On a recent thrifting expedition, I came across some pinky coral denim. The weight of it was not quite right for making jeans, but the color was fantastic and there was almost 4 yards of it…perfect for curtains for my sewing room.
But 4 yards is not quite enough for curtains. I’m very particular that curtains should run all the way to the floor regardless of the size of the window. Less than that I think looks skimpy. Visually, it also really heightens your space to run them all the way to the floor.
Since I did not have quite enough fabric, I ordered some cream denim from fabric.com. I also had a 3/4 yard piece of white bull denim that I intended for another project and ended up not using.
Strawberry Vanilla Denim Curtains
I made two panels, joining the fabrics horizontally with flat fell seams and double rows of topstitching. I figured if I’m making denim curtains, I’m making DENIM curtains.
I realized after one panel that the coral fabric is two-faced and using the wrong side would allow me to create an ombre effect and soften the contrast transition between the cream and the coral fabrics. Sadly, it would mean that I’d lose another 1.25″ in length that I was already tight on, but I came up with two good solutions.
One panel was slightly wider than the other, so after cutting away the excess, I had enough plus my scraps of the white and cream fabrics to add another strip above the white fabric that would house my grommets. Instead of adding a hem, I opted for a hem facing which allowed me to use a minimal amount of the length of the finished curtains.
After cutting away fabric at the top for grommets with my favorite Olfa Rotary Circle Cutter, my husband finished the curtains with grommets. The grommets from Grommet Mart are really much nicer than the ones you can get at fabric stores, and if you have a lot of curtains to make as I have, they end up being a much better price. I used this setter.
After 3 years of being in our house, it’s nice to make a step towards making the sewing room a more finished, decorated space.
Elizabeth Farr is the writer behind the Elizabeth Made This blog where she shares helpful sewing tips, step by step sewing tutorials and videos to help you explore your creativity through sewing. She has written sewing Eguides and patterns, been a featured teacher at Rebecca Page’s Sewing Summit and Jennifer Maker’s Holiday Maker Fest and her work has appeared in Seamwork and Altered Couture magazines. She also created a line of refashioned garments for SEWN Denver. When her sewing machine isn’t humming, she’s playing and teaching violin, and hanging around a good strategic board game with her husband and 4 kids.
Beautiful curtains!!! I love the ombré effect..looks very posh.
Very fun and cheery!
These are so pretty. You were so clever to use the back of the fabric to get a perfectly coordinating lighter shade.
They came out beautifully, and the floor length does add a lot.
They are great! May be a silly question, but is that a waterfall out your window? Very impressive if it is!
Your curtains are soooo gorgeous! A great addition for your sewing room.