Measuring curtains

alexlyne

We are getting new curtains for the living room soon. Online made-to-measure websites are great at guiding you to the size requirements that they require. Can I use the same assumptions if I see a cheap pair of ready made curtains in a shop?
e.g. will the measurment on the packet always be for 1 curtain, or for the window size?
and, As we are getting curtains with eyelet holes in the top, will the height measurement be the overall height, or the height up to the top/bottom of the holes?

Any help before I go off shopping would be great.
(I did see a niceish pair in tj hughes the other week, though did not want to go through the hassle of buying and trying and having to take back if ot right).

Thanks
Alex

Yorkie1

My understanding is that the measurement is for the window size, not just a single curtain. And that it is likely to include the full height, not just up to the eyelets (though I've never bought eyelet curtains before). If this really makes a difference, you could always take a tape measure with you and measure the curtains before you buy - if you don't get a confident answer from a shop assistant.

Edited to add - have now discovered this answer isn't correct, see Phill99's post below!

alexlyne

Most places that properly sell curtains would have useful staff. I didn't try tj hughes (as an example), and they had notices disallowing the removal of curtains from packaging. I may sneakly do it when no one's watching, as if i did buy them and they're wrong, they're not gonna be returned as neatly folded as when they were bought!

phill99

Sorry Yorkie, you are incorrect.

The size listed on the packet is for EACH curtain. So if the packet says 90" x 90", then EACH curtain is 90" x 90".

You normally allow between one and a half and twice the actual width for gathering. Therefore a pair of curtains that are 90" wide (ie giving you a total span of 180" will suit a window opening of between 90" and 120"

Yorkie1

phill99 wrote: »

Sorry Yorkie, you are incorrect.

The size listed on the packet is for EACH curtain. So if the packet says 90" x 90", then EACH curtain is 90" x 90".

You normally allow between one and a half and twice the actual width for gathering. Therefore a pair of curtains that are 90" wide (ie giving you a total span of 180" will suit a window opening of between 90" and 120"

Happy to be corrected, Phill99, thanks.

My thought process was that you then gather the curtains at the heading so they reduce down to the window size. But I'm glad to have it explained properly.

Loanranger

John Lewis have videos on how to measure up and explains about how to measure for eyelet curtains.click here

alexlyne

Thanks all,
further research (you always find out even more after asking the questions) has shown that I need a 'standard' 84" patio door drop, so this is what I can now hunt out for. It's not a particularly common drop for ready-mades, but as long as I can convince the missus that saving £150-200 over made-to-measure will be worth it even if the fabric is not 100% perfect! As for the width, your advice has been useful, thank you.

Alex

phill99

84" isn't a standard drop in ready made. You will need a 90" drop and then take up the bottoms. Even if you get a professional seamstress to do it, it will probably only cost you £30 which is a lot better than £200!!

alexlyne

Just to update this thread... we finally have some curtains.

We managed to get ready-mades in a 84" drop, which saves us the hassle of taking them up (which we were discussing doing). Yorkie1's understanding of the height of the curtains was correct - the overall height of the curtains are 84", not just up to the eyelets.
Oh, and we got 2 lots of 90" width curtains - the width of the patio doors are 90", so plenty of excess and they look nice and full when in operation.

fuzzgun19

Can I ask where you got the 84 drop curtains from..? I'm looking for that size too.