Project Write-up: Simple Cotton Cafe Curtains

Goals

After three months in our new home with quilts for curtains, it was high time to get crafty.  I like the look of half-cafe curtains and the kitchen windows are at the perfect height for them.  We can enjoy privacy and natural light at the same time.

My new curtains needed to fit a specific criteria:

• Cotton for washability
• Inexpensive
• Colors to match the walls and my Pyrex collection
• Cute!

Steps

When selecting the fabric I chose a cotton broadcloth which is inexpensive (compared to home decor fabric) and washable. The cute print had all of my favorite colors: Gray, orange, and chartreuse.

For simplicity, each of the panels use the full 45″ width of fabric even though the windows were 23, 27, and 31 inches wide.  The 23″ windows just have a little more gather.

Here’s how to make your Simple Cotton Cafe Curtains:

When selecting your fabric, choose a design that runs along the bolt.  My fabric had pet, home, and bird motifs so the direction was important.

To figure yardage needed, measure the height of each window, plus a 4″ hem for each panel.

 

 Sew all of the side hems in place.  I used Bernicy instead of the Green Machine and Pink Cadillac for this project because the modern needle position feature was handy.  I followed the hem with the center of my presser foot and sewed with the needle “3 clicks” to the right.

 Fold the top and bottom hems up 1/4″, then again 1 1/2″.

 Stitch in place.

 Evenly space 7 drapery hooks across the top hem. Insert the hook through the hem without punching through to the front of the curtain. Remember to check the direction of your fabric.