novice needs some help please - simple curtains and bunting

[shelley72]

let me start by saying that i am in no way arty, crafty or talented so please be gentle with me.

i am a complete novice when it comes to sewing (i have to ask DH to replace buttons on clothes for example, thats how bad i am) but i have a yearning to make some bunting and curtains for the new playhouse that we have bought our DCs for easter. i just feel that its something a mummy should be able to do. but i cant .

so, where would i start? i have four windows to do, each 45 cm wide so hopefully manageable. how much fabric would i need for each window, and how would i start? it has to be simple. and then theres the bunting. i have seen gorgeous laura ashley type bunting in the shops, but is this difficult to do yourself at home? would i be better off buying it ready made? and where can you buy lots of pieces of different fabric - hopefully there will be some left over from the curtains. can anyone point me in the right direction for patterns, equipment etc? like i say i am a complete novice so i need to know the basics and work my way up!

my mum has a sewing machine i could borrow (and would probably make it all for me if i asked) but i want to learn to do it for myself, and for my DCs (DS has asked twice this week if i can knit ). in my head i have visions of a beautifully decorated house, but i fear the reality may be a lot different! so any help will be gratefully received

First of all as the curtains aren't for 'real' windows so to speak, I would just take 2 pieces of fabric per window, both about 50cm wide each. Turn over the vertical edges twice to get a nice neat finish (about 1.5cm each turn) and then just to a straight machine stitch down each edge.

I would suggest attaching a pole or a curtain wire to the inside of the playhouse rather than a real curtain rail. Measure from the pole/wire to the below the window where you want your curtain to stop. That will be the finished size of the curtain. Add to that about 4cm at the bottom for the hemming (again turn over about 2cm twice to make a neat finish. Machine along the edge.

For the top, I would keep it simple. Make a sort of tube to allow a pole to fit through . Say you want a tube 5cm deep. You would need to add about 12cm to the length of fabric you need. Fold over a 2cm piece at the top to neaten the edge then fold over 5cm and machine along the folded edge. Feed the pole or the wire through and attach both ends to the inside of the playhouse.

This is very difficult to explain without pictures.

Bunting - it depends how 'professional' you want it to be. You could just cut out triangles of the size you want with pinking shears so that it doesn't fray and they you wouldn't need to sew them up at all. Then all you have to do is get some sort of tape or ribbon, pin the triangles at regular intervals to the tape and sew them on either by hand, with a running stitch or with the machine.

There are bound to be blogs and tutorials around. I'll have a look for some easy ones.

Oh and for the bunting you can get quilting fabric which is sold is fat quarter - about 18" x 22", whatever that is in cm. You can buy these for as little as £2 - ebay is your best bet - you might be able to get a pack of several fat quarters.

Something like this

Better put than mine - playhouse curtains.

How to make simple bunting This includes a template if that helps.

More professional looking Not hard, I promise, but it is a bit more work. This tutorial has pictures if that helps.

I made some bunting last year out of an old duvet cover. Make a triangular cardboard template and cut out your triangles, one front and one back for each. I bought some curtain liner and cut triangles out of that too. Sew these together inside out, then trim the edges, turn inside out and iron. Buy some wide bias binding, like this,

www.amazon.co.uk/25mm-Cotton-Bias-Binding-White/dp/B004GUPO8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333301078&sr=8-1

fold it in half, and tuck the top edges of the triangles in. Pin and machine stitch all the way along.

To finish off, you could buy something like this, and stitch it on top.

www.allthetrimmin.gs/-375cm-pom-pom--bobble-trim-white--per-metre-42-p.asp

I will try and find a photo.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you, a lot to think about there and have been spending lots of time on ebay looking up fabrics etc - who knew there was this whole new world?!

primrose123 your bunting sounds beautiful, and somehting that i would consider maybe for DDs 'big girls' room when we decorate next, and once i have had a bit more practice!

bigboobiedbertha thank you so much for your help and links and telling me where to start looking. Agree that the second lot of bunting looks much more professional, but i think that i will start with your first link. i guess that as it will be outside it will probably get damp and i will need to remake, so simple to start with (for me) is good. and i do quite like the crinkly edge on the flags too! I think i understand what you mean about the curtains, you make it sound so simple. am off into town today to have a look for curtain fabric - i am quite excited! i also have my eye on some pretty fat quarters on ebay, so once i have decided on curtains can bid on those too! thankfully DH is off over the weekend so that i can start learning to sew.

DS also wants me to teach him to knit so i may be back!!!

thanks again