Last week, we posted about our new carport turned patio. We’ve been working on this space for what seems like all summer – or even longer – and we’re beyond happy that it’s finished. One of our favorite features in our new covered patio are the outdoor curtains. They really make the outdoor living space feel a little more “indoor” and much less “carport”. We started this part of the project with a set of beige Merete curtain panels from Ikea. They aren’t necessarily marked as “outdoor curtains” but we’ve talked to a bunch of people who have used them as outdoor curtains – including Ashley’s Mom. She uses these on her patio and they’ve held up great and are machine washable – which is really a plus. Instead of getting only four panels (two packages), but we decided to get two extra packages since the space was so large and we wanted the curtains to look as full as possible. In addition to the curtains, we needed a nice, sturdy curtain rod that fit our outdoor rustic/industrial motif.

After talking it over, we decided that using galvanized pipe would be a great way to accomplish both goals. We decided to use one-inch pipe since it looked “beefy” enough and would have no flex with the curtains hanging on it. T Shirt CadillacAnother plus, it was a lot more affordable than a massively long outdoor curtain rod.Laptop Online Shop Romania In order to make this work, it required a trip to the plumbing section at our local Lowe’s. Shower Curtain Rods And HooksFor the two end pieces of the rod, I bought two floor flanges, two nipples and two elbows (as pictured above). I waited to buy the pipe because I wanted to triple check my measurements before having it cut to length at the store). Since our “window” is so large (about 18′ wide) we used a T-connector with a single floor flange and nipple in the middle for extra support.

As for the rod, we used two pieces of unthreaded EMT pipe and had them cut to the length we needed at Lowe’s (for about 50 cents a piece). Since the pipe was unthreaded, I also picked up four EMT set screw connectors (those are the shiny parts with the screw in the top). Unlike the rest of the parts, which are found in the plumbing section, the EMT connectors and pipe were in the electrical conduit section of the hardware store. Luckily, I have a father-in-law who’s an electrician and could point me in the right direction. After drilling the pilot holes and attaching the floor flanges to the “wall”, it was just a matter of screwing all the connectors together. It was kind of like putting together an easy puzzle. Once we were sure everything was secure and fitting properly, we took the rods back down and threaded the curtains on. As it turned out, we really did do the right thing by buying two extra packages of curtains. Two packages would not have been enough to really fill up the space visually.

The curtains ended up being a little shorter than we anticipated. On one hand, we think if they were hitting the floor it would be a perfect place for bugs and frogs to hide out – which we definitely don’t want. On the other hand, they could stand to be about 10 inches longer. We can easily add more length to them by adding a strip of fabric to the bottom using some Stitch Witchery. However, Ash’s mom mentioned that after it rained the first few times, the fabric shrunk a few inches in length. That being the case, we’ve decided to wait a while before adding any extra fabric to the ends. As it is, we’re really loving how much more complete the whole look is. The curtains are the next best thing to a privacy fence. When we first started this process, I wasn’t sure the curtains would make that much of a difference, but Ashley insisted they would really bring everything together. I guess that proves why she’s in charge of making things look good around here, haha.[today i’m thrilled to welcome brett bara of manhattan craft room to d*s with a special guest column. you’ve been asking for more sewing how-tos, so brett will be joining us for a sewing 101 primer, covering all the basics for getting started with home sewing. welcome, brett!]

I’m very happy to be here at design*sponge to spread a little sewing love. I hear a lot these days from folks who want to learn to sew, but don’t know where to start. I’m here to tell you how EASY sewing can be—especially home décor sewing. There’s so much you can sew for your home that requires only the most basic sewing skills, from curtains and duvets to pillows and slip covers—so that’s what we’re going to explore in this column. I thought the perfect place to start would be with the one home accent that is by far the easiest to sew and the most impactful on a room: curtains! If you love textiles and want to incorporate a little DIY action into your life, there’s no better place to begin. Curtains can instantly give a room a facelift, and you can sew your own in a mere afternoon, with literally the most basic stitching skills. CLICK HERE for the full curtain how-to (and Brett’s tips on sewing machines and how to choose a fabric) after the jump! First, a word on sewing machines

Right about now is when many people start freaking out about their sewing machine. They have one, but it’s been collecting dust for years…. Or they have one, but they’re not sure how to thread it… Or they want to buy one, but they don’t know what type to get. Or they don’t want to buy one at all, but they’d still love to make stuff out of fabric. Please: don’t be afraid! Sewing machines are very simple at their core, and once you understand the fundamentals, you’ll wonder what you were ever worried about. If you are unfamiliar with using a sewing machine, the best way to learn is to have someone show you. Reach out to crafty friends and family; I bet you can easily find someone who’d be willing to spend an afternoon initiating you into the ranks of the stitchies. Another way to learn is to check out your local fabric store, where classes are most certainly offered. I promise you that you can master sewing machine basics in just a couple of hours—go for it!

