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Dear friends, I hope you’re well! It’s been a while since our last chat, but I’m still here, thinking of you. Today’s design story is driven less by aesthetics and more by practicality, and my desire to show off 🙂 I love making pretty things but when these things turn out to be practical as well, I’m twice as tempted to share the outcome, hoping it will inspire some of you to try something similar in your home.
For a couple of years now I’ve held on to several yards of blue and white plaid chenille, as I couldn’t decide where and how to use the fabric in our home. Last year I was tempted to make slips for an armchair but I’m glad I resisted the urge because this meant I had just enough yardage to make a pair of floor-length, lined curtains for the family room French doors.
Playing around with the fabric, figuring out the proper length and type of heading for each panel…
The glass doors in the family room let in plenty of natural light, which I love, but during the colder months there’s also a need to keep the room warm and cozy, especially at night.
Thermal curtains are a great way to prepare homes for winter and insulate drafty windows and doorways so, when JoAnn had a sale on all of their fabrics, including their Thermafoam insulating linings, I bought five yards and paired them with my existing chenille.
To construct the panels, I referred back to Gemma Moulton’s Create Academy class, which I took in the Spring of 2022. The process was incredibly smooth and straight-forward, and I ended up enjoying every minute of it, so much so that I have plans to repeat the curtain-making process for other rooms in our home.
The finished panels have a warm, blanket feel to them and the heavy lining adds a lovely weight which makes them drape well, without the need to over-press. And once the curtains went up, they instantly gave the room a cozier look. We also close them at night and I’ve already noticed a difference in the room’s temperature the next day.
For those of you who are interested:
1. The fabric is called Campbell Blue Moon by R Kaufman, linked here.
2. If you’d like to learn how to make professional-looking curtains, I highly recommend Gemma Moulton’s Create Academy course, which takes you through the entire process in great detail – from measuring your windows and choosing your fabric, to constructing each panel either on a sewing machine or by hand. As always, all Café Design readers get a 15% discount on this and all Create Academy classes, using the promo code cafedesign15.
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your week!
So very pretty! What type of heading is on the curtains?
Love reading your posts!
Author
Thank you, Diana! You are very kind!
I had initially wanted a cottage style pleat but ended up doing a loose version of a pencil pleat instead.
The curtains look beautiful. Great job.
Author
Thank you, Patricia!
Perfect! Adds to your warm, cozy, welcoming feel for winter months. Thank you for sharing.
Author
Thank you so much, Lynn! Glad you like them!
I am so impressed! They are beautiful. You should be very proud. Always love following along on your design adventures.
Author
Thank you so much, Betsy! I can’t take all the credit, Gemma’s class is such a great resource – I’d made curtains before, but never this way.
Great job! They are perfect in your room. I really like your style and the way you pull things together.
Happy Holidays.
Karen B.
Author
Thank you so much, Karen, I appreciate it!
Happy Holidays!
Curious to know where you found your fabric? It looks awesome in your room. Thanks for sharing 😊
Author
Thanks Kris! I bought the fabric several years ago, from Amazon, but you can also find it on House Fabric, link below. Hope this helps! 🙂
https://www.housefabric.com/Campbell-Blue-Moon-Chenille-Plaid-P245630?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAj_CrBhD-ARIsAIiMxT-HlVlegNVJkO57LwjB5pN4Xe7ZeUnbqSXaGOxnCgGX12JztbBQCLAaAqF6EALw_wcB
Thank you so much 😊
Nice job on the curtains. Will you be doing a tree this year?
Author
Thanks, Judy! Yes, our tree’s been up since Thanksgiving and will probably stay that way until February 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Gemma Moulton’s Create Academy class seems like a game-changer for anyone looking to craft professional-looking curtains. I’ve personally benefited from similar DIY ideas , making home projects more affordable. Have you explored other home improvement courses or resources that you found particularly helpful?