Making Curtains.....Help!

[Clayton]

So I have decided to tackle making some new curtains for the Trillium. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how much fabric I will need to do a complete set of curtains. Also any tips would be appreciated!!! Thanks

[Marinab]

When I made mine, I measured the length of each window and made the curtain 1 1/2 to 2 times
the width depending on the material used.

[Pam Garlow]

1 1/2 x each window will give you gentle fullness. Also add 2" on each side for the side hems. If you just want to be able to gather them on a rod top and bottom, then you should allow enough length for the 'pocket' (top and bottom)as well as 1/2" for folding under the raw edge.
If you already have curtains in the trillium, you have ready-made templates to figure sizes and material amounts. You can simply measure them (taking into account the size of hems, etc)

[Clayton]

Great! Thanks for the advice. I am going to order my retro fabric tomorrow. I'll post some pics when completed.

[Pam Garlow]

Retro fabric will look so very cool! Definitely post photos!
Also, my personal preference is to not try to match everything. I have one pattern around my dinette/back bed area, and another complementary fabric for the front window and door.
Sometimes the fabric websites will show other fabric color and pattern selections that will complement each other.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I'd line them- I used muslin on the outside, so that if the sun shines a lot on the windows the curtains don't bleach out. If you want them to make the trailer dark, you'd need a heavier liner.

[Shirley LaMoine]

Clayton, everyone has given you great advice. If it were my curtains, my first question would be what do I want the curtains to look like? Do you want a gathered look or a more tailored, flat look like the ones that come in a Scamp? How do you want them to open and close? For your side windows over your bed/table area, do you want 2 panels or just 1 panel that pulls to one side? Before you decide how much fabric you need you need to decide how you want them to look.

[Carol H]

Normally curtain material is measured 2 to 2 1/2 times the width of the widow if you are not wanting them to look completely stretched out when closed. As Shirley suggest its all a matter of what you wish them to look like when closed.

I have done two sets of curtains for my trailer. The first time I used a fairly heavy material and didn't line them. The more current ones are lined with a curtain liner that has a little bit of plastic film on the window side. It works well at keeping out light but it also stops the curtains from sucking up moisture from the windows and makes the currents a little heavier so they hang neatly open or closed.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

Retro fabric will look so very cool!

Just asking. What did retro fabric look like in the 1950s?

[Jane SC]

I lined my curtains so they are reversible...plain on one side, striped on other. Works good.

[honda03842]

Clayton, We were at a Scamp Camp and a Scamper suggested using the original white/tan curtains as a backing for the new curtains. It eased the task, provided a defined model and resulted in thicker curtains. Ginny had material left over and made a matching pillow.

We used a small flowered pattern that faces inward and brightens the interior.

[Clayton]

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas and suggestions. I'm excited to start my little project!!!

[Seamstress]

I agree with all of the suggestions made, especially the need for lining. Without a lining, sun exposure will bleach out the colors of your retro fabric. After finding the perfect fabric, you don't want to have to do this all over again in a year or so when all the colors have faded.

The one thing that I would add is to make sure that the fabric and the lining have the same washing/drying care instructions. For example, lining your curtains with a shower curtain might eliminate putting them in a dryer. That would leave you with wrinkled fabric that would need ironing to look decent again. I hate ironing, especially a large volume like curtains. So, be careful to choose a compatible lining fabric for your curtains.

Good luck with your project and I look forward to some pix when it is complete.

[honda03842]

Rosemary.....

Ironing, we ditched the iron when we took up RVing. It's the wrinkled look for us.

As we age, that includes our faces....

[Craig Broughton]

Hi have done a few trailers in the past and found that if you use a darkening fabric as a backer the curtains hang better and help to keep the sun out. I was just at a fabric shop today looking for new material for the cushions and I was looking at the outdoor fabric for umbrellas uv resistant and stain resistant. I did not find any prints that I like though.As in the past I will get a local hutterite colony to sew all the cushion covers and curtains. Those ladies know there way around a sewing machine, and they do not charge much.

Originally Posted by Clayton

So I have decided to tackle making some new curtains for the Trillium. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how much fabric I will need to do a complete set of curtains. Also any tips would be appreciated!!! Thanks

[Gilda]

Good for you for wanting to change the look of your trailer interior with DIY curtains! You have already received some great advice; cut fabric 1 1/2 to 2 times the width, line with muslin or white fabric, match the washing instructions for both the interior and lining fabrics. I like to make curtain panels while keeping the original off-white fabric curtains that came with the Scamp.Novelty fabric patterns can be overwhelming if used all around a small space.

Be sure to pre-wash all the fabrics so they don't shrink in the future. I created tie-backs that fasten to the rat fur walls with the hook side of hook and loop (Velcro) fabric. I made "shades" (of Ron-Loc, a block out material) that hand roll on a dowel placed on top of the curtain rod holders. See photos.

The light fabric is the same in both photos. They just photographed differently. The two photos show different fabric designs. My Southwest motif is accessorized with matching pillows, fleece throw blankets and stuffed animals.

Have fun with glamping your rig!

[Donna D.]

Items like changing curtains, flooring and upholstery are the things that will make your trailer uniquely your own. Be one of one, not one of many!

[hykersNM]

Good tips on curtains, thank you. Especially like the idea of lining with the already Scamp curtains.
Norm and Ginny - pleasure to meet and talk with you in AZ! Great upgrades to your Scamp.

[elli]

I'm currently making quilted shades that will velcro onto the windows (under the curtains) using hand painted silk on the inside and insul brite batting (which has mylar in it ) and a neutral shade of linen on the outside. These will hopefully keep the cool air in or ...out when we need it. I got the idea from the screens that we attach to our boat cabin windows to keep the mosquitos out. I'll give you pictures and an update on how well they work once I've finished them up.

Good luck on your curtains - If you have old ones you can also measure them for dimensions. Seam allowances are generally around a half inch- pocket rods vary based on what you've got.
I'm sure you will do a fine job- You can always use some newspaper to make a pattern if that helps.

[Kenny Strong]

My wife didn't want to respond...But the curtains she made for our 13.5

Bigfoot are gorgeous,, heavy lined, everyone raves about how perfect they look when she shows them to her friends. The problem. They are so heavy that they will not work they cannot be opened because they are so stiff and full ( I do not know the seamstress terms) very sad . chose fabrics with care. Think about the way the curtains hang, On the curve, where they hang straight down they reach my head when turning; I am speaking of the original from the factory, unlined, very thin. I don't know if Velcro at their bottoms would solve my oh well feeling