Cooler in summer, warmer in winter with Insul-Bright insulated curtains
About a year ago I made some curtains for Jeff's office because it gets SO hot in the summer. Jeff's office has a rather large east facing window and when temps hit 95 degrees before 9AM, it means a painfully hot day or a horrendous sting when the electric bill arrives. Thankfully we do have refrigerated air, but with this window and the sun penetration it was killing us cost wise to keep the room bearable.
With energy costs what they are, I wish I could multiply the hours in a day so I could make some insulated curtains for every window in our house. The layer of mylar reflects heat back toward the window in the summer (cold gets reflected back in the winter) instead of absorbing it or passing it through to the room. If prices keep going at the rate they are, I'm going to have to MAKE time.
The picture below/left shows one panel hanging down and one tied--to allow best natural light for taking the pictures.
I made these over a year ago and didn't use a pattern so I'll do my best to describe what I did. If I had it to do over I would make them about 3" longer. They are bulky and they do darken the room which can be good or bad depending upon what you want. They are not "flow-y". But they are attractive and very functional.
NOTE: There are many ways to make curtains, this is simply the method I used and I like the result. Quilted curtains would be wonderful also!
OK...so how I did it:
I figured my needed width and length for my top fabric, allowing extra for the top to make the rod pocket and a little extra length at the bottom for the hem where I would not want to double the Insul-Bright & lining because it will only add bulk. The Insul-Bright and lining were not extended up into the top area (rod pocket channel) or into the bottom hem allowance.
Keeping in mind my placement allowances for the top (rod pocket area) and the hem at the bottom, I layered my panel fabric (right side up), lining fabric (wrong side up), then Insul-Bright on top.
Stitch each vertical side.
Turn right sides out so that Insul-Bright is now in the center and your side seams are inside. Smooth and press.
Top-stitched down each vertical edge (along the seams you just sewed & turned).
Press & make sure the top edge of lining fabric & Insul-Bright is straight all the way across (horizontally at the top and bottom). I pinned & stabilized the top edge of Insul-Bright & Lining start with a large zig zag. A basting stitch would work also.
Finish the bottom edge which should be panel fabric only, fold up to cover the bottom edge of the lining & Insul-Bright, hem the bottom.
Finish the top edge of the panel fabric.
Fold over finished top edge down (toward the back of the curtain) to form your rod pocket area, slightly overlapping and covering where the zigzag or basting stitching of the lining & Insul-Bright lay across the top. Make sure it's straight, press, pin, stitch all the way across.
Using the top edge of the fold and the stitching line you just made, mark your rod pocket channel (this should be 2 horizontal lines). Stitch the channel, reinforcing the stitching at each end.
With energy costs what they are, I wish I could multiply the hours in a day so I could make some insulated curtains for every window in our house. The layer of mylar reflects heat back toward the window in the summer (cold gets reflected back in the winter) instead of absorbing it or passing it through to the room. If prices keep going at the rate they are, I'm going to have to MAKE time.
The picture below/left shows one panel hanging down and one tied--to allow best natural light for taking the pictures.
I made these over a year ago and didn't use a pattern so I'll do my best to describe what I did. If I had it to do over I would make them about 3" longer. They are bulky and they do darken the room which can be good or bad depending upon what you want. They are not "flow-y". But they are attractive and very functional.
NOTE: There are many ways to make curtains, this is simply the method I used and I like the result. Quilted curtains would be wonderful also!
OK...so how I did it:
I figured my needed width and length for my top fabric, allowing extra for the top to make the rod pocket and a little extra length at the bottom for the hem where I would not want to double the Insul-Bright & lining because it will only add bulk. The Insul-Bright and lining were not extended up into the top area (rod pocket channel) or into the bottom hem allowance.
Keeping in mind my placement allowances for the top (rod pocket area) and the hem at the bottom, I layered my panel fabric (right side up), lining fabric (wrong side up), then Insul-Bright on top.
Stitch each vertical side.
Turn right sides out so that Insul-Bright is now in the center and your side seams are inside. Smooth and press.
Top-stitched down each vertical edge (along the seams you just sewed & turned).
Press & make sure the top edge of lining fabric & Insul-Bright is straight all the way across (horizontally at the top and bottom). I pinned & stabilized the top edge of Insul-Bright & Lining start with a large zig zag. A basting stitch would work also.
Finish the bottom edge which should be panel fabric only, fold up to cover the bottom edge of the lining & Insul-Bright, hem the bottom.
Finish the top edge of the panel fabric.
Fold over finished top edge down (toward the back of the curtain) to form your rod pocket area, slightly overlapping and covering where the zigzag or basting stitching of the lining & Insul-Bright lay across the top. Make sure it's straight, press, pin, stitch all the way across.
Using the top edge of the fold and the stitching line you just made, mark your rod pocket channel (this should be 2 horizontal lines). Stitch the channel, reinforcing the stitching at each end.
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