Curtain hems - using iron-on webbing..?

RainbowsInTheSpray

Not really crafting in any sense, but anyway...

I have found a lovely piece of material which I would like to make into curtains but:
1. It is far too long for the window opening and needs trimming
2. I am hopeless with needlework and don't want to pay for a seamstress to do the hems

Can I use this iron-on stuff available from ebay etc to make a reasonable hem? Would it do the job reliably? The ads claim it's good for curtains but I have my doubts.

elsien

I don’t like it. I found it after a while it goes a bit solid and then the material doesn’t hang particularly well at the bottom. If you can measure the length correctly, hand sewing isn’t particularly hard to do. 

badmemory

If you need to wash them then the iron on can come adrift.  I think that to iron the hem very carefully is more important than your actual sewing ability.  In a way the sewing is just confirmation of where the hem needs to be, if it has been ironed properly.  The iron-on is fine but has its limits, like not washing well, but you still need to make sure that your original hem ironing is spot on first.

Nelliegrace

I regretted using it. It came unstuck, left a mess, and I still had curtains to turn up. 

They shrunk a bit, to sew them a bit longer meant the mess was visible at the back of the curtain.

Hand sewing gets better with practise. 

If it is worth doing, it is worth doing properly.

RainbowsInTheSpray

Ok, thanks for the warnings. Generally looking like a bad thing. I wonder what it is good for...

Marcon

If you google on 'how to hem curtains by hand' you'll get masses of useful links, including several YouTube videos, demonstrating the best stitch to use. As others have already mentioned, careful ironing is just as important as the actual stitching. 

DullGreyGuy

Nelliegrace said:

They shrunk a bit

Why did they shrink?

Shrinkage is something you always have to allow for but unless it's not sanforized the shrinkage should be minimal. 

twopenny

It depends on how often you wash your curtains.

If it's once a year I'd expect it to be worth doing. You can always peel it off and re do next year.

You can also get different grades from light to heavy.

Currently I have a little blind made from some fabric I liked. I was up to my ears in a new home and a garden to make so used double sided tape Supposed to be temporary. Despite being cream it gets little touching or movement and is still fine after 2yrs.