| Moda's Half Moon Modern Sewing Room: Tab-Top Butterfly Curtains |
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| Editor: Liz Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 28 November 2011 03:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Welcome to our second Moda Fabrics Series: a bold and beautiful sewing room in Half Moon Modern. A good sewing space is all about clever organization. Clearing the clutter frees your brain and helps creativity blossom. We love the crayon colors of Half Moon Modern: apple red, sky blue, canary yellow, marshmallow white and more. It's a perfect match for the simple geometric lines and shapes of the motifs. This clean design is energizing and especially good in a sewing room or any space where everything else is busy; the simple design and happy hues help pull the room together so it appears neater and more contained. There are eight projects in our series, starting with today's tab-top curtains, featuring a butterfly accent strip and big white buttons. In the coming weeks, we'll bring you sewing machine and serger covers, an ironing board cover and caddy, a task basket, pinboard, and a sewing and craft apron with pockets a'plenty. In addition, Moda has put together a stunning Half Moon Modern Great Giveaway and has sponsored a free downloadable Sewing Reference Guide. Open or closed, the swirling blue paisley and white of these curtains softens the drama of the red walls in our featured sewing space. We made six panels to cover one large and two small windows. Fully lined, the panels do a great job of blocking the sun when needed, but they aren't super bulky, which allows them to be pulled open for a view of the great outdoors. Our thanks to Moda for sponsoring this Sewing Room Series and allowing Sew4Home to be one of the first to debut the great Half Moon Modern collection. These are perfect projects to spruce up your own sewing room, and would make wonderful gifts for all the sewers and crafters on your holiday lists. Today, Monday, November 28th, if you visit Moda's Cutting Table blog , you can learn all about their "12 Moda Days of Christmas" promotion, going on now through December 6th. They have a new 'stocking stuffer' idea each day on Facebook for quilters and their friends. TODAY, you can enter to win a fabric cut of Half Moon Modern. Check it out ! Half Moon Modern starts shipping today and so will arrive in stores and online very soon. Contact your favorite retailer for inventory information. Sewing Tools You Need
Fabric and Other SuppliesThe amounts listed below are for ONE curtain panel and ONE tie back . Depending on the size and number of your windows and the height of your curtain rod, you will need to adjust your measurements accordingly. Below, in our Getting Started section, we explain how we determined the sizes of our cut pieces.
Getting Started
The first step in creating this curtain panel is to do some math. Yay! We explain how we determined our cut and finished measurements. But, you're likely to have a different size window and/or your hardware (or rod) will be set at a different height. So, you can follow our example and adjust it accordingly to meet your curtain needs. We all have certain curtain needs, don't we? Finished LENGTH measurementsTotal heightThe height from the top of our rod to just below our window's sill plate is 52". This is the total finished height we want to achieve. We have a similar set of floor-length curtains in our Nature Brights Kitchen series, if you'd like to see typical measurements for a floor length set. Tab heightOur top tabs are 2½" in height from the top of the rod to the top of the curtain. This is a standard measurement for tab top curtains. Panel body heightThe finished length of the panel body (without the tabs) will simply be the finished height minus the height of the tabs. 52" - 2½" = 49½" Cut LENGTH measurementsNow we need to add for hem allowances at the top and bottom. TabsAs you may remember, if you were paying attention, our top tabs are 2½" in height from the top of the rod to the top of the curtain. These loop over the rod, so you need double that height. Then, one end overlaps the top seam by 2" on the front (that's where the accent button is sewn). Therefore, the total finished