Making Window Quilts
During the winter months, many homes develop a chill even without drafts coming into the rooms. A surprising amount of heat can be lost through windows in the northern climates, despite insulated double-pane windows and professional caulking. Take a lesson from our ancestors and modern-day homesteaders and create a set of window quilts to block out the worst of your heat loss. These insulating window covers can be frugally created from quilted fabric or recycled torn quilts and will help to keep a room cozy, saving heating costs while decorating your walls.
Things You'll Need
- Quilts or quilted fabric
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Velcro strips
- Tacks
- Hammer
Instructions
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1
Measure the size of your window opening and add 3 inches in each direction. This will be the dimensions of the quilt piece that you will cut out.
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2
Cut out a piece of quilted fabric in the size that you calculated. If you are using an old worn quilt to recycled it into another object, make sure to cut out your window piece in a spot without holes or thin spots.
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3
Fold each edge of the quilt fabric toward the back, making a 1/2 inch fold. Pin these edges to hold them, then sew them down, stitching close to the fold.
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4
Fold the quilt fabric edges back another 1/2 inch, and pin them in place. Sew these edges closed, sewing right along the first stitching line. You will now have a quilted piece with four hemmed edges.
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5
Measure the length of your finished quilted piece. Cut two pieces of sticky-back velcro to this length. Measure the width of your finished piece and cut two velcro pieces this size.
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6
Peel off the backing of one side of the velcro strips and apply them to the back of the quilted piece, right inside the hem. Remove the backing from all four strips after they have all been applied to the quilt.
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7
Push the quilt up over the window, making sure that the window opening is completely covered and all four pieces of velcro are at equal distances to the opening. Gently pull the velcro apart, leaving one half still on the quilt and the other half on the wall.
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8
Stitch the velcro strips down on the quilt, back stitching on each edge to help ensure that the strips won't pull loose with use. Hammer one tack into the strips on the wall for every 6 inches.
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9
Hang the window quilt so that it completely covers the window opening at night. If you would like more light coming in during the day, loosen the bottom half of the quilt and bring the bottom edge up toward the middle of the window. Press the bottom of the side velcro onto the middle of the side velcro on the wall. Your quilt will still stay up, but the bottom of the window opening will be uncovered.
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References
- Photo Credit window image by Cathy Kovarik from Fotolia.com
