Q: My mother has been on the hunt for pre-made curtain panels for months. She claims she doesn’t want to have to wait for custom panels (we won’t remind her that she’d already have some if she’d ordered them at the beginning of this ordeal!). She’d like them to be colorful, springy, and fun and in just a plain panel style – no tab tops! I think a graphic print would be nice but I think she’s leaning toward a floral.
The bedroom has an antique iron bed, painted white, that’s covered in various old quilts or vintage chenille bedspreads (depending on her mood) along with an antique dresser and a vintage luggage rack – it is the guest room after all! The walls are a buttery yellow. All she’s been able to find are bland, boring, and cheaply made. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look?
Sent by Robin
Editor: Please share sources and ideas with Robin (and Robin's mom!) in the comments below - thanks!
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I had the same problem. Ended up having to make my own curtains. It really isn't that hard.
Anthropologie (always beautiful!!!) or 1/2 price curtains. Good luck!
??? Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn/Target/Pottery Barn Kids/Land of Nod....on and on and on......?
Ikea and Urban Outfitters also have a lot of fun print curtains, but I agree with bemyescape, they are really not hard to make yourself, especially the plain panel style you are talking about.
Pine Cone Hill has some nice florals.
Etsy!
Or, Ebay! Search for "vintage flat sheet" and you'll see lots of choices. Although most listings are for one sheet, if you are patient, you can scroll through the listing and find two sheets of the same pattern, often from the same seller.
Alternatively, with the quilts already in the space, your mom might like to buy two different sheets and hang them together. To unify the look if you cut a strip off the bottom of each sheet and make a tieback, then use the tieback made from Sheet A to hold back Curtain B, and vice-versa.
If your mom objects to sewing, any tailor or clothing repair person at the neighborhood cleaners can do this in very little time and for not much money.
Good luck!
http://bit.ly/c1mTAT
I haven't checked these sites yet, but look into Land of Nod and Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen. They have fun stuff sometimes!
fabric.com has ready made panels.
If anyone is wondering about the fabric pictured above, it's Sis Boom.
check out the dkny curtains on curtainworks.com...they might work for your mother's needs....good luck
Pier 1 and World Market also have decent panels (some of them anyway)...
I made them myself. The prints at B&J Fabrics in NYC are amazing. Simple cotton, and they have tons of great graphic prints. I made simple pinch pleated curtains myself and bought the rods and circle slider thingies from restoration hardware. plus my windows are very long, so i would have paid an arm and a leg if i bought them.
"fabric.com has ready made panels."
3 plain white tab-tops is all they have - You have to cut the width you need.
Everything else - including the patterns that the OP's mother wants - is bolt-fabric.
Country Curtains might have just what she's looking for.
http://www.countrycurtains.com/category/100 curtains/102 tailored curtains.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=all
i have had luck at World Market, and if there's one near you, Anna's Linens
In defense of tabs or rings - if you just get the pocket-style (no tabs) curtains, they won't sweep nicely to the side. There's so much fabric to bunch up. So, they'll end up obscuring the window all the time.
Madura on Newbury St. has some really great panels. I am eyeing some laser cut felt ones for my powder room. Lots of fun and colorful styles.