How to make voile panel curtains

You will need

* 2 main fabrics (we used Klara Lime, ref F1342/02, £59 a metre; and Camu-Moss, ref F1285/06, £79 a metre, both designersguild.co.uk)

* Matching thread

Tips to remember

* The curtain is made up of two panels of voile fabric, each hemmed separately along the side and bottom edges and joined together at the top by a channel for a curtain pole or rod.

* One panel sits in front of the other.

* We chose two fabrics from the same design in different colours.

* Remember that once in front of a window the back panel will show through the front one: when choosing designs, hold the two up to the light to make sure that they work together.

* When doing this, also bear in mind that the while the front of the front panel will obviously face out into the room, the front of the back panel will face the window.

Step 1) Measure the width of your window recess and the drop from the curtain pole to the floor.

Step 2)
Using the illustration as a guide [directional], cut a rectangle in
your first main fabric to these measurements plus 5cm in total along the
width for side seams; and 50cm in total along the drop for top and
bottom hems. This includes around 30cm for the curtains to ‘pool' on the
floor. Cut another panel to the same size in your second main fabric.

Step 3) Turn under 5mm and then stitch a 2cm hem along both
side edges of each panel. Repeat along the bottom of each panel and
press all seams.

Step 4) Wrong sides facing, place the back
panel on top of the front, matching both raw edges along the top. Tack
the panels together 1cm from the raw edges along the width of the
panels, continuing 20cm down each side edge.

Step 5) To make a channel for the curtain
pole, fold the raw edge down by 1cm and press, and then again by 15cm
and press (see illustration). Pin in place and top stitch across the
width of the curtain close to the folded edge. Remove tacking and pins,
thread curtain on to pole and hang.