flatpaneldrapery.pdf

OK, our no-sew section has several no sew window toppers available to you, so now you need to be able to make draperies for underneath if you like.  Flat panel draperies are basically rectangles of fabric with hems along all four sides.  Generally, you make them the width of the fabric as you purchase it to make the panels even easier than the toppers!

Materials List:

• Fabric of your choice
• Iron on hem tape
• Scissors
• Pins
• Iron and ironing board
• Ironing cloth
• Measuring tape
• Rod with ring clips

Instructions:
1. To make a plain flat panel drapery, put up your rod and ring clips and then measure the length you want for the drapery.  Measure from the inside of the clip to ½” above the floor for floor length draperies.

2. Next, determine what size to cut the fabric. The cut length is the length you want to drapery to be plus 4” at the top for a header and 8” at the bottom for a hem, so add 12” to your measurement.  As for width, I generally use the entire width of the fabric as it comes after cutting off the selvage edge. 

3. Remember the iron on hem tape I showed you to make the rod pocket for the flat panel topper?  Well now you are going to use it to create side hems of about 1” turned under twice. (After removing the selvages.) Insert the hem tape and iron away!

4. Do both side hems first, then turn your top header over 2” twice and iron it down with the hem tape.  Make sure to read the instructions carefully on the iron on hem tape.  Some hem tapes require using an ironing cloth while ironing. The white cloth you see is an old pillow case I use as an ironing cloth.

 5. Last create the bottom hem.  Here is where you can make any adjustments if you maybe turned over a bit too much or too little at the top.  Just measure your length again and whatever amount of fabric is left, just turn it under twice to meet your final length and hold it in place with the hem tape.

6. Clip the header to the ring clips and you’ve just made a no-sew drapery! 

Now you may notice that you can see the light through the drapery panel fairly easily and the fabric looks dark where it overlaps the wall and trim.  To improve on this, you would need to line your draperies with lining fabric and simply cut two panel the same size and bond them together with iron on hem tape all the way around.

This last panel is simply longer than the measurement from the clips to the floor, so the top can fold over and create a built in valance which adds some contrast and detail.  This is just two extra long panels with the side hems, Header, and bottom hem folded over once and iron on hem tape in between them holding the two panels together all the way around the edges.
One month you can have a criss-cross ribbon pattern – the next month – a mini floral print!

So no more excuses for bare windows – now you know that even someone who can’t sew can have beautiful designer window coverings!

Shari

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