length will be 2½ x 2 = 5" + 2" = 7". Finally, we need to add to the length for seam allowances. Our cut length for the tabs will be 7" + ½" seam allowance on one end to create the finished end of the tab + ½" seam allowance on the other end where it will insert into the top seam = 8". Panel fabricWe need a total of 7½" for a nice deep hem on the bottom (also standard) and a ½" seam allowance at the top. Using our finished measurement of 49½", we add 7½" hem + ½" seam allowance = 57½" for our cut length. Cut WIDTH measurementsWell, this part is fairly easy. We decided the finished width of our panel curtain would be 44", including a 3" accent inset; so, our pieces use the full width of the fabric, including the selvedge, simply split down the middle. This gives us the extra we'll need for the sides. NOTE: Our window width was 48" and we wanted a nice gather to the two panels that would cover the window opening. We went with a bit more than 1.5 times the window width, also taking into account the WOF we were working with of 44-45". If you are new to making curtains, we have a tutorial on How To Measure For Curtains. Our inset accent strip is fussy cut from the Half Moon Modern Novely Butterfly in Aqua, so this motif determined the width of our accent. We determined 3" was perfect to center the butterfly motif. Accounting for a ½" seam allowance on both sides, this meant we needed a 4" wide strip. Depending on your fabric, your insert may be slightly wider or narrower, but try to keep it close to the 3" in order to best balance with the proportion of the main panels and best fit between two of the top tabs. And, finally, that brings up to the tab width. These need to finish at 2" wide and we need a ½" seam allowance. Instead of cutting two strips to sew together, we can cut just one 5" strip and fold it in half (2½ x 2). So, our cut width is 5". Finally, we're ready to cut! Referring to the cut length and width measurements we figured out above, we cut as follows for our window:
LiningLet's not forget, we still need to cut a lining. It's important to use the proper lining for your panel because it helps with light control, protects the fabric from fading in the sun, and gives the curtain body. The lighter quilting weight fabrics just aren't enough on their own. However, if you choose a heavy decorator weight fabric, you might be able to get away without a lining. For the most part, we're in the strongly-recommend-a-lining camp. Before you cut the lining, you need to do some math again. What a great day this is! It's standard practice to make the lining shorter than the actual panel so the lining doesn't hang below the hemline (much like the lining in a skirt). That measurement is usually 3" less than your finished total length. So, we need to subtract this from our total length before hemming. Our total finished panel length (less the tabs) is 49½". Our hem allowance at the bottom was 7½" and at the top ½". 49½" + 7½" + ½" = 57½" The cut length of the lining will be 57½" - 3 = 54½" For the width, we cut the lining 5" less than the cut width of the panel. This is also a standard measurement. The cut width of the lining will be 44" (width of fabric) - 5" = 39" Cut the lining piece 54½" x 39". Tie BacksJust when you were ready to put away your cutting tools. The tie-back! Our tie backs are 3" x 24", and we approached the cut width the same way as the tabs above, cutting them wide enough to fold in half and seam. The calculation is: the 3" finished width + ½" seam allowance = 3½" x 2 = 7". The tie back length is simply the finished length, which we determined should be 24" for a generous loop, plus a ½" seam allowance on each end: 24" + ½" + ½" = 25". The end loops are simply tiny tubes. From the fabric for the tie backs (Dots Spots Aqua in our sample), cut the following:
Other
At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing BoardPre-make your six tabs
Assemble the panels and accent strip
Panel and lining bottom hems
Sew front panel to lining along each side
Insert tabs and sew top seam
Attach header strip
Turn right side out and complete tabs
Tie backs and loops
Contributors Project Design: Alicia Thommas Other machines suitable for this project include the Bernina 530 and the Brother CS60001 Sew Advance.
