Making Curtains - any tips or tricks

[tentcamper]

Our curtains have faded. We ordered fabric, made patterns and started cutting last night. The DW is very good at making curtains, but being a camper i'm reaching out to see if there are any tips or tricks other have found when making curtains for their TM.

Were planning on re-using the hooks. Right now the only thing the DW seems to have any concern with, is sewing on the upper and lower plastic strip with the hooks? It seems her concern is how much the old curtains stretched and how much she should add to her measurements for distance between the two tracks for sewing on the hooks, or just use the measurements of the old curtains??

Any trick or tips you learned from doing your curtains would be appreciated?

Thank you in advance.

[rvcycleguy]

Originally Posted by tentcamper

Our curtains have faded. We ordered fabric, made patterns and started cutting last night. The DW is very good at making curtains, but being a camper i'm reaching out to see if there are any tips or tricks other have found when making curtains for their TM.

Were planning on re-using the hooks. Right now the only thing the DW seems to have any concern with, is sewing on the upper and lower plastic strip with the hooks? It seems her concern is how much the old curtains stretched and how much she should add to her measurements for distance between the two tracks for sewing on the hooks, or just use the measurements of the old curtains??

Any trick or tips you learned from doing your curtains would be appreciated?

Thank you in advance.

I cant comment on new curtains, but I just cold water washed my curtains and I received advice here that suggested not to dry and hang damp. Did that last weekend and realize why. Have to stretch to get back on tracks. Cant imagine if they would have shrunk any little bit.

[girlbugspoppa]

My wife says in her experience you should add 1/4" to the length and use your zipperfoot (I have no idea what that is) to sew the plastic tabs back on. Lot of trial and error, she made a set for our '95 2720SL and has been working on the ones in our 3124KS. She says to her one of the best things you can do is line the new curtains with muslin (200 thread count sheets). They do look better lined looking at them both inside and out. Don't expect perfection, she says, but they will look better and be much less expensive than the factory ones.

[eddugo]

I have been trying to find long spring curtain rods. I remember them on doors years ago, but can't find them now. I thought they would be ideal as they would keep the curtain both tight and close to the window.

[tentcamper]

Originally Posted by girlbugspoppa

My wife says in her experience you should add 1/4" to the length and use your zipperfoot (I have no idea what that is) to sew the plastic tabs back on. Lot of trial and error, she made a set for our '95 2720SL and has been working on the ones in our 3124KS. She says to her one of the best things you can do is line the new curtains with muslin (200 thread count sheets). They do look better lined looking at them both inside and out. Don't expect perfection, she says, but they will look better and be much less expensive than the factory ones.

Funny you should say that! This weekend the DW said; sewing on the plastic hooks was hard, and she found the zipper foot worked best with all the hems. she is also thinking to not use the plastic strip just the hooks?? She made the bathroom set and we put them up to see how they fit. The DW said something about maybe having the hooks about a 1/4 inch father apart.

The DW did buy material that has a thin membrane of white vinyl on back I think to address the backing concern.

She also made the privacy drapes using the original drapes as a pattern. The drapes are not 100% level at the bottom because of the slightly arched roof. I double checked the original drapes and there is no variances in the length. So they must not have been level and we never noticed them. The DW was talking about redoing them, until I convinced her that if we did not notice them before, no one will every notice them, and its not like we ever have them pulled until we have guest.

We have all the material cut and the side hems are done.

I was looking at the valances. I need to find 1/8 deep staples. Shortest ones I can find are 1/4. I might need to use the 1/4 and use a steel plate to bend the ends as I staple? Or maybe a spacer on the back???

[girlbugspoppa]

I would hesitate to use only the tabs as I'm afraid the material would sag between. I think the plastic reinforces and adds stiffness needed to keep from sagging. Also, I used 3/8" staples on valances as I didn't care if they were visible from the back. No one will see them anyway. None of my curtains are totally level, but they look so much better than the old ones that I really don't care.
Good luck, making curtains for TrailManor is definitely a challenge, but so well worth it.

Sandra Smith

[tentcamper]

We were playing last night with the plastic strips and decided that they give the drapes a better pleat when open. So we will use them.

Joyce liked the idea of the additional 1/4 inch, she asked me to thank you.

I think were ready to sew the tops and bottoms. The DW loves sewing so once she starts. I will be in a rush to get the valances done.

Thanks for your tips and re-enforcing some of the things we were questioning.

[Doreen]

Does anyone know how much fabric to buy for new curtains? Camper is closed for the winter so I can’t measure. We have a 2922.
Note for all I chose to purchase new tab strips from the factory when we were there in the fall. I love to see but hate ripping in order to reuse the existing ones.