Made to measure curtains

[FlopMadeMeDoIt]

We've just moved in to a 1930s semi detached house. We need some curtains for the lovely but huge bay window in our bedroom. Track is about 310 cm long. I got some samples from John Lewis but when I costed them up on the website we were looking at about £400 . So I've ordered a few samples from Next as well, but does any have other recommendations? Thanks in advance.

Terry’s fabrics do them, they are local to me but have a website.
You might have a fabric warehouse locally who make to order?
My front window is 350cm wide and I chose some really heavy uphostery fabric that the fabric place then made into some stunning lined curtains, cost me £200 iirc. The only problem with super wide curtains is that you need a join in the fabric, mine are heavily patterned and they did a great job of matching up.

These are mine

Ah we have one of these bay windows and they are a non standard drop into the bargain. I bought double width (228cm) curtains and just put up with them being not particularly gathered when they are closed, at least then when they are open they're not too bulky.

Made to measure do come up expensive, you are looking at probably 10-12 metres of fabric at at least £15 per metre, plus linings, plus probably £100 labour plus their mark up. If you can source a discount roll of fabric then a local business might make them up. I'm always lurking on this site www.the-millshop-online.co.uk/curtain-fabric.html.

£400 doesn't strike me as outrageous for made to measure on a big window tbh. Dunelm is worth a look and will possibly be a touch cheaper. There will probably also be local curtain-makers and it is worth asking on your local FB pages or NextDoor.

As pp have said, plainer may equate to cheaper - busy patterns are fiddly to match.

Stop looking at high street retailers that sell everything and start looking at curtain and blind shops. Look local to you or try online. Lots of places offer sample fabrics.

We have always used Blinds2Go and for all our blinds (romans, roller etc) and they have a curtain section with an instant quote, Terry's Fabrics are also excellent.

£400 sounds fine for made to measure for your long drop and wide bay.... we managed to get dunelm ones for our windows as they go up to 274cm but at 310 don’t think you’ll find any ready made

if you can buy or borrow a sewing machine, curtains are only straight lines and it really isn't hard to make them. And I speak as someone who only started using a machine a few months ago!

watch some beginner sewing machine videos on youtube.

It is also easy to sew on the header tape, again two lines of straight sewing. Tips that aren't obvious:

• measure umpteen times until you are 100% sure
• linings only really need to be attached at the top
• leave one short side of the header tape unsewn, the end that will be on the outer edge of the curtains. Tie the pull tapes at the other end in secure knots. Once you have gathered the curtains, tie off in a figure 8 (so you can undo if necessary) and tuck the spare cords into the unsewn gap.

it is scary with pricy fabric but very satisfying when done.

Curtains aren’t difficult but they are reliant on you having a decent amount of time on your hands and a large, clean space where you can accurately and squarely measure out very large quantities of fabric, especially if you are lining or interlining them properly. Pattern-matching is particularly time-consuming.

True, but if it saves a bomb then go for a simpler pattern. I'm also assuming that large curtains imply a large window and therefore a large room.

Or just wait for charity shops to be back which is where I get my curtains!

@FlopMadeMeDoIt

We've just moved in to a 1930s semi detached house. We need some curtains for the lovely but huge bay window in our bedroom. Track is about 310 cm long. I got some samples from John Lewis but when I costed them up on the website we were looking at about £400 . So I've ordered a few samples from Next as well, but does any have other recommendations? Thanks in advance.

I realise this is missing the point but how did you order your samples from Next?! I've been trying to do this but the samples and swatches section just says no results found

@TheOneTheOnlyPedroPony oh interesting. I filtered to made to measure curtains and then there's an option to add swatch to bag for free (will try attach screenshot) when you view them.

Ps I like your username

Thanks all for your comments. 100% not going to try and sew anything unfortunately I don't have a sewing machine or any confidence!

What’s the drop, OP?

Dunelm are good for bigger sizes...

[quote FlopMadeMeDoIt]@TheOneTheOnlyPedroPony oh interesting. I filtered to made to measure curtains and then there's an option to add swatch to bag for free (will try attach screenshot) when you view them.

Ps I like your username[/quote]
I have found it now on the made to measure curtains, it looks like they don't do samples for the ready made ones! Thank you!

£400 doesn't sound bad if they're lined curtains. We spent that on fabric & fixings for 2 windows (3.6x2.9m each) and then I had to make them.

Try 247 Curtains. They were about 60% the price of John Lewis.

Worth trying eBay or other secondhand. There are people out there who like to change their spectacularly expensive made to measure curtains every few years!
If you can find a local curtain maker they will be able to adjust them for you.
Making your own - not difficult, but time-consuming and space-hungry.

Good quality curtains aren’t going to be cheap. I second trying ebay. I replaced my shoddy IKEA living room curtains with some MTM John Lewis curtains bought off eBay. It’s really upgraded the room. There are some sellers who seem to specialise in this, they are returns and haven’t been used previously. I had to stalk eBay for a few weeks before I got the right combo of colour, textile and size.

I should add I paid just over half what I’d paid if I’d bought from John Lewis.

I won’t tell you what my curtains cost! Two bays at over 3m long. Hundreds of £££ was well short!