fabric for curtains-any ideas for cutting costs?

[themildmanneredstalker]

i have had a quote today for making either a pair of curtains for my front dooor or a single curtain.
it is out of budget. by quite a bit!
but the fabric is beautiful. really lovely!

i have chosen another fabric and the quote for making up in that is ok-ish.

however i have come home with samples and the original fabric is so much nicer. really lovely.
dh keeps saying the other fabric isn't right but as i said you cut your coat according to your cloth! quite literally in this case!

anyway-this fabric is £15-99 a metre and is quite a heavy one with a leaf pattern embroidered on it.

any ideas? top tips? on how i can get something similar for a reasonable price?

curtain exchange? remmant shops? make them your self?

local market maybe? or have a look for an asian shop nearby? There's one near (ish) to where I am and fabrics in there are quite reasonable really

i wouldn't know where to start and don't have a sewing machine.
don't know anyone really i could impose on to that extent!
dh worked out that the actual cost for the fabric was about 90/100 pound i think but the quote was for nearly 300

can you borrow a sewing machine? it is really easy unless you are going for an 80's french regency look. failing that is there a 'woman in the village' who does?

i know you say it's easy but if you have never done it before i think it would be hard. i would be terrified of ruining the fabric.

name tapes and buttons is about the extent of my sewing skills.

Are you ordering the fabric through your curtain maker? If so, they will be adding their mark-up. Can you buy the fabric yourself and get a quote for make-up only? Alternatively, places like Dunelm Mill have lots of lovely fabrics, and even John Lewis has lots of fabrics at less than £15.99. Another alternative is to choose a plain, but matching fabric for the main body of the curtain, and edge it with your more expensive fabric - you could also have the tie back made in the nicer fabric. Yet another alternative is to have a roman blind made, which would use a lot less fabric, but that depends on whether you want a curtain to cut out draughts or whether it was to cover a window in the door.

ok-it's a 'cut out draughts' curtain.

have just checked john lewis and they have the same fabric for 22 pound a metre!
so looks like i was getting a good deal.
they also want 320 to make the cutain as opposed to 260 in the shop i went to today.

wow. am surprised.

this is the fabric.nice isn't it?

you can get some quotes for the fabric from internet suppliers - can be up to 40% cheaper depending on how much fabric you need and the fabric brand. I don't have time to link the sites now, but will be back tomorrow morming (unless my baby decides to arrive overnight...)

Honestly, making a curtain is simple. You would be best off spending £10 on a book and some lining fabric to have a practice run on - a simple curtain is just a rectangle of fabric, hemmed on all edges with ready made heading tape sewn at the top. All the very finest made to order curtains are hand stitched anyway.

Have a go, I started making curtains for myself when in exactly the same situation you are in now - ludicrous quote for make up.

£260 (or even £320 ) is a ridiculous amount of money for something which, even if you take it very very slowly for fear of cocking up, you could do yourself in a couple of evenings.

And I like the fabric very much.

Ooh yes, that is lovely. If you chose a plain cream fabric to match the background colour and had a 5 - 10cms border on the leading edge you would only need about 2 metres of this fabric, and there would be enough to make the tie backs too.

That is a good suggestion to cut cost if making up yourself, but to be honest I would expect the shop to charge even more for the make-up if they have to fanny around with a border rather than just hemming a straight run of fabric, wiping out any saving you would make.

Honestly, before ordering the make up, have a go with some lining fabric first, you may surprise yourself.

the drop alone is more than 2 metres. it's a huge door.

i honestly don't think i could make it myself.

now if my bloody mother in law didn't live bloody abroad i'd get her to do it for me!

the 260 included the fabric and lining.

is that still expensive?

Georgimama - as there would be no pattern matching to do, the extra cost of adding a border would be minimal, if any at all.
But you are right, it is not difficult to do yourself.

I'm not being helpful - 2 metres wouldn't phase me but I've done this a few times now with full length curtains.

Where are you? If you lived anywhere near me I'd offer (caveat emptor and all that) - I love sewing.

near manchester

Oh, I'm near Bristol. A touch difficult then . I'm sure someone on MN could help, or recommend a lovely old lady in a village who "does" to exploit use instead.

lol!!!
i think i am going to put it on the back burner for a bit until things are a bit better financially!

2m is nothing. make them!

lol!!!

you might as well say 'split that atom yourself-it's no trouble at all!'

i have some fabulous curtains i got from freecycle. and the curtain exchange is worth a visit if only for the pure excitment!

and i would split the atom but it would cause no end of trouble so i won't