How To Sew Lined CurtainsI know you are here because you do not want to sew a curtain that you can see through. Lined curtains have thick linings so it has a wide range of applications. Some of you might want to sew either drapery lining or interlining and some of you might want to add both. Whatever you want, the tips I share here will be of great help.
Before we dive into the tips, let’s talk about some of the lined curtain applications. You may discover something you do not know before in this article.
Keeping The Light OutIn some fancy hotels, you will see so thick curtains that they totally block the light out. The reason here is they want to make sure guests have asleep as long as they like. I do not know about you but I personally do not like to be woken up early when I am on a vacation.
Lined curtains
When you want to recreate this effect, make sure that you go for a synthetic material. However, not all home sewing machines can handle the thick material that is required to sew lined curtains. The needle and the stitches might be broken and the skipped stitches might happen. The solution here is to read best heavy-duty sewing machine reviews to find a competent model. To save you some time looking,
read this article to choose the best heavy duty sewing machines.
These machines make use of larger and more durable needles and some of them might feature a built-in walking foot to sew multiple layers of thick fabrics. The walking foot will balance out the pressure that the feed dog applies on the project so that different layers do not go off course when you sew.
Keep The Room WarmThe interlining is what you should add to a curtain if you want to keep the cold off the room or the office. This layer comes between the main fabric and the other lining layer.
To fulfill this purpose, what you should look for is a loosely woven fabric as the interlining. Such material is the best in keeping the cold out of the room. The material has another benefit. It makes the final curtains look thicker.
Sometimes the color of the lining might contrast with the main curtain fabric so to ensure you have a good-looking final product, have a talk with a specialist for advice. I have seen a lot of curtains that the lining shows itself through the main fabric, making them look weird and wonky.
Keep The Room Free Of NoiseAn interlining can block the cold out but you also want to block the noise, you might want to increase the thickness of this layer. This type of lining has an official name too. It is England-Bump, which is twice or even three times as thick as a regular interlining.
This is what bothers sewists a lot as it is thicker than what most home sewing machines can handle. A material to sew a normal curtain is thick enough, imagine double or triple this thickness and you will see why.
I know lined curtains sound intimidating to work with but there is a way to solve the problems. Here are some tips to help you:
If England-Bump curtains are what you want to sew (which has three layers, the main fabric, the lining, and the interlining), the needle you want to opt for should be of size 20 or 22. The machine should go with a walking foot. What I usually use is a 135x17 needle. It sews through the thick curtains easily. For a list of the
best heavy duty machine for home use 
that allows these settings, read our guides at CraftsSelection website to find out.
Straight stitches work best on lined curtains. Just make sure that you backstitch properly at the beginning and the end to ensure the durability of the curtains.
Back-stitching at beginning and end of seam to secureThe thread I often use is the nylon bonded 69. However, depending on the material you use for the curtain, the lining, and the interlining, choose the type of thread accordingly. If you have no experience with this, call The Thread Exchange. Tell them about the make and model of your machine, the material you intend to use. They will recommend the type of thread that is suitable for your project.
When you are done, wash the curtains, dry them and if necessary, iron them thoroughly. You do not want your curtains to be wrinkled, do you?
You want to fold the hem twice to add durability to your curtains so make sure that you cut the width by 2 extra inches and the length 7 inches. This will allow you to make such hem.
While the main fabric should have extra fabric, you want the lining to be cut exactly as you plan. You want everything to fit so measure again when you finish cutting and trim off the exceeding if needed.
When you sew hems, make sure that the lining is tucked under and keep everything in place by using pins. This step can be skipped when you sew other projects but for lined curtains, always take time to pin to make sure everything stays in its place.
Unless you intend to make the thread pops, always use the thread that has the color matching that of the fabric. I have never tried using a different thread but I do not say that you cannot try.
This is the order you want to follow: first, sew the top hem; and then the side hems. Do not do differently because you will cause yourself the trouble.
Not all budget-friendly models can sew thick fabrics but there are some of them might. If you want to know about the
top heavy duty sewing machines for beginners that can handle this job, visit our website CraftsSelection today. Check it out.
