Tutorial: Living Room Window Treatments…
In “Our House” I’ve been working on lightening up the living room color scheme. I showed you how I changed the covering on the Pottery Barn bench ottoman and now it’s time to show you how I made the window treatments.
I purchased the fabric from Ballard Designs, it’s a printed linen type, (not sure if it’s actually linen, or just looks and feels like it).
For the style, I wanted a playful, sort of French styled window treatment.
So the valances I designed to make, have pleats with a fabric covered button detail, as well as two coordinating types of trim. The trim detail worked out to be a good way to bring just a hint of darker color up on the windows. Even though I’m ‘lightening’ it up in the living room, dark elements will remain, so I must meld the light with dark accents to make it look like a plan.
Here are the steps I did in making these valances:
First, I had to determine the finished length and width of the valances. (I was working with 4 windows: two small and two large) then I needed to determine how much extra would be needed for making the pleats. To make the pleats in the valances, I used this super easy ‘pleater tape’, it has little pockets that you slip the pleater hooks in, like you see here in this picture.
Here you see how I got an exact measurement for each window. With the finished valance width on the tape measure, I pleated the tape, then undid the pleats and measured how much tape I used to get the finished width, that told me exactly how wide to make the valances, allowing for the gathering needs of the pleats. (That way when I re-pleated them when they were all sewn together, they’d fit perfect on the rods, or so I hoped.)
(I won’t bore you with all the details, but I worked it out on paper, drawing up my pattern etc. if you have questions figuring yours, ask me and I’d be glad to help you.)
Then with that information and knowing what the pattern repeat of the fabric was, I could order my fabric….Whew! Finally…
Once the fabric came, and I had all my supplies: drapery pleater tape, drapery pleater hooks, button forms for making custom fabric covered buttons, and 2 trims, which I purchased at JoAnn Etc. I could start constructing…and a straight line is crucial. The first cut is the hardest, the rest are simple. So take your time and be tedious about being sure the pattern is absolutely even across.
This fabric had a straight across match, so I could simply lay the first panel, that I so carefully measured and cut, right on top of the fabric to be sure the following 7 panels I needed to complete the valances would all be exactly the same.
For the front of the valances I added this trim detail in between the top header and main body of the valance. Here I’m starting to pin the 3 layers together to sew them.
For sewing these layers together I switched to a zipper foot and put my needle all the way to the left, so the stitches would be super close to the cording, leaving the flange part of the trim in the seam allowance.
After I sewed the cording between the top header and the main body of the valance, and had the pleater tape sewed to the lining, (I determined where the placement of the tape on the lining should be by how far from the top I wanted the hooks to be) I then pinned the front of the valance to the back lining.
I left an opening on the bottom edge to turn the finished valance right side out; I put double pins at both ends of the opening to be sure that I didn’t sew it shut.
After the front and back were sewn together, I clipped the corners and turned it right side out.
After the valances were pressed, (I pressed in the raw edges from the opening I left to turn it right side out, and stitched it shut when I sewed on this fringe) I pinned on the ball tassel fringe.
I also topstitched the pleater tape bottom edge to the face of the valance fabric right in the seam of the cording trim, without this step, the pleats won’t pleat the front of the fabric.
The fringe is dark and the lining is light, so I put in light bobbin thread and dark brown top thread in my sewing machine, so both top and bottom stitches would be hidden.
Then I put the hooks back in the pleater tape, carefully placing them where I wanted the pleats to be located.
This shows you the front of the pleat with the hook in before I stitched it and put the button on it.
Last step is hand stitching the pleats tightly together and adding a fabric covered button on each pleat.
Here’s one done and hung up on the existing rods. I’ll give you a better view of them when they’re all done and up, in a couple days…now back to sewing…
Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner
Follow My Blog!
Yay!! I’ve been featured:
I’m linking up at these great parties:
http://todayscreativeblog.net/craft-blogs/
http://lilluna.com/lil-luna-link-party-66/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2012/02/show-and-tell-22.html
http://www.betweenuandme.com/2012/02/29/crazy-cute-link-party-40/
http://whipperberry.com/2012/03/friday-flair-2.html
‘My entry into Fingerprints on the Fridge’s Feature Yourself Friday, sponsored by Appliances Online and Bosch Washing Machines’ (add a link to your party too!)
Posted on February 23, 2012, in DIY - Crafts - Floral, Living Room, Our House, Window Treatments and tagged fabric, pleats, sewing, valances. Bookmark the permalink. 34 Comments.
Oh my gosh. Is there anything you can’t do? You are amazing at what you can create, design and do! Beautiful!
Love valance and tutorial! Thank you for sharing your creativity at Potpourri Friday!
Absolutely beautiful! I love the pleats with the button. And that fabric is dreamy.
These look amazing!!! great tutorial!! thank you for linking up to Uncommon!
Bonnie
that really looks nice~and I make window treatments for a living!
I’ll take that as a real compliment then, thank you!
Beautiful window treatment – well done!
These look awesome great job!
It’s gorgeous! I love the fabric you selected.
That valance is beautiful. Gotta love pleater tape. Thanks for sharing at DIYbyDesign.
This looks wonderful. You make it look so easy.
These are GORGEOUS! Thanks for the explanation!!! XO, Aimee
Beautiful window treatments! Thanks for sharing at Simply Klassic Sunday!
Wow you are a great seamstress and a great teacher. Thank you for sharing.
Becky
Thank you for sharing this tutorial – it’s great.
Love for you to share it at my “Made by ME” Linky Party Wednesdays
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2012/02/made-by-me-20-linky-party.html
I’m loving paisley this season, the fabric is gorgeous! I love the little pleats- it really ads some nice depth!
These are so pretty I had to pin them!
I love the pleats! I need to make a curtain for my kitchen and this is a serious contender. Thanks for the great tutorial
So very beauty, I really like the fabric and the pinch pleated design of the valance. You also gave a really great tutorial! Excited to see the reveal! Thanks for sharing all your creative inspiration at Sunday’s Best Par.tay!
I love these so much, I can’t even express
I’ve been looking for the perfect valence for my bathroom, so I’m so thrilled to have come across this! Now following through Linky! Have a great week!
Well that’s just wonderful! thank you.
These are beautiful! I love the pom pom fringe! I also love your covered buttons! I’m horrible at making covered buttons so I’m always so impressed when someone has used them! Have a wonderful week!
You are one talented lady!! Love that fabric…I have my eye on something similar for my living room. Can’t wait to see the curtains all finished.
Sharon @ mrs. hines class
Gorgeous valance…..the tutorial was amazing!
These are beautiful! Nice job!!!
Awesome Tutorial!!!
If you have a few minutes, I would love it if you shared it on my blog:
http://thediydreamer.blogspot.com/2012/02/from-dream-to-reality-linky-party-4.html
Very pretty. I too just made a valance for my dining room bay window with Ballard Designs fabric. I have enough left over that I think I am going to make one to match for my kitchen window too.
These are so cute! I love pompoms. Thanks for sharing! Wish I could sew!
you had me at “I purchased the fabric”…..
Great turtorial. I wish I could sew!!
Thank you very much! Anxious to give this a try in the near future! They are absolutely adorable!
Thank you! You are so kind.
Pingback: DIY Shower Curtain From Leftovers! « decoratewithalittlebit
Pingback: Lightening up the Living Room: How about the Popular Table? « decoratewithalittlebit