Banded DIY Drapery Panel

Well here it is finally...3 windows, 8 panels turned into 6 panels...and I am in love with them. If I had been able to sit down with zero distractions they would have been done in one day, but who has that life?

From Restoration Hardware

This was my inspiration, while I love the dark brown on these panels I wanted something a bit more casual and at a price that wouldn't break my heart when there are kiddo hand prints on them.  Below is what I came up with.

You will need: (this is for one window, increase according to the number of windows you are doing)

Drapery Panels-two white and two linen. I used Ikea Lenda in cream and linen, at $14.99 a pair you can't beat it.

Sewing Machine 

Thread

Measuring tape

Fabric pen

Drapery Hardware

Step 1-Measure window, determine how high you want your hardware and how long you will need the panels to be. For my windows I hung the hardware at 120" and made the drapes 120". I like them to just touch the ground. 

Step 2-Iron your panels both white and linen. Lay them out on the ground and make measurement marks with measuring tape and fabric pen. I can't stress how important this is, it is really a drag to hang your panel up and have a super wonky seam at the bottom. Not that I did that or anything. I measured to make sure the panel was square, it wasn't. Then I marked my cream panel at 90".

Step 3-Measure and cut linen, I did 30", then allowed 3 inches for hem and seam for 33" total length.

Step 4-Make a crease along the line you measured out on both the cream and the linen panel. For a 120" panel I did 93" long for the cream and 33" for the linen.

Step 5-With right sides together line up the crease of the linen to the cream crease as shown. Pin and sew along the crease.

Step 6-Press seam flat, trim allowing for 1" of fabric.

Step 7-For a clean look to the back of your panel fold over raw edges and iron. Sew flat, I used the foot to measure the stitching equally on both the linen and cream.

Step 8- Press and sew hem. I fold over 1/2 and then 1" and sew for a clean hem. 

Step 9-If sides of panel are uneven between the cream and linen, press and sew. Mine of course were, but it wasn't hard to press the cream to the width of the linen and sew. 

For those of you who purchase pocket top panels you are done, hang and enjoy. If you purchase the Lenda from Ikea they come with tab top. That was not the look I wanted so I had another step. 

Step 10-Sew tab top over flat to the back of the panel (I of course forgot to take a picture of that step). Once sewn run your drapery rod through the pocked created by sewing over the tab tops. I was actually really pleased with doing this because it created a great pleated top look to the panels. 

Hope you find this to be a helpful tutorial. Hindsight being what it is I would have maybe done a contrasting tread so you could see the stitching on both sides of the seam between the cream and the linen. But as it is the detail is very pretty. 

This tutorial was linked Here...