How to make a door curtain panel with contrast band

Add colour and cosiness to a doorway with a pretty panelled curtain following Country Homes & Interiors easy instructions.

You will need:

• Fabric (we used main fabric; Fergus in Hawthorn, from £75 a metre, Voyage Decoration. Border fabric in Lomond Check, £102 a metre, Osborne & Little)
• Matching thread
• A sewing machine or needle
• A pole for hanging (try polesdirect.com)

Step 1) Adjust and position the curtain pole in place inside your door at your preferred height. Measure the width of your door at its widest point and the drop from the top of the curtain pole to the floor.
Step 2) Cut the curtain from the fabrics to these measurements as follows, adding to the drop length of the top fabric the measurement of the pole circumference plus 6cm for the top of the curtain and 1 cm for the middle hem and 1cm for the middle hem plus 7cm for the bottom hem to the floor for the bottom fabric (based on this fabric finishing at one third the length of your top fabric). Add a total of 14cm to the width for side hems on each fabric.
Step 3) Before joining the fabrics together overlock the edges of the joining widths of the fabrics. Lay the fabrics together widthways, right sides facing. Pin and hem 1cm in from the edge then open out and press.
Step 4) To hem the side edges, press under 7cm along each side edge then turn under the raw edge by 2cm. Pin then machine stitch in place, removing the pins as you go.

Step 5) To make the channel for the curtain pole, press under the measurement of the pole circumference plus 4cm along the top of each curtain then turn under the raw edge by 2cm. Pin then machine stitch in place 1mm from the folded-under edge, removing the pins as you go.
Step 6) Carefully thread the pole through the channel at the top of the curtain. Reposition the pole above the door, checking that it is level and that it is sitting at the same height as it was when you measured up.
Step 7) Pin the bottom hem by turning under 2cm. Check that the hem looks straight then machine stitch in place, removing the pins as you go.
Step 8) Thread the finished curtain back onto the pole and reposition the pole over the door. Turn up and pin the bottom hem to sit on the floor by the remaining fabric, mitering the edge corners or the fabric for neatness. Either hem by hand or using a machine to blind stitch this to secure, removing the pins as you go. Finally remove the curtain once more, press, then re hang.

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