I wanted to make a curtain to pull across our front door in winter at night. It's single glazed and really drafty. We do have wooden shutters on the outside but we don't close them completely because of the cat door - Barney Boy has to be able to get in or out or he'll start yellin' at 3am!

I was looking at curtain fabric this weekend with DH but didn't really like anything I saw - all too boring! I said to DH this is probably because I make quilts and can't stand to see something made of only one fabric! :D So he suggested making a 'quilt' to use as a curtain; I think it could work if I used a really lightweight batting. Has anyone done anything like this? If so I'd love to hear how you made it, would you do it the width of the opening or one and a half times, like with a normal curtain, so you get some pleats when it hangs? And how would you attach it to the curtain rod?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts or opinions; I think I'll go ahead and do it even if you all say it won't work, because now I've got a bee in my bonnet!! But maybe ypou've got tips or ideas to share?

Anyhow, if it doesn't work I can always use it as a quilt! :wink:

K x

No clue how to put one together, but it does sound much more interesting, fun and warm!

You could add a rod pocket along the top back to put on a rod or use those clippy things.

I had thought of the clips but guess Id have to find really sturdy ones. I thought a rod pocket might prevent it from pulling back far enough?

K x

[img]http://www.countrycurtains.com/image...103H40B_dt.jpg[/img]

I'd probably do something like that. If you wanted it to be more country/prim, you could make the quilt using the birthing method and have one end of the tab integrated into the seam, button holes in the free end, and have buttons on the front so you can easily attach to a curtain rod.

Another option would to be making it like you would a wall quilt but adapting the tab to accommodate the curtain rod instead of the usual quilt hanger thing. (Need coffee I can't remember what the hanger-doohickey is called.)

can you put a rod up farther away from the edge of the window? so that when it is open the quilt goes farther to the side?

I wouldn't put any batting in or if I did, I use the thinnest stuff I could find. Then it wouldn't be so heavy. And yes, make it just like a curtain -- make two sides. Put in a rod pocket so it slides -- no pleats. Make it almost to the size of the opening so that it won't "gather" or "ruffle". Does this make sense??

What about a felt backing and use that as batting and back? Will be warm and not real heavy and won't hang and draw down. Just a thought. I am working on a table runner and useing the felt as both as hopefully it will not slip off too easy

I haven't done it myself, but my cousin made a shower curtain out of a quilt and it looks great. Hangs really nice. I was surprised.

Think it's called a hanger-doohickey isn't it? :lol:

The only prob with tab tops is I haven't got much room from the top of the door to the ceiling - only about three inches - so there'd be a gap at the top; also as you see in the pic (I hope!) there's only about six inches of wall at the right hand side, Up North so it can only be pulled so far back. the left hand side will be flush because DH says when I've made the curtain he'll FINALLY make a cupboard to hide all that electricity gubbins you can see - which he's been promising for nearly TWO YEARS!

Thanks for your sugggestions though, it's really helpful to explore all the options.

K x

Sorry - forgot to turn the pic round!

I've just got some batting for my kids' lap quilts which is dream Poly and it is really thin - not much thicker than felt - I'd thought of using that? I would like to quilt it as well so that's why I wanted a batting.

K x

I am quilting the table runner. Just thru the pieced top and the felt (batting ..backing). When I get it done I will post a picture of it. May be a day or two!!!

That would be great MK - i've no idea what quilting would look like with felt. When you guys say 'felt' do you mean the same as me? I think of felt as the bright coloured stuff you used to cut in shapes at school to make pictures, or what you stick to the bottom of ornaments to stop them scratching the furniture? But I may be misunderstanding?!

K x

I would make it just like a quilt. I don't think weight will be a problem. I have a very heavy quilt hanging over my windows. It is a king size and since I haven't had time to sew the tabs on it yet, it is hanging there with thumbtacks. It hasn't fallen down or been damaged by them. I like that it is heavy because it keeps out the cold.

Lynette

Was trying to take a picture of it (not finished yet!) but the camera was one that my son gave me before going to South Korea and for some reason I can't get it to download the pictures to the PC! User error I DO think!!! LOL I will post you one whenever I get the memory card to work on the reader!!

This is felt material that I got at Hobby Lobby on a bolt just like your fleece, material etc. It really does feel good to quilt thru.

I think maybe Loetta is right. Just use a very lightweight batting and it should hang good. My felt is going on the back of a table runner as I don't want it it "slip" and thinking that a backing would make it kinda slick. The "table " is an old Cedar Chest that belonged to my mom. and too, I haven't had to wash it...yet

That's exactly the effect I'm after Lynette, sometimes when the wind's in a certain direction it whistles right down the hallway! And although furnace oil is a little cheaper now, it's still expensive to run!!!

K x

K...Great idea, just looking at your pictures, instead of trying to hand the quilt right up again the door and glass, why don't you consider hanging it outside of the door recess :wink:

Then the cat will have a space to get in easily too :D

Just had another thought...if you sew a row of curtain tape to the top like regular curtains, but use a pole with wooden rings you will get a nice drape if you want some fullness in it.

