Step By Step Process & Items Required To Sew Curtains With Grommets
Once contemplate a fad by many designers & grommet-topped drapes has become a bulwark in window treatments. They require minimal development, do not preoccupy a large amount of your fabric, are very easy to install & operate & can be constructed of a wide variety of fabrics. If you want to sew curtains with grommets then collect the required items first and then go through the step by step process:
Things Needed
- Curtain Rod & Curtain Rod Installation Tools
- Drape Fabric, Tape Measure & Scissors
- Straight Pins & Buckram Heading Tape, 4-Inch
- Fabric Marking Pencil
- Sewing Machine & Grommets
Step By Step Process
- First of all, above your window, you need to install the curtain rod. Measure from the top of your rod to the required length of your drape & add 1 inch. Record this as your finished length.
- Now you need to calculate the cut length of your fabric as the finished length, plus 8 inches for the hem & 5 inches for the top facing. Now, cut your fabric width 1 1/2 times the width of your curtain rod, plus 6 inches for the side hems. Sew widths of fabric together if indispensable.
- Next, simply turn the bottom up 4 inches concerning the wrong side & press the fold. Turn a second 4 inches & press the second fold. Stitch close to your first fold for creating the hem.
- Then, the top needs to be turned now by the wrong side 1/2 inch, now press your fold & stitch 1/4 inch from your fold. Turn your top an additional 4 1/2 inches toward the wrong side & press this top fold.
- Lay the drape on your table, the wrong side up. Open your top fold & place a piece of 4-inch-wide arthritic lengthwise along your fold. Terminate the arthritic 3 inches from each side edge of your fabric. Reposition your folded fabric to cover the arthritic & then pin it in place.
- Next, turn each side edge against the wrong side 1 1/2 inches & press your fold. Again you need to turn the each side of edge 1 1/2 inches & press this 2nd fold. Stitch close to your first fold to create each side hem.
- Lay your drape on your table with the wrong side up & the top fold toward you. Now, measure from the inside, the stitched edge of your left-side hem to the inside, the seamed edge of your right-side hem & this is a flat measurement.
- Now, calculate your grommet placement by segregate the flat measurement by the even number of the grommets you contemplate to use. Here is an example, if your flat measurement is 40 inches & you intend to use eight grommets, divide 40/8 for a result of 5. The center of your grommets will be 5 inches apart across the top of your drape. The omission is the first & last grommet centers, which will be 2 1/2 inches from the side hemstitching, or one-half of the space measurement.
- Then, mark the top of your rod placement on the wrong side of your drape by drawing a line 1 inch from the folded top of your drape.
- Now, indicate the center of the grommet placement by drawing a line 3 inches long & perpendicular to the top of your rod line. Position your first line 2 1/2 inches from your stitching of one side hem. Position your second line 7 1/2 inches from your stitching. Continue marking across your drape at 5-inch increments.
- Next, you need to use your grommet as a pattern for the hole. Place your grommet intensify in position on one perpendicular line with the top edge of your grommet overlapping the top of your rod line by 1/8 inch. Draw around the hole circumference of your grommet. Cutaway your fabric 1/8 inch outside the drawn circumference, through making the cutout slenderly larger than the actual opening of your grommet.
- Finally, lay the male side of your grommet on your table with the flange poking through with the cut hole. Position the other side of your grommet in place & apply pressure to snap the two sides together. Continue cutting the openings & inserting the grommets across the top of your drape.
Tips
- Grommets consistently are spaced 4 to 8 inches apart, which are affected by the number of grommets used.
- You can use even numbers only to ensure both outside edges fold back toward your rod.
- It is also helpful to test your fabric & buckram combination before cutting your drape to ensure it is not too thick, or too thin, for your grommets. Remove your buckram if it is too thick, add a 2nd layer if it is too thin.