And if you don’t have a sewing machine, you can absolutely make this project with a good old fashioned needle and thread. Hand-sewing can be wonderfully meditative and it’s a great activity for unwinding while you watch TV at the end of the day, so give it a try! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get started! Fabric (determine what kind and how much by reading below) Sewing thread to match your fabric Sewing machine or sewing needle If you’re new to sewing, I recommend starting with a basic medium-weight fabric such as cotton or a cotton-linen blend. Its straightforward texture makes it easy to work with. Of course, there’s a world of amazing fabric out there for you to try, and once you are comfortable with sewing, you can apply this same basic curtain recipe to almost any type of fabric your windows desire. When choosing a fabric, consider the necessary function of your curtains: do you need them to protect your privacy or block light?

Do they need to be machine-washable (a good idea for kitchens or windows that are frequently open, especially in cities where lots of dirt comes in through windows)? Do you want them to help keep out cold drafts, or do you merely desire a hazy sheer? All of these functions can be accomplished simply by choosing different types of fabric. Measuring Your Window/Determining How Much Fabric You Need Determine the length you want your curtains to be by measuring from the curtain rod to the spot where you’d like the bottom of the curtain to fall. Add 18” to this number; this is the length of fabric you need for each curtain panel. (The extra 18” will give you enough fabric to hem each panel, plus allow for fabric shrinking during pre-washing.) Now, determine the width you need. Most fabric is sold in widths of 43” or 60”. If you don’t need a particularly full or gathered curtain, you may decide that one width of fabric is enough for your panel. If you prefer a more gathered look, you’ll want the fabric to be anywhere from 1.5-3 times wider than the actual window width.

If your fabric is machine washable, you should wash and dry it to pre-shrink it before sewing. This is an important step; if you don’t pre-shrink before sewing, the seams may pucker unattractively the first time you wash your curtains. Of course, if your fabric is not machine-washable, you should skip this step. Finally, before you start cutting or sewing, iron your fabric thoroughly. You’ll need to remove all wrinkles and creases in order to measure and sew accurately. My dad the carpenter always says measure twice, cut once. I prefer to measure four times, triple-check my math, measure once more just in case—then I cut! With that said, for each curtain panel, cut a length of fabric that is the distance from your curtain rod to the desired bottom of the curtains, plus 8”. If you are making a panel that’s wider than the width of your fabric, cut two lengths as described above and sew them together length-wise to make one wide piece of fabric. Take a look at the finished edge that runs along both sides of your fabric;

this is called the selvedge edge. On some fabrics, the selvedge is different in color than the rest of the fabric (often it’s white); sometimes the selvedge is also a little different in texture. It’s generally a good practice to trim off the selvedge edge before sewing, as is can sometimes pucker in a seam. Next, turn the fabric under 1/2” to the wrong side (back) of the fabric. Iron this as you go. Then, turn the fabric under another ½-1” and iron this as well. (I chose a narrow ½” hem because I didn’t want my print pattern to be chopped off by the hem, but a 1” side hem is more standard. Pin this double-folded edge in place, inserting one pin every 4-6”. Always insert the pins perpendicular to the seam you will be sewing, with the heads to the right of the seam. This allows you to remove them easily with your right hand as you sew the seam. Sewing the First SeamStitch a simple straight seam down the side, placing the stitch line about 1/8” from the interior folded edge of the hem.

Hemming the opposite side edge Simply repeat the above process on the other side of the curtain panel. Turn under ½” of the bottom edge to wrong side and press. Turn under 5” more and press; pin in place as described for side hem. Stitch the hem, approximately 1/8” from interior folded edge. When sewing this seam, make it extra secure by back-stitching at the beginning and end of the seam. To do this, sew the first 2-3 stitches of the seam, stop the sewing machine, press the Reverse Stitch button on your machine and sew 2-3 stitches in reverse, the proceed to sew the rest of the seam. Repeat at the end of the seam. This process ensures that the seam won’t unravel. (Why didn’t we do this on the side hems? Because those seams were going to be finished inside the top and bottom hems, so it wasn’t a concern that they’d unravel.) Sewing the Curtain Rod Pocket All that’s left to do to finish the curtain is to make the pocket for the curtain rod.