Home made curtains?

[hotchocaholic]

I have fabric to make some curtains to fit a long narrow window (portrait), so just need one curtain I can draw over at night and hold to side during day. I've done a little bit of sewing, cushions etc so going to have a go myself. What type of curtain would you suggest given the window size and my amateur status? I would like them lined also. Thinking tab top or curtains for use with a rod. Does anyone have any suggestions please or links to some suitable instructions? The fabric is quite nice so I do want to make some effort to make them look as professional as I can.
Thanks

[hotchocaholic]

Anyone?

[helpmum2003]

Hi
The best type of curtain will depend on how much space you have to the side of the window and if you want the window to be completely uncovered once the curtain is drawn. How wide is the window and the space to the side in cm?

[Thumbellini]

I have the merrick and Day curtain encyclopaedia book and it gives really detailed instructions on everything to do with making curtains. I got a second hand copy for a few quid off amazon. Not sure about online resources

[overmydeadbody]

If use curtain tape with a normal curtain pole, but I really don't like tab top curtains.

Lots of YouTube tutorials will help you.

You need half as much width again as the window... Or even double if you want full curtains.

Curtains are actually quite easy!

Remember your lining needs to be less wide than your curtain fabric to stop it showing.

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Tab top don't always draw back nicely.
The tabs can drag on the pole and the tabs take up space when the curtain is pushed back.. But they are easy to make

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Yy to the Merrick and Day book.
They've just bought out a new edition so previous edition might be dead cheap.

[hotchocaholic]

Thanks all. The windows are 90cm wide and about 210cm high. Not much space around to the sides. I will have a look for that book thanks for the recommendations.

[LIZS]

I recently used www.wereinstitches.co.uk/how-to-make-curtains/ as a guide to shorten curtains.

[LittleWingSoul]

Tab tops are fiddly as you'd have to hem or face each tab, they'd all have to be identical in size and equally spaced.

Pencil pleat is quite easy to achieve with a good quality heading tape.

The cheats way to line a curtain is to put lining and fabric wrong sides together and stitch hems up the edges, leaving a few inches at the bottom unstitched. Turn inside out and hem bottom. Press top in place and stitch heading tape at top.

I've seen ribbon used instead of tab tops to achieve quite a flowy Boho look if you were keen on using a pole. This would work best with a light, natural fabric such as muslin, I reckon.

[LittleWingSoul]

Sorry fabric and lining right sides together

[hotchocaholic]

Thanks very much I will give it a try.

[helpmum2003]

Personally I'd go for pencil pleats (1 curtain) with a tieback at the side to hold it as far to the side as possible. Tabs or eyelets wouldn't draw back enough. Good luck!