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Comments (143)
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craftymom001
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... thanks alot fro such a detailed tutorial along with pics im making curtain for my kids room adn it helped m elaot |
Liz Johnson, Editor Sew4Home
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... @ chiara - As we mention above in our supply list, we used Moda's high quality muslin. There are and "rules" but choosing a high quality, solid fabric with good opacity is your best bet. White usually works best as a color, but even that is not mandatory/ We also prefer working with cotton over the blends. |
chiara
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... i am going to attempt to create these curtains and was wondering what type of material i need for the lining, is a special type? |
Carol Radcliffe
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... Love the home theme and the curtains certainly can cheer you into creating some awesome projects!!! The layer cake could be turned into a wall hangin for display on a small white cheery shelf near the curtains. |
Aggiequilter
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... BEST CURTAINS EVER !!! Your projects just continue to amaze me, I could spend hours on end here ... Thanks for all the inspiration ! |
Brenda Sanders
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... What beautiful curtains. And they look so easy! If I ever finish the quilt I'm working on, I think I would like to make these. And the blue is my favorite color - or maybe yellow. I'll have to think about that one! |
Susan Sampson
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... Hi, what fun, a new site and there is the wonderful Moda. I love butterflies (who doesn't) then there are paisleys & spots - great especially with my fave colour. |
RaeLyn
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... I Love your tutorials, so easy to follow and fun ideas! I wish I had tie to try them all! |
Sew Craft Make
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... Thanks for a great tutorial...I've shared on my page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sew-Craft-Make/167473063343414?ref=tn_tnmn |
SewCal Gal
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... Lovely design, excellent tutorial, inspirational project. I'm already planning what window I want to make these for first. Love them. SewCalGal www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com |
Jennifer Cheek-Payan
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... Today's post was great! I really love the color combination and I am in major need of a room make-over so the timing is perfect! |
Nancy Davis
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... Love these curtains!!! Loved the orginal Half Moon fabric line but I really like these colors much better!!! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
Kocanquilt
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... I love the curtains and the fabric. I look forward to seeing your other projects. |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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... What classy curtains! |
bimbi9
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Beth D
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... I love our site. So many cool ideas. Buttons on tabs for curtains-great shower curtain idea. plus I found the apron idea. |
Deb B.
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... These are lovely curtains! I really like the colors and the print. I would love to make some for my kitchen window. |
Jennifer M
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... SEW excited about this week's projects! My sewing room needs a facelift and looks like SEW4Home and MODA are the plastic surgeons! |
Ginny Bresette
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... I love fabric New and old and this line is just beautiful I would love to make some matching aprons for my daughter and her lil girl for 2012 They have birthdays are in January and February respectively Thanks for the opportunity to possibly win this great prize! Happy Holidays!! |
Cindi P.
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... I have been debating about new curtains for the guest bedroom...know I know what to make thanks! |
Kathie L
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... You wrote easily understood directions. I love the tap tops. Kathie L in Allentown |
Leslie C
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... So glad I found this blog! Paged back a bit and saw many things I need to do! And I also love the curtains! |
MarciaFlorida
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Lee Ann L.
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... Sharing some holiday love from Moda... the Cutting Table. :-) PS cute curtains! |
Debbie Lou
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... This is my first time at your site and I will definitely be back. I was directed here from the Moda Cutting Table site. Darling curtains...love the fabrics. |
msaggieamy
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Marguerite Guinn
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... The fabric is so pretty! I love the detailed directions for the curtains. |
Rhonda aka Quilter in The Gap
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... I absolutely love these curtains! I have saved these for when I redo my sewing room after the holidays. Thanks for the tutorial. I needed it! |
Julie N
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... If I were to win today's giveaway, the layer cakes, I would use them as a springboard to updating the decor in my sewing room. First, new valences. Then a sewing machine cover. Not far behind would be an art quilt. Not enough fabric for all that? Not to worry, Moda to the rescue AND my local fabric shop. |
Pat Upton
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... Lovely curtains! Wanted to bring you some holiday love, courtesy of Moda...the Cutting Table! |
amy smart
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... Great curtain tutorial. I have more than one room in need of some curtains. (I'm such a slacker.) This has highly motivated me! Thank you! |
Chookyblue
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... thanks for the tutorial.........I am getting a new sewing area very soon and need some new curtains for it............. love the new fabric range........ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
Katarina - Modern Patchwork
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... I come from Moda Cutting Table. But they didn't even have to tell me to stop by. I check your site every day. Thank you very much for the projects. I've already used many of your tutorials |
TeresaBlock
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... Love these tab top curtains. I am definitely making SOMEthing with this fabric line! Can't wait to see the rest of your plans for this line!! |
Kristi Van Os
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... Wow - I really love these curtains - I really looking forward to this series! |
vickit
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Dar
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... Hi! Visited the Moda's Cutting Table Blog and came back to Sew 4 Home. Wonderful curtains and Moda fabric! Thank you for the tutorial! |
Phyldar
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Shelitha2
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... I was sent here from moda cutting table and I think I will subscribe. I need to make curtains for my living room LOL! |

































Here's my Holiday Love....great Tutorial on the curtains. 