Classics never go out of style, and anotherFrench curtains on the windows are a proof of this. They will effectively decorate an apartment or house, giving the room charm, aristocracy, elegance. "The eyes of the house", as windows are poetically called in Russia and France, will really be transformed in this way. It is not so difficult to make French curtains with your own hands if you follow the steps step by step.
Types of French curtains.There are several types of these decorative items, but it is better to start with those that require minimal time and skills. Beginners are usually advised to choose simple models and gradually move on to more complex ones. The first thing you need to understand is the calculation of fabric for the curtain, because it will be very disappointing if there is not enough ten centimeters of fabric to make the thing.
From a light fabric with the help of the simplest calculations
Sometimes French curtains are confused with Austrian ones.There is a significant difference between the items. The former can be combined with lambrequins and curtains. French curtains can be of any length, but the most popular is the one that reaches the floor. And French items have festoons across the entire surface of the fabric. There are various methods for calculating the amount of fabric needed for sewing. You can use a special table for curtain cutters (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Table for curtain cutters.It is quite easy to calculate the number of festoons and the distance between them, based on the width of the curtain fabric. But there is another option: measure the length and height of the window opening, multiply each value by 2. This way, the width and height of the fabric needed for the curtain will be determined by simple calculation. It is better not to sew your first curtains with your own hands from expensive materials. Moreover, one of the advantages of things made for the interior decoration of a house in the French style is their sophistication. Even if the product is made of inexpensive material, it will look presentable. There is a simple technology for creating such an effective decor. You will need the following materials and tools:
- wooden cornice;
- dense material for its decoration;
- the cloth;
- braid;
- tape;
- Nails for fixing the cornice;
- hooks for fabric;
- rings made of plastic or metal;
- cord - best made of nylon;
- fasteners;
- lift handle;
- paper;
- scissors;
- Ruler;
- a simple pencil;
- a piece of chalk;
- thread;
- needle;
- pins;
- iron.
Tools for sewing French curtains.First of all, it is necessary to prepare a pattern for the curtain, you can also make a sketch with preliminary marking of the parameters of the fabric to scale. When calculating the length of the curtain, you need to add about 10 cm for the side seams. Less fabric will be needed for the hem. The addition to it is usually 2-3 cm. If the fabric chosen for the item is thick, it makes sense to add another 1 cm for the hem. The pattern parameters are transferred to the material. It is cut out. If you need to make large French curtains, pins are used to prevent the fabric from slipping during cutting. After cutting, you can immediately begin to assemble the item. First of all, you need to iron the side edges. To do this, step back 3 cm from the sides. Turn the ironed edges and start cutting the tape. At first glance, the second task seems simple, because it is enough to measure the tape and divide it with scissors into equal segments. But you should immediately take into account: if the tape, like the fabric, is calculated incorrectly, you will not be able to make high-quality French curtains with your own hands. The length of the tape directly depends on the parameters of the fabric, but it is best to measure it with a reserve - add 5% of the required value and add another 3 cm to it for each segment (for hemming). For sewing work, it is better to buy a three-cord tape. It is always attached to the back side of the fabric.
Pattern of French curtain.French curtains can have almost any number and size of festoons. To correctly calculate their number, it is necessary to take into account the texture of the fabric, its color, the interior style of the room where you plan to place French curtains. Beginner craftswomen should not strive to immediately create things with the maximum number of festoons. The best option would be if the experimental model has 5 festoons per 3 meters of fabric width. Return to contents</a>
How much to retreat, how to sew and where to pull?
The next step after securing the cord isinstallation of rings. Modern fittings are made of metal and plastic. The first material is considered more durable, but for light curtains it is better to choose plastic. The places of attachment of the rings should be marked with chalk, a simple pencil or pins. There is a common mistake among novice craftsmen: the rings that are at the bottom of the canvas are lowered too low. Correctly positioned lower rings of a French curtain will always be 5 cm higher than its edge. Another mistake is too large or small a distance between the rings, or rather - between their rows. The optimal option is a gap of 30 cm. It is also important to correctly measure the distance between the upper rings and the tape. The standard option is 12 cm - this is how much you need to retreat from the upper edge of the canvas before you start sewing on the upper row of fittings.
French curtains are perfect forclassic interior with antique furniture. The process of attaching the rings themselves to the French curtains is also important. It is correct to attach the rings with just a few stitches, making only two knots on the thread. After sewing on all the rings, proceed to pulling the cords out of the tape. It is imperative to monitor the uniformity of the folds during this operation and adjust it. As soon as the French curtains become the length necessary for the window, they need to be fixed. To perform this operation, the cords are secured at the top edge and carefully tied together. The size of the border should be equal to the length of the cornice. To prevent the cord knots from unfastening too much, it is necessary to take measures: the knots are tied as close to the curtain fabric as possible - and the problem is solved. All that remains is to cut off the excess cord sections and proceed to the next stage of work - installation of the product. Return to contents</a>
Sew decorations on the "eyes of the house" in the French style
Classic French curtains are impossibleimagine without a cornice covered with thick fabric, the better the quality of the materials used for this operation, the more expensive the thing. The same tape with which the canvas was mounted is also perfect for covering the cornice, only the cords must be pulled out of it. Hooks are sewn onto the tape covering the cornice, then French curtains are attached to them. After this, another tape must be attached to the gathering tape. Then the curtain is leveled and mounted on the cornice. Hooks attached to the canvas are screwed into the cornice beam. From the bottom up, the cords are pulled through the rings at the same time and the edges of those cords that are fixed at the top of the canvas are passed through the rings. All ends of the cords are brought to one side and pulled together so that the folds, which are the most important component of French curtains, are uniform. Return to contents</a>
A few finishing touches
And now the final touches remain:The curtain rod is installed above the window. If you remove the ribbons holding the French curtains, the fabric will go down. But first, you need to adjust the tension so that the thing is comfortable to use and lasts a long time. The cords are tied into a knot. There is an important nuance here: the knot is tied so that it falls on the last hook. The cords are passed through the lifting handle, step back 46 cm from the first knot and tie another key knot of the curtains. The fastener is necessary to fix the desired position of the canvas. To accomplish this task, the cord is wrapped around it. Only after this, the curtain is considered completely fixed. Curtains sewn using French technology are a magnificent decoration in themselves, but they can be given an even more elegant look if you take care of the decoration of the product. One of the options for decorating curtains is light rhinestones attached to their edge, they will create a play of light in the room. An equally interesting move is a lambrequin made of contrasting or plain fabric. This combination of decorative items will look especially stylish in the living room. If there is some fabric left after making the curtains, this is a great option to transform familiar interior items. For example, you can make a pillow decorated with festoons for the sofa, and a decorative napkin for the coffee table. Even a familiar blanket will change if its edging is done in the same color scheme as the curtains.</ ul>
