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A few of you had requested directions to my handmade shower curtain. If you missed that post there is a PIB.
It really wasn't too complicated... here are my steps...
- I ordered 2 coordinating fabrics. Mine were from fabric.com. They were Amy Butler. She's an awesome designer, but a little pricey. I'm sure any fabric would do, just have it a little heavier weight.
- I got 2.5 yards of each. I got extra because this was my first sewing project and wanted to make sure I had enough. You need enough for a 72 x 72 in. square. Since each yard is 36 in. long... I thought I'd be cutting it a little too close with the seams if I only ordered 2 yards.
- Doing the curtain with 2 fabrics was actually easier than one for me. You see, you need a length of 72 in. The fabric I ordered came with a length of 54 in. Thus, I'd have to sew two panels together, making the patterns match up and try to make it unnoticeable that there was a seam. I opted to use 2 fabrics because it was easier and I thought it gave the curtain more character.
-I cut all of my fabric, leaving 4 inches extra with each so I could do 2 in. seams on either side. Example: The middle fabric was 54 in. long, and I cut the width at 76... this would give me 50 x 72 after seams. Then I did some basic math to decide the top and bottom should be 22 in. all together... or 11 in. each plus 4 in seams... about 15 in. each by the same width as the other fabric... 76.
- So then I sewed the pieces together with 2 in. seams. A little bit of a challenge because you're dealing with a LOT of fabric.
- After it was all sewn together I got a grommet kit in extra large. I got mine at Joanns. This was a work out because you need 12 holes to put your curtain rings through. You have to hammer them in against an anvil. I did it out on my concrete patio. I traced where I wanted the holes ahead of time with a curtain liner as my guide. I'm sure there are machines out there that put grommets in for you, but this was cheap... Like $5 for a kit... unfortunately the kit comes with 10, and I needed 12, so I had to buy a refill for a few bucks more.
- So then I hung it on my curtain rod, and I use a vinyl shower curtain behind it to keep it from getting wet.
Total cost:
Fabric:
1. Amy Butler Nigella Twill Water Lotus Spinach... $15/yard x 2.5yds.= $37.50
2. Amy Butler Lotus Oxford Stripe Lime... $9/yard x 2.5 yds.= $22.50.
Misc:
3. Grommet kit and refill... ~$8.
4. Thread, sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, etc... already had.
TOTAL: $62
P.S. Use coupon code "FIRST" and get $2.95 shipping at Fabric.com.
So this was not a cheap project by any means, but it definitely adds high style to my bathroom. If you're looking to reduce costs pick cheaper fabrics or use ones you already have. I think this is something I'll have for years to come though, and thought it was worth investing in the pattern I really love.
Sorry for such a long post! :-)
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