Curtain Call

I have heard rumors that there are people who can move into a new space and, in the blink of an eye, transform it into a cozy nest that perfectly reflects their impeccable taste.

I am not one of those people. (If you are, where did you come from? How do you do it?)

After two years of living in my house, and after eight months of living there with my groom), I am still piecing things together and getting them just right. Or at least, not piled on the floor.

The living room/dining room area has come together the most quickly, and I think the last step is curtains. And, because I like to be both cost-conscious and crafty, I have decided to sew the curtains myself.

Do you need to sit down for a minute? I think I can do it! Especially with these two excellent tutorials from the ever-life-saving Design Sponge.

First up is a basic curtain panel.

Seems easy enough. You just need a sewing machine (with needle), some fabric and matching thread, some scissors, a measuring tape, straight pins and an iron and ironing board.

Simple, right?

Figuring out how much fabric I need has been one of my big stumbling blocks to this project, but Design Sponge guest poster Brett Bara has a great tip for that, too. You'll want to measure from where your curtain rod will be to the spot where you want your curtains to end, and then add 18 inches. For the width, keep in mind that most fabric is sold in widths of 43 or 60 inches. For a full or gathered curtain you'll want one-and-a-half to three-times that width.

If this all sounds too simple, you can tackle the pleated and lined curtain instead. This is definitely a more intense undertaking (I mean, do you just have drapery weights lying around? Do you even know what a drapery weight is? Will you tell me?), but the result is rather lovely.

For fabric, I am loving the simple, bold prints over at Premier Prints Fabric. I think the husband and I were finally able to agree on this green-on-white dandelion pattern to start.

But I am hoping he warms up to these sweet little birdies eventually, too. I think they would be delightful in our dining room, which is next on the make-over list.

Have you ever tackled a curtain sewing project before? Any tips for the uninitiated?