Anyone got any tips on how to make envelope cushions / simple curtains ????

bluenose1

Dear all,
have seen beautiful material that I want to make cushions and currtains from.
The cost of buying these ready made from company was over £300!!!
I have therefore decided to buy the same material for £120 and make them myself. I know this is a lot of money but the quality is lovely and they are the only ones I like after extensive research.
Going to get my sewing machine out (unused for 5 years) and give it a go.

The curtains are for display only and will never be drawn as I just close the vertical blinds. Have made them in the past to a reasonably acceptable standard, but does anyone know annything about weights in curtains as I read about them but don't really understand.

Debating between pencil pleat or being adventurous and trying pinch pleat.

Also quite like the thought of envelope cushions for easy removal and cleaning but can't find any advise.

All tips gratefully received.
Regards
Anne

frugalfairy_3

I'm probably not the best person to ask because I hate making curtains and cushions but I do it because it's a lot cheaper than buying ready made ones.

If you're making dress curtains i.e. ones which won't be drawn then you can get away with buying less fabric than for those which need to be closed. For example if you would normally buy one and a half widths for each curtain for normal coverage, you could probably get away with only one for each (does that make sense?).

You put weights in the hem to make the curtain hang nicely. I bought chain weights (small covered lead weights in a long chain) and put them in the hem of my lace panels because they're pretty flyaway. For my long sitting room curtains I put 2p pieces in the corners of each curtain. They're not particularly necessary if you don't want to use them though!

I would say if you're making dress curtains pencil pleats would be better because the effect of pinch pleats is fairly lost when they're drawn back.

I'm not sure what you mean by envelope cushions - do you mean ones with a flap, a bit like a housewife pillow? Or those cushions which are basically four corners folded to the middle of the cushion and tied with a bow?

HTH a bit!
FF

angelavdavis

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1956008 has instructions for envelope style cushions.

Whether you aim for pencil pleat or pinch pleat, you are best investing in the right kind of curtain tape, rather than messing around with clips, etc. You could buy this from good fabric suppliers such as the Fabric Warehouse or mail order via a supplier such as Fred Aldous (google the name for online catalogue).

You could either weigh down the curtains by lining them with a heavier weight lining, or purchase lead curtain weights (from the above or ebay) which you stitch in the hem at the bottom of the curtain (they are like buttons). Downside of weights is they have to be removed before you wash them or they could come lose and damage your machine. The curtain lining can be attached to the main curtain with velcro for easy clean.

The following site details instructions for curtain making.

http://www.denverfabrics.com/pages/static/curtains/sew-curtains.htm

I would also recommend going to the library and borrowing a book on home furnishings, I have previously borrowed when looking for inspiration on design and usually they have a good selection of Vogue or TV based soft furnishing design books with instructions.

Good luck!

fudgem

for a very simple envelope cushion simply hem the top and bottom of a length of fabric, fold it, right sides together, so that the open ends are in the middle overlapping each other by three or four inches, stitch the sides and turn it right side out. (thats not actually very easy to describe so I hope you manage to decipher it)

bluenose1

frugalfairy wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by envelope cushions - do you mean ones with a flap, a bit like a housewife pillow? Or those cushions which are basically four corners folded to the middle of the cushion and tied with a bow?

HTH a bit!
FF

I am trying to make the housewife pillow ones as I won't need a zip etc.
Have got a cheap piece of material I am going to practise on tonight.
That is after I have got youngest to bed, tidied up, watered garden etc etc so god knows what they'll be like.

Phatmouse

I once bought some old jumpers from a second hand shop, really nice chucky ones and cut off the arms leaving the torso. The I sewed up the bottom and made them into envelope cushions, you just need to make sure that the side seem is on the side. I left a few with V necks. My friend still has them, the were arron so went with her deco, really nice and worth a try.