Question for clever curtain people

TomsMom

My lounge wall has french doors/windows and I want to have curtains across the width of the room and floor to ceiling.

The width of the room is 153". If I have eyelet curtains what width do I need to buy? I've seen some ready mades where the width of each curtain is 90". Am I right in thinking that a pair of these isn't enough. I didn't see any wider ones.

tanith

It depend on how much fullness you want when the curtains are drawn.. if you don't mind them fairly flat then a pair of 90" would close but would have no fullness they would be flat.. you really need at least double the measurement of the track for normal fullness or 11/2 times for lots of fullness...

I am sure you can buy wider than 90" but you could buy two pairs and join them...

EDIT I just looked and B & Q do wider than 90"

Flylady_Flower

TomsMom wrote: »

My lounge wall has french doors/windows and I want to have curtains across the width of the room and floor to ceiling.

The width of the room is 153". If I have eyelet curtains what width do I need to buy? I've seen some ready mades where the width of each curtain is 90". Am I right in thinking that a pair of these isn't enough. I didn't see any wider ones.

As a rule of thumb, you want 1 + 1/2 widths for your curtains, so you would want 225" to have it look nice.

With a 90" width, that would give you 180", which would cover your windows but you wouldn't have much to be able to pleat them properly when you pull them closed.

Basic readymades normally only go up to 90" wide (not always, so worth checking about), so you usually have to buy two pairs (you would need 2 pairs of 72" as the next size down of 52" wouldn't give you enough) or get them made to measure (John Lewis do a great 7 day service and are not too bad, but no-where near as cheap as ready mades)

Hope that helps. If your still unsure, give the measurements to the curtain shop (don't have to give them the full details, just size of curtain pole (153") and the drop from the centre of the pole to the floor (probably 90" drop)

TomsMom

Thanks both. I didn't think it would be enough. I've only ever had pencil pleat before and I know you need 2 or even 2 1/2 times width for them to look good. Just think eyelet would be right for this room so will keep my eyes open now I know what I need width-wise.

pigpen

if you only want short but wide curtains you can.. buy the long curtains in the required width as drop and eyelet down the side and hem the side with the header tape.. eg..

153" wide.. 45" drop..

Buy the 66" wide curtains in the 120" drop
remover header tape.. hem side
Put eyelets down one side.. and hang..

depends on the pattern of course... plain fabrics or randomly patterned ones are fine.. looks a bit daft if you have trees & plants growing sideways on..

(ok I'm useless just seen they are for doors.. I made my own too.. )

Mine are hung on a curtain pole.. I measured up to the top of the door frame (280cm) added 10cm to the top of the curtain pole and 15cm for error/hemming/header tape

I made the tops of the curtains.. hung them.. then hemmed them..

Sensible advice.. use STIFF fabric.. not lace and satin!!

andrew-b

Thought you'd have got your sewing machine out and have made your own by now! (Ok shhh i haven't finished/done much more on that bathroom - faffing around refining the bedroom plans!)

With eyelet curtains on Debenhams website (pick one and then they have a link to sizing info) they say:
"If using a curtain track, we would recommend that the total width of both curtains should be one and a half to two times as wide as the track.
If using a curtain pole, we would recommend that the total width of both curtains should be one and a half times the length of the pole."

Of course i have no need to remember this information myself being the man in the house (though OH didn't know either!)..i just remember where to look! I also now remember that the size quoted is per curtain...not per pair...don't ask but why the hell don't they say that on the packaging!!

My parents have curtains covering a similar sized patio doors....though they had them made to measure with a thick lining too from a local shop.

I'd avoid argos curtains ..we made that mistake in the spare room... a year or so on and they still haven't fallen into shape right despite initial ironing attempts...plus the linings are unstitched at the bottom so show.

Andy

clairehi

its worth bearing in mind that as eyelet curtains do not lay flat against the pole when closed, you really do need the extra width otherwise there will be large gap between them! I would suggest at least 1.5 * width of the window to ensure they close fully.

TomsMom

pigpen wrote: »

(ok I'm useless just seen they are for doors.. I made my own too.. )

:rotfl:

Well, it was nice of you to go to all that trouble to explain anyway.

TomsMom

andrew-b wrote: »

Thought you'd have got your sewing machine out and have made your own by now!
Andy

:rotfl: Touche!

I don't mind making smaller curtains, in fact I bought some material last week for the downstairs WC window, and the landing curtain will be one I made for our present house from a nice cheapy remnant. I've found that ready mades are often cheaper than making yourself if you can find ones to suit.

BUT.......... they need to be 100" drop on this window wall :eek: and I don't even know how you'd put those big eyelets in so I thought I'd give it a miss in this room :rotfl:

Thanks for the info about Debenhams, I didn't even think to look there.

PS When looking at the material for the downstairs WC window in Dunelm, it was the third roll from the top of the display stand. I pulled a little bit down to check the colour against the tile I had with me and WHOOSH! the two rolls above emptied themselves all over the floor at our feet . OH went to tell the assistant - it was the second time it had happened that day! In our defence, there was only a bit on each roll and too much hanging down so I'm sure gravity had something to do with it :rotfl:

Flylady_Flower

TomsMom wrote: »

:rotfl: Touche!

I don't mind making smaller curtains, in fact I bought some material last week for the downstairs WC window, and the landing curtain will be one I made for our present house from a nice cheapy remnant. I've found that ready mades are often cheaper than making yourself if you can find ones to suit.

BUT.......... they need to be 100" drop on this window wall :eek: and I don't even know how you'd put those big eyelets in so I thought I'd give it a miss in this room :rotfl:

Thanks for the info about Debenhams, I didn't even think to look there.

PS When looking at the material for the downstairs WC window in Dunelm, it was the third roll from the top of the display stand. I pulled a little bit down to check the colour against the tile I had with me and WHOOSH! the two rolls above emptied themselves all over the floor at our feet . OH went to tell the assistant - it was the second time it had happened that day! In our defence, there was only a bit on each roll and too much hanging down so I'm sure gravity had something to do with it :rotfl:

You might actually be better off making your own if you're OK with a sewing machine - for a start ready mades usually only come in 90" drop and you need 100" (unless you get them from Ikea, where they are long enough to come down the window, cover the floor and then back up the opposite wall too... )
Eylets are the easiests to do - you just buy the rings and the kit (Dunelm sell them if you feel safe going back in - attacked by fabric, that's one way to go...:eek: ) you lay them out on the fabric at the width apart that you want them (about 12" is usually good, but make sure it fits the width of curtain you have OK) you mark where the hole goes and cut out the hole, then just put one part one side and the other on the other side and bash them together - great fun and much easier than sewing on and gathering heading tape... (by the way, if you don't get my instructions, the kit does come with proper ones...:o )

TomsMom

Flylady_Flower wrote: »

You might actually be better off making your own if you're OK with a sewing machine - for a start ready mades usually only come in 90" drop and you need 100" (unless you get them from Ikea, where they are long enough to come down the window, cover the floor and then back up the opposite wall too... )

I was actually very surprised to see that the ready mades I was looking at were 102" - first time I'd ever seen any that long (not having an Ikea anywhere near I've been deprived of that shopping experience).

Thanks for the instructions about the eyelets, yes I do get them and it sounds like fun! Just not sure that I want to wrestle with that amount of material. I might just stick to the shorter ones for now.