cushions and curtains

Hey all, recently looked at getting curtains made (ready made are not an option due to the sizes of the windows really). the prices nearly knocked me over. I also was pricing cushions for the couch.

so here is the question: has anyone made their own and cut out that cost? I do have a sewing machine which i can borrow for the forseeable future and a very general idea how to use it (school days finally coming in handy).
Was it worth it?

Know what you mean. The trouble is the material and things to make the curtains costs so much you wonder how they make the ready made ones so cheap. It really depends on the breakdown - is the price of the curtians very expensive because of the material? if thats the case it may not save you a lot to make your own when you calculate in the time, effort and frustration. Also if you are paying alot for the material and mess it up you'll be kicking yourself. i've made my own and although they look quite ok they wouldn't stand up to close scrutiny. I'm quite aware of the faults and if you've paid alot for the material in the first place it might irk that they are not done as perfectly as you might like - no reflection on your skills - i just find these things are harder than they look on the housey programs.

I'm presuming your windows are bigger than the standard sizes. if smaller i'd suggest buying readymade and altering - i find this alot easier and cheaper. Also some of the ready made one can be very generous in terms of material and if your window is only slightly wider you could get away with them. If the labour cost of making the curtains is very expensive and you feel reasonably competent have a go. Better still try and get somebody to help. Its really a personal choice but i'd look at the cost of the labour rather than the overall price because you'll still have to buy the materials.

Make your curtains and linings seperately making sure that if you have patterned material for your curtains that you allow extra material for matching. This way you can save on dry cleaning too because you can wash the linings yourself, that of course is if your curtain fabric is dry clean only.

Hi Nelly,

Have you had a look at the search result on curtains from AAM.

Have made quite a few curtains in my day and its certainly not an easy task. You really need to know a lot about the material i.e. is it hard to sew on, work with etc.

Unlike Rose I didn't find the separate lining to be a good idea. It does not sit as well as the lining attached to the curtain. As the cost of getting curtains cleaned these days is dreadful IMHO it is best if at all possible to buy washable. Harry Corry, Linens and Lace, Roches, Dunnes, Arnotts all spring to mind for purchasing/ordering. This advice from Hickey's might be useful.

nelly said:

Hey all, recently looked at getting curtains made (ready made are not an option due to the sizes of the windows really). the prices nearly knocked me over. I also was pricing cushions for the couch.

so here is the question: has anyone made their own and cut out that cost? I do have a sewing machine which i can borrow for the forseeable future and a very general idea how to use it (school days finally coming in handy).
Was it worth it?

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If you're not experienced at sewing it is too big a job to take on. Arnotts Bargain Shop has a big selection of ready mades all different sizes. I haven't ever got them but you could add contrast trimmings to the plain ones and do something like to ring the changes to liven them up if they need that.