For Katie

Katie, who is currently remodeling one room in her house as a nursery asked about curtains for the room. I started to comment on her blog, but then the comment began to take on gargantuan proportions so I decided to just post it here. Those of you who don't care about curtains should stop reading here.

You've got a quite a few options for your draperies Katie. You eliminated the simply decorative types (which I totally agree with, I think that would be silly) and opted for actual functioning ones.

Option 1 - Rod pocket. These are some of the simplest to make as it can be as easy as sewing a large hem on the top and slipping that pocket over the curtain rod (add an extra seam above the rod pocket and you have instant ruffles on top). You can either make one large panel to fit across the whole window, or a pair one for each side of the window. The down side? They usually don't slide very well across the rod and you may need a lot of material to make the fullness look right.

Rod Pocket

Rod Pocket with ruffle

Option 2 - Flat panel. These are also relatively easy to make and are similar to the rod pocket draperies. The only real difference is that instead of attaching to the rod by a channel sewn in, these attach to the rod by means of a ring (very much like a shower curtain). This ring can be a grommet in the drapery itself or something that extends above the top. Again, these can be made as one long panel or two smaller sides. The down side? A little more complicated to make than a rod pocket and you may need a lot of material to get the fullness. If you use the grommet option that is also another added difficulty. I've never been very good at them and it usually causes me a disproportionate amount of frustration. Rings are available in both sew-in and clip-on varieties.

Rings
Grommets as rings

Option 3 - Tab Top. A close cousin to the flat panel. The only real difference is that instead of some foreign material to attach it to the rod (metal or plastic ring) fabric is used. This fabric tab can be wide or narrow, or even simply tie over the top of the rod. Again, these can be made as one long panel or two smaller sides. These were traditionally meant to be stationary draperies. The down side? A little more complicated to make than rod pocket and like the rod pocket these also tend not to slide easily over the rod, and you may need a lot of material to get the fullness.

Wide tabs

Tie tabs

Option 4 - Pinch pleated draperies. My personal favorite, probably because this is what we had growing up. These are the kind I just made for our bedroom (with that awesome light blocking lining). These are a lot more complicated to make, but not crazy hard, they just seem hard in comparison because the others are simple. They also require some specific hardware (available at Joann, and Fields etc) in the form of pleater tape and pleater hooks. They can be either one wide panel or two side panels and can either be put onto a transverse curtain rod or be but over a curtain rod with rings (I used the center pull transverse rod - purchased from Kmart). Reasons I like these so much? One: you don't have to fiddle with them to have them look full. The pleats almost guarantee the correct placement of material whereas on the others to get them to look like they do in the pictures you have to sit there and play with them to create the look each time you move them. Two: on the transverse rod they both go around the corner to meet with the wall and completely cover the curtain rod, thus blocking out more light etc. The down side? As I mentioned they are more difficult to make, you need more hardware/installation, and you may need a lot of material to get the fullness.

Pinch pleated draperies

Pinch pleats with rings

Close up of pinch pleats

Around the corner

Then of course you have to decide on length. You can go to the sill (so the bottom hem rests just above the sill), to the bottom of the apron (so the hem covers the bottom of the wooden apron below the sill, to the floor, or puddling on the floor. That is totally personal preference.

If you noticed a trend in the down side portion of each one, good eye. Most people underestimate how much material goes into draperies. This is why when you go to Target or someplace to buy them, they look like a good deal...at first. Then you read the package closer (I hope) and it ends up telling you that for the picture they used 4 or even 6 panels. So multiply each panel/package as they are usually sold individually and you are looking at a lot of money. To get the traditional fullness of a drapery you are generally looking at 2.5 to 3 times the width of the window. I used 2.5 because of cost, if I could have I would definitely have gone with 3. Of course the solution is to make a truly flat panel (one that has no fullness when closed), these often look very sleek and no frills-ish. Another solution to this problem is the one I used in our house in Grand Rapids.

Option 5- Roman Shades. These are most appropriate for windows that are taller than wide and I can't remember what you have in that room, so they might not be the best option. They are great because of the small amount of fabric and the sleek look. The ones I made were completely housed inside the window frame so there was no rod to install, but you can also make them so they fit over a rod. I used the light blocking lining there as well (we had a halogen street light directly outside our window). The construction is a little more complicated, about the same as pinch pleated drapes and requires some power tools (staple gun mostly). The down side? The aren't for all window types, you need to take down any blinds already in the window, and most of these work on a string pull system which means you will need to put up a cord cleat or some other means of protecting Baby Baker from the strings.

Inside the window frame

Over a rod

So there you have it, way too much information about draperies. Anything look good to you Katie? Anything right out? Also if you took a picture of your window, I seem to remember you saying something about the rod being right up against the wall or something, it would help me a bunch. Based on what I know and can remember right now I would opt for flat panel (with rings and with or without fullness) or pinch pleated draperies. I would avoid the rod pocket and tab top because of the difficulty with which they move across the rod.

I hope I didn't scare you away, it's just that there are so many cool options!

UPDATE: Now that I've seen pictures of the almost completed nursery I think I would choose:

1. Two Roman shades (one for each window) because I like how the white trim outlines the fabric, it avoids the wall/rod problem, and it keeps in the very sleek look of the nursery (me likes!).

or

2. A pair of pinch pleated draperies that came down just below the apron (rather than resting on the sill). Or maybe just a single panel of pinch pleated drapery haven't quite decided yet. I think my first choice would be the roman shades