I used a story made ( hand made from who knows what country ) twin quilt.. star center.. for a bedroom window. I loved that room. It was warm in the winter, cool in the summer. The quilt was perfect. My grandson slept a lot in the room.. "Grandma, that curtain is Pink ! I am a boy !" There weren the curtian idea.. I did save the two pieces. I used clips to hang the curtain on a simple sheer rod. Some day my beautiful window with lace valance will return !!!

Yes, Great idea for drafts, and summer heat !!

Ell

Ok I have seen a pattern for a shower curtain before, and it looked really nice. You made it just like a quilt using a lightweight batting. Quilted it and put on the binding. Then you sewed tabs on the top (for your curtain rod to go through) about half an inch below the binding( just so you don't sew into the binding. Hope this helps

I think your idea of using light batting is good. I don't think I would want to wash felt!
A pretty backing and you have a reversible! And something to greet visitors at the door. Sounds like a real winning idea. :lol: Keep us posted, because I think I need something like that also! :?

Thanks all for your help! :D

Yes Ellen, you're right, the sun can fairly beat through there in the summer - I hadn't thought it would be useful for then too!

Izy, I was going to hang it outside the recess - Barney Boy is a huge fatty and he DOES need plenty of room to manoevre! I'd thought of using header tape but thought it might bunch up too much? I would like to do it 'proper, like'! If you think it would work then I'll do it! Otherwise I'd go with the tabs I think, oh shall I just make the quilt and then we'll see? Oh goody, now to find a pattern, any ideas....? :D

K x

Oh, I hadn't thought of people seeing the backing from outside - :oops:

That's opened up a whole new thought process - double sided? pieced backing? (yikes!)

K x

K If you just use the 1" header tape but don't gather it up the quilt will loop in and out ....does that make sense??? :lol:

K...I meant if you use a hook every 4" or so the fabric between each two hooks will fall into a nice drape...... :?

I get you Izy - so I just sew the header on then hook every 4" and the quilt, because it'll be a little bit stiffer than plain fabric, will naturally 'wave' in and out? Have I got you? :D Or not? :roll:

K x

have you thought about making it like a roman shade maybe and mounting it up high over the door in the bulkhead? Or would that block out to much light above when it is drawn up? just an idea to think about.

It's a good idea but I wouldn't know where to begin with a roman shade! In summer, the light wouldn't be a problem but in winter I do like to let it all in!

K x

here is a site to check out for ideas, maybe
http://www.terrelldesigns.com/romanshadesgalleries.htm

Wow! There's some beautiful stuff there Sharon, thanks! I think I'll stay with a curtain for the door but maybe I'll have ago at roman shades when I get to the living room... They're pretty big windows with no curtaining at all at the moment - we have outside shutters - and I would love to do a treatment to soften them up but floor length curtains would cover the radiators! These blinds would be great beacuse we could lower them to any height in summer to keep some of the sun out and still let light in! Looks like I've got a few projects lined up...thanks girls!!! Weee hayyyy!!!

K x

That's what I meant :D

:wink: :D

well when you move on to those windows in the living room....here is an idea if you don't want to actually make the roman shade if you very plain inexpensive ones where you live you can add the material you want to them as shown here
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/f...ct-2009-076502

I made a quilt to hang over a very drafty window in my shorehouse bedroom. I used the thin batting and a rod pocket and hung the quilt straigt but used a much longer rod than the window so I would have room to slide it to one side. It really lookes great. No pleats or anthing just straight like a wall hanging. It really keeps the cold out and the heat in. I would send you a picture but that house is 3 hours away from my regular house. Good luck. :)

Thanks for sharing. I just bought a roman shade on clearance at Kmart and thought I could try something like that but had no idea how to do it. I am going to try it with the directions.
Thanks
Linda

The blind makeover looks a great idea - no fiddling around with strings and pulleys! Let us know how you get on Linda! And thanks for the info on your quilt curtain!

K x

I bought some stuff long ago @ JoAnns (I think) that is silver, thin and has insulating properties.Yu could use that as your batting. I am sure they still carry it or something like it. I was going to make a window quilt, like a lovely scenic thing. I had planned on attaching to window frame with velcro so I could put up @ night and take down at will. Don't know how much use your door gets for the velcro but it certainly could be made as a curtain... hope this helps! BTW - I never did make the dern thing...... :)

It's the only door in and out of the house so it gets quite a lot of use! :D

Do you know the brand name of the stuff you describe - I'm in France and we don't have Joann's here :cry:

Thanks!

K x

I made a quilt and turned it into a shower curtain with tabs at the top, I used light weight batting and it isn't too heavy at all. I think that it would help to keep the draft out if you used batting. Your door opening area looked like you could use something, a spring rod maybe to hang it from instead of nailing anything to the wall and you can remove the whole thing during the warmer months.

That's a good idea, that could sit just inside the recess and DH wouldn't have to get his power tools out...!

K x