There have been many missteps that delayed this particular project. Way back when I first started the project they were intended to be made with only two fabrics, the green print for the main portion and a white bit on the top with tabs. However, I miscalculated and didn't buy enough fabric so I needed to add on to the sides. I eventually went with the pale blue because it was inexpensive and matched our wall color.
Materials:
Main Fabric (green and white) 3 yds
Top Fabric (white) 1.5 yds
Side Fabric (blue) 3 yds
Curtain Clips and rod
Step One: Cut Fabrics to Size ( I used a rotary cutter and mat.)
The green bird fabric is the easiest to cut, it just needed to be cut in half to make two 54x54 pieces.
Cut the blue in half long ways to make two long strips, 54x22.
Cut the white into 3 equal pieces about 15x 54.
Step Two: Make Header
Sew the white pieces together to create on long strip 15 inches tall by 162 inches long.
There should be enough leftover to make tabs for the top but after seeing how much easier our living curtains are to open with the rings I decided to use them in the dining room as well.
Step Three: Sew on Side Panels
Sew one blue panel to the right side of a green panel. Sew the remaining blue panel on the left side of the other green panel.
Step Four: Sew Header
Sew the white header strip across the top of one curtain panel. Cut off the remaining portion and use it for the other panel.
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| You should have two panels with the blue edges creating an outside border. |
Step Five: Hem all Sides
I used a small hem, maybe 1/2 inch, on the sides and bottom of the panels. I wanted the top to be a bit thicker since it was going in the clips so I made a wider hem, about 1 inch, double folded.
I decided to leave this set of curtains unlined because we don't usually have a problem with the extra light, we just needed something to give us a bit of privacy. Prior to this we just had the mini-blinds that were there when we moved in. We've recently moved a small cat tower near this window and wanted to get rid of the blinds to eliminate chances for them to be tangled in the blind cords.
Now you're ready to hang your curtains! I wanted to use a branch to tie in with the bird on a branch fabric so we save one that seemed about the right size. The plan was to spray paint it either white or silver and use it in place of a curtain rod. Here's a picture of the curtains with the branch before it got painted.
For the most part, it works but there are a few problems. First of all, it has a bit too much of a curve to it because it is hard to get the ends in the brackets without the middle being pressed to close to the wall. It is also a bit too big around at a few points making it impossible for the rings to slide the whole length. So now I'm trying to decide what I want to do with it.
I have several options:
1. Just give up and buy a curtain rod.
2. Find an entirely new stick that is thinner and straighter.
3. Cut and or sand this stick down in the necessary places until it works.
I lean towards and kind of 1, 3 combo. Buying a super cheap temporary rod to use while I modify our stick.
Gil hung out with me while I was sewing using the table and fabric draped over it as a doggy fort.
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