Blackout curtains - planning

Maybe "blackout" is too strong of a word, but I am about to start making curtains for the bedroom in my son's new apartment that will block out as much light as possible. He has bright street lights shining in and because he often works very late at night the sunlight in the morning has been making it difficult for him to get enough sleep in the morning.


All there is right now are those very thin plastic Venetian blind which let in tons of light.

Here is my role of special drapery lining fabric designed just for that purpose. It is made by Roc-Lon and this is what Joann's website says about it ...

The Roc-Lon Budget Blackout Drapery Lining drapes beautifully into soft folds. Lightweight and easy to work with, this blackout is made from 70 percent polyester and 30 percent cotton. It's designed with a built-in sound barrier, which muffles disturbing noises to give you a peaceful working space. Ideal for schools, hospitals, hotels, offices, this drapery lining is easy to maintain and dry-cleanable.

• Brand: Roc-Lon
• Conforms to NFPA-701 standards
• Dimensions: 54 inches wide
• Composition: 70% polyester and 30% cotton
• Care: Dry clean only
• Sold by the yard
• 3-Pass 100% Blackout
• Edge-to-edge
• Insulates
• Muffles sound
• A lighter weight, economical version
• Made in USA

WOW ... I didn't realize it is supposed to muffle sound as well.  All to the good.

These are the measurements I took.  There are three very tall windows (72" tall) side by side that make a curved bay window. The center window is a little wider that the other two, but I think I'm going to make all three curtains the same ... easier for me and less confusing when hanging them.

I plan to use fabric from these curtains I made for a previous apartment. He has a duvet cover that matches ... BUT ... He now needs three curtains and there are only two of these. Plus these new windows are much larger ... I need some more fabric.

He and I talked about mixing in a color, dark red or navy blue, but I could sense he wasn't so sure he would like that.

So, here is what I found while shopping for Halloween costume fabrics.

It is a dark grey on grey printed linen look ... perfect!  I think I will make the main part of the curtains with this new fabric and the boarder with the fabric from the older curtains.

He is so desperate for these.  I told him I would have them finished on Wednesday, his next day off.

Come back Monday to see how far I get over the weekend.