsdinosaur]

How thin is the fabric? dressmaking fabric thin or is it light weight curtain fabric?

It also depends on the size of the window IMO.

I have used thin fabric in the past and then interlined the curtains with some thick fabric that I happened to have lying around, I then used a thermal lining and the whole thing turned some £10 per meter curtain fabric into a fairly weighty pair of curtains that kept the draughs out.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

If lining curtains for the first time, I'd check out some YouTube How To videos as there are a few tricks to it especially because you're using two different fabrics usually, so one may behave differently to the other.

I'd do what you're suggesting, OP - blackout lining.

I have lined curtains I made for winter and some unlined silk curtains I made for summer and the unlined do hang just fine - but then dupion silk is pretty stiff in itself - so that might depend on the fabric?

[SoupDragon]

I've just out ready made linings on existing curtains with hooks onto the existing curtain tape. They seem to be just fine - they would be better if I could be bothered to hem them both properly and perhaps tack them together on the edge where the pair of curtains meet.

[LIZS]

I think I'd interline them with a thin fabric to give it more substance and perhaps weight the hem. Alternatively have light colour curtains behind.

[kitchenlights]

How bad do you think using a throw made of the same fabric would look? It is quilted which is the only problem. It's about the same weight as my existing curtains so not too heavy for the tracks. IKEA also do ( or used to do, but available on eBay) actual curtains of the fabric, but they're for poles and also aren't lined so doesn't really save me any sewing

[buzzlightyearsdinosaur]

Are the ikea ones tab or eyelet top? If you were desperate to have the matching fabric you could just cut the top off and sew heading tape on to replace it (or replace your existing tack with a pole).

Where is the curtain for and how big is it going to be? quilted fabric may not drape quite the same way as normal curtains and could look a little bit odd depending where the window is and what style the rest of your house is.

[SoupDragon]

I don't think the quilted fabric would work either.

The linings I used came from ikea so you could buy their curtains, convert them to tape and just hook the linings on. Minimal sewing and very easy.

[kitchenlights]

Yes you're right thank you. I nearly bought the throws last night but they would look bonkers.

Apparently the curtains are slightly thicker fabric than what you can buy by the metre so might be a better bet. I'll try to find some that aren't hideously overpriced. Thank you.