Q&A
By Marla Stefanelli
I want to make sheer curtains for my windows. Do you have any tips on how to sew the slippery fabric, including needle type and size, and the best stitch length?
Elise H.,
e-mail
First preshrink the fabric in the manner in which it will be later cleaned--take into account the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations. If the fabric frays badly, zigzag the raw edges so it doesn't ravel while preshrinking.
Cut the fabric as for napped fabric, so all the curtain lower edges are toward the same end of the fabric. Spread flannel fabric on the cutting board to help grab the curtain fabric and hold it in place. If the fabric frays easily, apply seam sealant to the cut edges.
Use cotton-covered polyester thread and a universal 75/11 or 80/12 machine needle. Sew with a straight stitch--12 to 16 stitches per inch (1.5 mm to 2 mm). Use a throatplate with a small hole so the fabric won't be pulled down into the machine. If you don't have an alternate throatplate, place a piece of tape over the existing hole and pierce a new hole with the needle.
Begin a line of stitching by first stitching on a fabric scrap and then onto the curtain fabric so the stitching doesn't draw up at the edge. Instead of backstitching, use a few very short stitches at the beginning of the seam.
To prevent puckered seams, hold the fabric taut in front of and behind the needle. It's also helpful to place a strip of tear-away stabilizer over the seamline and stitch through it. Carefully tear the stabilizer away after stitching.
Make the seams no wider than 1/4". A French or flat-felled seam will add stiffness to the fabric. Instead, straight stitch the seam and then serge or zigzag the raw edges together.
Test-stitch the seam before sewing the actual curtains. Hold the sample up to the window to see how it looks with the light shining through it--make any adjustments necessary.
Allow the curtains to hang 24 hours before hemming. Hem with a wide double hem to add weight so the curtains will drape nicely.
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