Blackout curtains - more cutting

Here are all the main panels cut and ready to sew.

Yesterday I cut the special blackout lining and today I will show you my plan for these curtains and how I cut all the new fabrics.

Since my son has a nice duvet cover with matching curtains from a previous apartment, it is my plan to take apart his old curtains and use as much of that fabric as I can so his duvet cover will still coordinate with the curtains.

I found a dark grey printed decorator cotton that looks perfect with the fabric from the old curtains for the extra fabric needed for the larger windows in his new apartment.

Here is my sketch for one of the three panels.  The main center part will be the new fabric and the top and side borders will be the old curtain fabric.  There are going to be tabs at the top, but I'm going to try a new way of attaching the tabs so they are in back of the top band so the curtain can extend 2 inches above the curtain rod to do a better job at blocking the sun and street lights.

I want to use the full width of the new fabric. It  is 45 1/2" wide but neither of the selvedges are usable.

On one side the printing doesn't start until almost 3/4 inch from the edge and on the other there are a bunch of very noticeable holes about 1/2 inch from the edge.  So, since I plan to use 1/2" seams, if I trim 1/2" off both selvedges those two flaws will end up in the seam allowance.  This will leave me with a 43 1/2" panel once the 1/2" seams are taken on both sides.

Before I cut the lengths from this new fabric I, again, measure the full piece to be sure I can get three equal pieces.  And, to cut these large panels, I use the same method as I did to cut the large lining pieces.

Joann's cut me, to the 1/32 th of an inch the 7 yards I ordered! No wiggle room there. Wish they would give a little extra like other stores.

I have 7 yards which means I can cut panels that are 72" long like the lining with an additional 6" for a double 3" hem. You can see that I am using the squared and evened off end of the fabric to help me cut the additional pieces.  Read yesterday's post for a full explanation.

Now I have to take apart the old curtains.  There are two panels with 11 tabs each which equals 22.  And now that I am making three panels that need 7 tabs, I can just re-use the old tabs.

To take apart the rest of the curtain, I cut along the seam to the upper band, but actually pick out the side hems, because I need the fabric as long as possible in that direction.

The old hem is faded from the sun, but I plan to put in a 3" double hem at the bottom of the new curtain, so this will be well hidden.

More measuring and math ... I determine the side panels need to be 8" x 78" to allow for a double 1" hem along the sides and the upper band that will have the tabs needs to be 6" x 56". Since I am making 3 panels, I will need 6 of each of these.

To cut two layers I pin them together, after drawing my cutting lines, to prevent slipping.

So now I've got a lot of sewing to do ... 


I will sew the main part of each of the curtains first with the blackout lining.  Then I will add on the upper band with all the tabs.  I have over estimated the length right now ... probably 3 or 4 inches.  Once the main part is all finished, I will measure them again, even up any discrepancies and cut them to the exactly length needed.


Wisdom from my mother "cut things larger than you need ... it can always be trimmed away later"


Will report back tomorrow.  I'm not going anywhere today.  It's COLD ... 5 degrees.  Now, I know I shouldn't complain.  It is much colder in other parts of the country, but 5 is still pretty cold.  A great sewing day.