Curtains - Frustration!

[IceCreamCone]

I just bought my first house.

Last week, my friend went out with me to help me pick curtains for certain rooms.

For my sliding glass door a few fabrics that I liked were priced at about $100... so I decided to get something really plain with no decorations (because I can always sew something onto it later, for cheap).  The fabric that I ended up picking, cost about $10 for the whole thing!!  (four panels)

I decided not to sew the panels together, but I do have to sew the top (for the rod) and bottom hem.

Here is my frustration:

I was always told to wash the fabric before you sew, just incase the material shifts or whatever... so that's what I did.
It came out insanely wrinkled...  and took so long to iron it out.

Now my fabric is uneven, I used a yard ruler to try and help me figure out how to make the panels match before I sew them, but even the sides are messed up!

I just moved and have no clue where my kit is with all my safety pins (so I can't pin it and try to get them even that way)...

((suddenly regretting my decision to wash them - and half tempted to go buy four new panels and sew them before I wash them))

I'm not sure if anyone can help me or give any suggestions, but I really needed to vent! 

[IceCreamCone]

Not that anyone cares... but I just finished sewing the curtains and putting them up.

The fabric panels were so uneven after washing them... and I couldn't seem to make them the same length.  I tried to use a yard stick to get the panels even and it wouldn't work.  I had a friend come over to help, but she was having issues too. 

Well, eventually, I decided to put the curtain rods up anyway (that was a task in itself, because there have never been any curtains or rods in these house windows). 

Then I hung the panels up and used safety pins to pin where I 'guessed' would make the four panels even and still hang the same and correct distance to the floor.

After pinning all four panels and then ironing them, then sewing them - they are finally up.

[Merrikat]

Wow, too bad it was such a frustrating experience.  But all in all it seems to have turned out.
I mean you have bought your first house and that is something!  And now your first house has curtains!  Great job.  Do you have photos?

[ilovepaper]

Soooo..... how do they look? Are you happy with them? I have sliding glass doors that I also hung 4 panels on (I found them on sale for $10.00 each, not bad), anyway, I left them in seperate panels and tie the 2 outer ones back to let more light in while maintaining some privacy (NOSEY neighbors  )

[IceCreamCone]

Merrikat - thanks for being excited for me!  I am happy to finally be out of my old apartment.  Now I can paint the walls (which I started last night too - red for my bathroom)!

ilovepaper - I think they look good.  I think it's great that you put curtains up for your sliding glass door too (and I left mine in four panels too instead of sewing them together).  Mostly, I see people use those side-ways (vertical) blinds for them.  You still got a deal paying only $40 for your four panels.  I wanted some fun decorated curtains, but they were $90+.  I bought muslin (not the bleached white kind, but the regular that looks beige with dots in it).  It was on sale for about one dollar a yard.

I will try to take a photo, even though the curtains look really plain right now.  My friend gave me advice to put them up and keep them plain for a couple of weeks, because  I can always go back and add stuff to them later.

[bluebirdie]

Hi Rattfinkpink
I'm happy for you that you like your new curtain. Actually you did a wise thing to get frustrated beforehand, rather than after. I made a few curtains without pre-washing. Guess what happened after the first wash  They became useless coz they shrinked so much! You did much better than me!

I also had problem handling loose weave fabric like some home decor fabric or muslin, they don't like machine dry at all. Did you happened to throw them into the dryer? Anyway, for me, they're a pain. I'm glad you concourred them.

[iciclegirl]

Congrats on your new house, and sorry for your curtain troubles.  I'm about to make some curtains for my bedroom (located in my in-law's house, I have yet to afford my own)  I hope they don't go all wonky like that! [pray for me]

[IceCreamCone]

Hi Rattfinkpink
I'm happy for you that you like your new curtain. Actually you did a wise thing to get frustrated beforehand, rather than after. I made a few curtains without pre-washing. Guess what happened after the first wash  They became useless coz they shrinked so much! You did much better than me!

I also had problem handling loose weave fabric like some home decor fabric or muslin, they don't like machine dry at all. Did you happened to throw them into the dryer? Anyway, for me, they're a pain. I'm glad you concourred them.

After my experience, I wished I had sewed them before washing - but after hearing about your experience, I'm kinda glad I washed first.  My friend suggested that because I don't smoke, I should have just hung them up and never washed them at all.  Oh well, I'm glad it turned out okay.

And yes, I did wash the panels and put them in the dryer.  When they came out, it was the largest ball of wrinkles I have ever seen!  I *think* I turned the heat off though, and just had it air dry, or it was on the lowest heat setting possible.  I had no where to line dry them - why do you ask?  Would that have helped from the fabric getting so uneven?

[IceCreamCone]

Congrats on your new house, and sorry for your curtain troubles.  I'm about to make some curtains for my bedroom (located in my in-law's house, I have yet to afford my own)  I hope they don't go all wonky like that! [pray for me]

I think it depends on the fabric.  Muslin seems to wrinkle and shrink quite a bit... but it's so cheap and pretty!
I hope your experience goes much better than mine did.

[bluebirdie]

Good thing you don't need to wash/iron your curtain often. The reason why I asked about Muslin in dryer is because I once did that. I bought a skirt made from something's losely woven (similar to Muslin). Iciclegirl was right... it WAS pretty. After wash and machine dry, the ankle length skirt turned into mini skirt and no amount of ironing could make it right again.

That's how I learnt not to machine dry muslin. They behave a little better if they're line dried and ironed when they're not complete dry.