Standard floor-length curtains should have a three to four-inch hem, plus another three to four inches for the double fold. Your curtains should then be six to eight inches longer than where you place your pins.
The 'Norm' if you like, would be to have a 3 inch (7.5cm) hem. However if you are making curtains that are quite large or long, you may find that a 4 inch (10cm) hem gives proportionately better appearance. Or, if your curtains are going to be quite short, hemming them with a 2 inch (5cm) hem would be sufficient.
The side hems on a ready made curtain are usually 1/2 or 1 inch in width single hems and custom are almost always 1 1/2 inches in width double hems. Occasionally on Lace Curtains the selvedges or sides are finished in a pattern and there is no need for a side hem.
Make sure you have enough fabric for a double-folded hem.
The hem on a curtain lining should be 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) narrower than the hem on the curtain. For example, if your curtain has a 4 inch (10.16 centimeters) wide hem, the hem on the lining should be 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) wide.
The proper position is ½ inch above the floor for free hanging curtains. This distance allows for mopping and cleaning while creating the illusion that the curtain touches the floor. A popular hem finish for silk or lined curtains is called a trouser kick.
Interior designers note the bottom of your curtains should fall to the floor, and you can even let them “puddle” a bit. However, if you don't want your curtains to drag on the floor when you open and close them, let them stop about an inch from the floor, but no more.
As a general rule, drapes will be open during the day, so make sure the curtain rod extends at least four inches on each side of the window's inside frame. To create the illusion of a wider window, extend the rod up to 10 inches beyond the window's frame.
The blind-hem stitch is primarily used for hemming curtains, trousers, skirts, etc. Directions: 1. First finish the raw edge.
Before you hem your curtains, hang your curtain rod(s) to your preferred height, and go ahead and put your curtains onto the rod. TIP! Some curtains shrink a lot, so if you anticipate washing your curtains regularly, go ahead and pre-wash them before you hem them!
While the curtains are still hanging, fold the bottom of the curtains under to the desired length. Use the stick pins to hold, to keep it folded and in place. Bring the curtain bottom up to the ironing board and iron a crease on the new fold. Cut off excess curtain a couple of inches past the fold and remove the pins.
To hem your curtain without sewing, you will use Heat'n'Bond Tape, which is essentially heat-activated, double-sided tape that holds strong on fabric. As I mentioned before, for a wide, thick hem, I highly recommend using the Ultra hold. NOTE: The Ultra Heat'n'Bond Tape usually results in a permanent hem.
Place the tape at the bottom of the curtain with the glue side against the wrong side of the fabric. Iron, then remove the protective paper. Turn down the fabric at the desired hem length and iron again. Turn down the fabric at the desired hem length and iron.
Shorten the Top
You can shorten these without a permanent hem by folding the top over toward the back of the curtain. Use safety pins to secure the fold down to create a new pocket to slide the rod into. If you pin only into the lining of the curtain, the pins won't show on the front of the curtain.
In my opinion, hemming curtains with a sewing machine is a fool-proof way to shorten curtains that are too long – it's just as easy as any of the no-sew methods! If you are going to shorten your curtains, you might as well hem them once and not have to bother with them again!
The Rolled Hem Foot, sometimes also known as the narrow hem foot, is used to sew a very narrow hem. The foot folds the raw edge of your fabric under before it passes under the needle. For garment, home decor or any type of sewing, the rolled hem foot provides a professional looking finish.
How wide should curtains be? To ensure that curtain panels look ample when closed, they should have a combined width that is 2 to 2.5 times the width of the window/rod. That means if you are ordering Grommet style or Rod-pocket style, the total drapery width should be at least 2 times the window/rod widths.
Curtain rods should extend at least 3 to 6 inches past the window frame. Just as hanging curtains above the window frame makes the window appear taller, Bob Vila writes that extending the curtain rod past the window frame makes the window appear wider.
If you are interested in a curtain with grommet tops, there will usually be an inch and half of fabric above the top of the grommet. Therefore, an 84 inch length curtain with grommet tops will have an actual hanging height of around 82.5 inches.
The answer to this question is important because it can affect the way we do our decorations. Yes, curtains should be long enough to touch the floor. With a few exceptions, the longer the curtains are the more stylish and elegant it will look. This is why most standard ready-made curtains are lengthy.
When you buy them in stores or online, there are two standard lengths: 84 inches and 95 or 96 inches. The length of the curtain dictates the height of the rod. If you buy 84-inch-long curtains, the rod must be mounted roughly 84 inches from the floor if the curtains hang from the rod without rings.
If you have the space between the top of your window frame and the ceiling or crown molding, though, you should hang the rod over the window. I like to go 3 to 5 inches down from the ceiling. Doing this visually extends the length of your wall, making your ceiling look higher.