Sing the above to the tune from frozen 🎶

Ok… So made to measure are out of my price bracket, especially when you’ve just moved and you need four full length sets, that would seriously need a second mortgage. Especially from La Ashley. I’m thinking four figures, multiples thereof.

How hard can it be?

So here they are before.  Two sets for the lounge. Actually they did come from LA in their 30% off sale, with another 10% off as a new customer and I’m sure I’m owed some cash back from good old Quidco. But not looking great. So I wonder, ‘how hard can it be?’

My mum says to me ‘shorten from above not below’ and whilst I know she is a proper sewing bee who actually made her own wedding dress, this truly sounds like utter sorcery to me… But then when a 75 year old patient at work who makes curtains for her local church tells me the same I must confess to thinking that mumsy might be onto something here.

And so I begin… (This doesn’t work with eyelets, I’ll save that for another day)

Once you’ve pinned to the length you require, work out exactly how much you need to cut off. Then fold over the TOP, header tape and all, by this amount. Then pin again. And iron.

Then offer up to make sure you’ve not gone batty and got something very wrong, and unpin the bottom, you should now have the correct length…

Once you’re happy, carefully unpick the header tape and pin it to the newly folded topline of your curtain. And sew! With a machine, one straight line just at the top edge.

When you’re happy and feeling brave, cut off the excess underneath making sure you only take off the bit you don’t need, about an inch or so from the top.

Then fold in your corners!

And then sew each side (or you can leave these edges free to tuck in your strings once pulled to the correct length) and the long length to fix your tape.

Unpin, and you’ve done it. Seriously. It’s that easy. I told you, sorcery. Four (or possibly just the two) straight lines to sew, that’s literally it.

And here they are hung. Triumphant!!! Go on. Have a go. You can do it.