Made to Order Curtains - Things You Need to Know Before You Buy

Made to order curtains make it easy to show off your style, while adding the features you like. In order to purchase your made to measure curtains, a few simple steps are required. First, you must choose the fabric of your choice. There is a wide selection of fabrics, ranging from solid colours, stripes and checkered designs. Choose to match your made to measure curtains to your existing furniture, or opt for a bold colour that will bring out other features in the room.

If you are unsure of what fabric you would like, simply request some swatches of fabric from the company of your choice. You will be sent the swatches through the mail and you can determine which fabrics will look best on your windows.

After you have chosen your fabric, you will need to select your heading type. There are four basic types of headings, including pencil pleat, pinch pleat, tab top and eyelet. The pencil pleat and pinch pleat are more traditional styles, while the white tab top and eyelet are more modern.

Pencil pleat curtains are folded and gathered together, resembling a row of pencils. In order to achieve this look, the cords are pulled together on the heading and are then wound around a cord to keep them in place.

Pinch pleat curtains are designed to fit only the windows they are made for. These headings are attached below the top of the curtain, hiding the track.

Tab top headings can only be used with curtain poles. Loops are sewn onto the top of the curtain and are used to hang down from the curtain pole. Eyelets are headings that have holes, or eyes, across the top of the curtain. The eyes are usually made of metal and can vary in diameter. One last type of heading style you can choose from are Roman blinds. Roman blinds form soft pleats when raised and when lowered, will hang flat.

Once you have chosen your fabric and heading type, you will need to determine the measurements needed for your made to measure curtain. For the width measurement, simply measure the length of the track, not the window. The height can be determined by measuring the heading height from the eye of the curtain to where you want the curtain to fall.

You will then choose the lining for your made to measure curtains. Generally, you will pick between a white or ecru coloured lining, in addition to the weight of the lining. To complete your made to order curtains, opt for curtain tie backs or holdbacks that allow you to let in light by tying your curtains back. Or, opt for cushions in the same style fabric as your curtains.