Did you know that it is surprisingly difficult to find curtains shorter than 60 inches? We have been needing curtains in our downstairs bathroom for a while now. The window overlooks our deck, so if people are playing outside you can make eye contact them while on the toilet. This makes a lot of our visitors uncomfortable so they end up going upstairs to use the bathroom. Well I put a stop to that. It took me weeks to finally decide on a curtain...a navy blue thermal curtain to keep the warm air from escaping the drafty window. But as soon as I bought it I was having second thoughts; I worried it would make the room terribly dark, and it was too boring and didn't really go with octopus theme that the room sort of randomly acquired. So when my husband went to install the curtain and we realized that it would completely cover the toilet paper holder, I was relieved to have a second chance at selecting a curtain (and that I should pay more attention to measurements). That's when I realized there were no short curtains, never-mind ones that I like. So I decided to make some. I preordered this fantastic octopus fabric from Etsy for a great price. I only needed two yards of fabric for our window (and there was some leftover which I will use for some little projects I'm sure!).
I didn't use a pattern to make the curtains, I just kind of went for it. I cut out two large pieces of fabric with a couple inches of seam allowance in length and width. With some of the left overs, I cut out strips that I would use to attach hang the curtain from the rod. I wanted to make sure no messy edges were visible so I fold them in such a way that the ends were all tucked in and the fabric width was still maximized (double folding one end and having it overlap the other end).
I sewed the sides of the curtain first by folding the edges in a quarter of in inch, then folding over again a half an inch, ironing it, and pinning in place.
Next I double folded over the top of the curtain and iron the hem into place. But before pinning, I arranged my fabric loops across the top so that I wouln't have to sew them on separately. I folded them in half and fold the top of the two bottom edges over so no raw edges were visible. Then I pinned everything down.
I found that it was best to sew two rows of stitching across the top to make sure all the loops were secure and that the edges wouldn't come undone. I checked the length of the curtains by holding them in place over the window before I double folded the bottom edge, ironed, pinned, end sewed them to complete the curtains.
It only took a few hours to do everything. I wasn't especially careful about measuring seams and the placement of the loops because I have a pretty good eye for distance. I imagine that would add a bit of time but I would suggest that to anyone who isn't very confident in eyeing distance because you don't want your curtains to be uneven!
I'm quite please with how they came out. Not only does it give us some needed privacy for that room, but it adds a little bit of color and ties the rest of the room together. I am also please with how the light is still able to pass through the fabric so that the room still feels bright and cheery. I am in the habit of staring at and over-analyzing projects after I complete them. My husband gets a kick out of it and snapped a photo of me admiring my curtains for the fifth time after hanging them.
I feel inspired to make some for the 6 windows in our living rooms now. How about you?!
