Curtain Fabric Guides
Plain answers to the questions that come up once you start ordering: which lining to pick, how to handle a bay window, how long to make the curtains, and why fabric width forces seams. Each guide links back to the fabric calculator so you can run your own numbers.
Plan and order with confidence
Curtain Linings
Blackout, thermal, and interlining, what each does and when to pick it.
Read the guideBay Windows
Measure each section on its own, add the angles, then order.
Read the guideCurtain Length
Float, kiss, or puddle: the three lengths and the exact allowances.
Read the guideFabric Width
Why fabric is 54 inches, why curtains have seams, and what railroading does.
Read the guideSize Chart
Standard curtain widths and lengths in inches and cm, and how to pick yours.
Read the guideCurtain Rods
Rod length, mounting height, projection, and when to add a center bracket.
Read the guideCurtain Width
Rod width times fullness, plus returns and overlap, and how many panels.
Read the guideFabric by the Yard
What a yard of fabric is, a fraction chart in inches and cm, and how to round a curtain order.
Read the guidePinch Pleat vs Ripplefold
Fullness, stack-back, hardware, and the real yardage gap between pinch pleat and ripplefold on the same window.
Read the guide9 Foot Ceilings
96 or 108 inch panels for a 9 foot room, where the rod goes, plus 8 and 10 foot ceilings.
Read the guide8 Foot Ceilings
84 or 95 inch panels for an 8 foot room, the 6 inch band where the rod goes, and the fix for ring-top curtains.
Read the guideStart with the basics
How to Measure
Measuring for curtains comes down to two numbers and where you take them from: the width of the track or pole, and the finished drop from the top of the heading to where you want the hem to fall.
Read the guideFullness & Pleats
Fullness is how much wider than the track your fabric is gathered, and it is set by the heading you choose.
Read the guidePattern Repeat
A patterned fabric has to match across every width, so each drop is cut to a whole number of pattern repeats.
Read the guide