Sewing Custom Curtains & Draperies

Class Preview

Sew decorator-quality curtains that add value and beauty to your home! Explore grommet, gathered and pleated styles — sure to flatter your windows.

Measuring & Choosing Fabric

Meet your instructor, custom drapery expert Susan Woodcock, and get a sneak peek at the gorgeous curtains you’ll make over the course of this class. You’ll get straight to work as you weigh the pros and cons of different fabric types and gain insight into Susan’s efficient and easy methods for measuring fabric.

Designing Curtains

Learn a variety of approaches for creating draperies as you learn about fullness and how to match complex or simple patterns in your fabric. Susan shares tips for determining the direction of your fabric and how to align repeated sections, in addition to sharing easy math equations that will help you determine the exact fullness you need. You’ll finish the lesson equipped to create a pair of matching, symmetrical draperies.

Making a Basic Panel

Sew alongside Susan as you begin work on your first basic panel. Start by cutting the fabric with neat, crisp lines before measuring your hems and employing professional hand-sewing methods to secure the sides and hems. Next, you’ll learn the best ways to add lining to the panel for curtains that hang beautifully, block light and insulate your home.

Grommet Curtains

Turn your finished panels into a chic, modern, grommet-style curtain set. Susan shares some of her favorite tricks of the trade as she demonstrates measuring the proper yardage for each window, and helps you evenly space your grommets. Next, you’ll cut out holes and fit the grommets before installing the curtain.

Gathered Curtain

Try your hand at a casual gathered curtain, with consideration to the extra fullness that’s needed for gathered fabric. Susan shows you how to use a shirring tape that provides an easy and consistent way to gather your fabric. Next, she demonstrates how to easily add drapery pins and hang your gorgeous curtain from a rod, wrapping the ends around the window frame for a sophisticated finish.

Pleated Curtains

Tackle a third treatment with beautiful pleats. Susan shows you how to work with multiple widths of fabrics and add interlining. Next, you’ll determine the placement and width of your pleats and spaces, drafting smaller or larger folds based on your preference and the size of your window.

Creating Pleats

Translate your pleated curtains from the page to your fabric as you apply the equations you learned in Lesson 6. Susan shows you how to measure, pin and sew your pleats with care, offering valuable troubleshooting tips along the way. You’ll learn a wide variety of styles, including French, Goblet, Euro, Butterfly and Cartridge pleats, and learn to install on both traverse and decorative rods. You’ll finish the class brimming with ideas for any window project in your home.