Why do my expensive-ish curtains look crap

[Sickofhousestuff]

Hi, I’ve bought my first house so a newbie to house stuff. Unfortunately, my mum is not good with this sort of thing so hoping for some MN advice.

Why do my curtains look crap? Yes they will look better after a steam but I’m not loving the way they look. We have huge windows so had to purchase made to measure which wasn’t cheap.

Im thinking I need more hoops. DH wanted the curtains to hit where they do but I think it’s a shame they don’t hit just above the window sill. Tempted to get my sewing machine out and watch some YouTube videos!

Please help. I’m gutted. They look really different to the image on the website as well :’(

You just haven't gathered them using the pull strings. That and an iron and maybe some more hoops and they will transform

You won't be able to send made to measure back.

OP typically made to measure curtains skim the floor rather than the radiators but if the length you have is what you were wanting/ are used to then it's fine.

People criticising are being a bit snobby tbh.

They’re not expensive expensive. Just not ikea cheap.

Have you spaced the rings equally? The gapping doesn’t look evenly spaced, hopefully gathering the fabric will assist with that.

i also think the drop between the rings and the fabric is too large a space. They really don’t look ‘made to measure’ and I worry that if you ‘dressed’ them correctly, they wouldn’t fit the window frame horizontally or vertically.

who took the measurements?

Couldn’t do floor curtains due to the impact it would have on radiator. Looks better but not practical.

I think the way they’re hanging down below the curtain pole makes them look a bit lacklustre. Can you fasten the hoops on lower down, so the top of the curtains hides the poles a bit more?

Yep, some people just love saying bitchy things online they wouldn't dream of saying to someone's face in real life.

I have some flared booty curtain upstairs so not being a snob. My downstairs curtains however are thick heavy things even the ones not to the floor but longer than ops are not floaty like ops.

I wouldn’t be happy to pay much money for the curtains as pictured.

@BranchGold i thought I had, counted out but looks like I’ve done a bad job!

We have floor length curtains. In the winter we just tuck the curtains behind the radiators. I'd rather that on the odd cold evening than have window sil length curtains all year round.

It's the 99% lack of gathering. Tighten them up and steam the creases out, then let them hang for a few days.

It's a rather unusually proportioned window, isn't it? I think it will look ok once the curtains have settled.

As others have said, you need to pull the tape in a bit…measure your window width, and pull each curtain tape so that each curtain measure half the width of the window…distribute the fabric evenly along the tape so the curtain falls in gathers, then you want to “dress the curtain” I can’t think how to put it into typed words, but have a look on YouTube.

Theres nothing wrong with the curtains, they’re just badly hung, and that’s easily sorted-they’re the correct length for sill length curtains-they’re supposed the be longer than the sill
there’s also the risk of them shrinking when they’re washed or dry cleaned then they’d be at half mast!

There are loads of videos if you search “how to dress curtains”, this was the first one

Put us out of our misery, tell us how much they cost.

Definitely more hoops and the length is right. Personally I'd have them longer but I hate short curtains.

I feel so much better! Thank you all. Was a bit upset when I put them up. Faked liking them for Dh’s sake.

Pencil pleat should be made with at least 2x fullness, preferably 2.5x fullness. You need to gather the tape up tighter and set the pleats in with some rags lightly wrapped around.

I can't imagine stuffing curtains behind the ordinary radiator in an ordinary house would look anything other than stupid - and you would need to hope the brackets lined up or your curtains would be hanging in a very strange way !

More hooks, pleat carefully, iron

OP to add to what others have told you re gathering and extra hoops etc, you really don't need made to measure for that window. If it's too wide for standard size curtains just hang two pairs of the appropriate drop ready made curtains. If they are gathered and hung properly you can't see the gap between them. This is what I've done with very wide French doors with windows on either side, admittedly with full length eyelet curtains on a 4 metre pole and you wouldn't know they weren't extra wide curtains.

I would share the cost but I know a poster will say I’ve been robbed or something to that effect which will make me feel awful

It's none of anyone's business how much they cost. Try what people have suggested and I bet they will look much nicer.

The length is fine. You need more rings, then measure half the pole length, add 2cm then pull in the tape strings at the top to that measurement.

They feel lovely, I’ll say that at least.

Interesting - must depend on the radiator. My (modern-ish) radiator is only about 2 inches off the wall, and gets piping hot. I wouldn’t fancy stuffing thick curtains down the back of it.

Also no offence intended at all, but “I’d rather be cold that have windowsill-length curtains” is such a intensely Mumsnet comment.

You don’t need to share the cost…. My mum would have just gone to John Lewis and had them made to measure which is pretty expensive to my mind. I’ve got some gorgeous silk curtains that I bought second hand on eBay and then had altered which I love. The alteration cost more than the curtains but they would have been easily over £1000 new. Maybe if you’ve got any more to buy that would be an option. Otherwise as a pp has said put up 2 pairs for wider windows.

Hanging curtains can be a pain, but worth the effort. The fabric is as much as double the width of the windows so that they look "full". As others have said, they need gathered using the tapes at the top (I'd expect made-to-measure to be gathered for you). If you put the curtain hooks through the lowest "hoops" (the wee bits that loop out--usually 3 or 4 horizontal strings) the curtains will stand up above the curtain pole nicely. Make sure you space the hooks equally.
A good steam/iron will make a massive difference.
You've ordered a slightly strange length, in practical terms, because the heat rising from your radiators will go up behind the curtains. That's a typical problem, though, so it's a personal choice but your idea of sitting them on the windowsill makes sense re the heating bill.
It's a learning curve we all went through. Congratulations on your new home and I wish you many happy years in it!