How to Make a Lined Curtain

Curtains can make as much of an impression from the outside of the house as from the inside. A lined curtain creates a crisp, attractive presentation, whether the curtains are partly or completely drawn together on the inside. With a little extra effort, your curtains will be just as attractive to passers-by as to anyone sitting in your living room.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper 

• Pencil
• Measuring tape 

• Medium-weight curtain fabric in yardage enough to cover your window span, plus 1 yard
• Medium- to lightweight lining fabric in a solid color, a bit lighter than the darkest element of your main fabric
• Iron 

• Ironing board
• Thread 

• Pins 

• Sewing needles 

• Sewing machine 


1. Calculate the size of the panels you'll need to cut from your main fabric. To do this, measure the width of your window frame and add 2 inches. Measure the height of your window frame. Decide how far you want the curtains to extend below the bottom sill. Measure that distance downward from the sill and add this measurement to your window frame height. Add 8 more inches to the length of your curtain.

2. Draw a sketch of one of your 2 curtains. Mark the measurements of the sides, top, and bottom. Draw a sketch of your lining for one of the 2 curtains. The length should measure the exact length of the curtain, including the length below the sill, but without the additional 8 inches in length on the main fabric. The width should measure the width of the curtain.

3. Iron your lining fabric and lay it on your cutting table. Fold the fabric in half with the wrong side facing you. Use your tape measure to mark the length and width of your curtain lining. Cut out 2 curtain lining pieces.

4. Iron your main curtain fabric and lay it on your cutting table. Fold it in half with the wrong side facing you. Cut out two panels according to your measurements. Place one of your main fabric panels aside.

5. Spread the other fabric panel out on the table, right side facing down. Place your lining fabric on top of the wrong side of the main fabric with the lining's right side facing up. Make sure that there's an equal amount of main fabric extending above and below the lining fabric. Pin the lining in place, then baste and remove pins.

6. From now on, treat the lining and the main fabric as one piece of fabric. Fold the sides over 1/2 inch and pin. Iron to form a sharp fold. Sew the seam down 1/8 of an inch from the raw edge of the fabric. Fold over another 1/2 of an inch and pin. Iron over this new fold and sew along the edge of your first fold.

7. Fold the bottom edge 1/4 of an inch and pin. Iron the fold and sew 1/8 of an inch from the raw edge. Fold the bottom upward 2 inches. Make sure the first fold covers the raw edge of the lining. Pin the first fold down and iron the new fold. Sew along the ¼ inch fold to finish the seam.

8. Complete the top seam the same way you did the bottom seam, without ironing your last fold. This top seam will form your rod pocket. Thread your rod through this sleeve to hang the curtain. Repeat from Step 5 to create a second curtain.