How to Make the Perfect Voile Curtains

Match and join fabric widths by over locking or French seam

Make sure the top is level especially if patterned and sew in with buckram using a foot’s width allowance

Trim off any excess fabric

Lockstitch down sides double 1 inch (Blind hem if requested)

Turn the buckram down onto the wrong side of the fabric and sew the buckram down on the edges

Pin all the way along the bottom of the buckram to hold it in place for measuring

Measure curtains leaving enough fabric for hem which is double 2 inches

Cut off excess fabric

Measure and turn up the hem 4 inches then fold down 2 inches and either blind hem or lockstitch down

Thread in chain weight through hem and pin in both ends and sew onto hem lockstitch down both ends

For the heading use the same make up as lined curtains

How to make a pair of Pinch Pleat Curtains

Cut to the drop + 20cm cutting to the pattern repeat
Join widths pattern match where possible
Blind hem the face cloth with double 7cm hems
Join widths and lockstitch hem on to lining double 5cm hems
Place lining on top of the face cloth and measure 6 inches from the outer edge of the face inwards and trim off. This will give you your turnings either side of 1.5 inches.
Pin in the lining 1.5 inches up from the bottom of the blind hem on the face cloth
Over lock in the sides adding a weigh to the bottom hem. If there are any join you will need a weight there too
Making sure you have equal turnings either side lockstitch 5 inch buckram to the top using 3cm allowance of fabric
Turn the curtains through and poke out the corners at the top and press
Fold curtain in half and measure x by 2 – Gather size divide by the amount of pinches (usually 5 per width this will give you the size of your pinches. This should fall between 16 – 18cm)
To get the size of your spaces take gather size and divide by the amount of space you need and this will give you your space size. Please look at the formula below

Formula for working out pinches and spaces

Width of curtain Gather Amount of pinches Size of pinches

210 - 80 divide 7 = 18.6

Gather Spaces Size of Spaces

80 divide 8 = 10

Lockstitch in the pleats to the size of the buckram
Press sides and mitre the corners then slip stitch
Press curtains and joins
Pinch up the pleats either two pleats or three and hand sew in the pleats at the bottom
Measure down the pleat 4cm and put in pin hook
Cut off all ends
Examine curtains

Patterned Curtains