Search Amazon.com merchandizes using this form   - Books

Home & Interior Design books:
Creative Curtainmaking Made Easy

Today's info: "Best is reviewing several books first prior to purchasing at Amazon.com."

---

NOTE: All online transactions are processed at Amazon.com's secure server,
using the latest technology on internet's secure transactions.

Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill

List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $0.79
You Save: $ 24.16 ( 97% )
(prices subject to change)

Average Customer Ratings:

Luscious photos ripe with shimmering silks, crisp linens, colorful cottons, and rich wools showcase a delicious array of drapes, valances, shades, and tiebacks. With an eye for drama and a fearless use of color, interior designer Heather Luke serves up lots of floor-to-ceiling treatments of chintzes, toiles, sheers, checks, plaids, and stripes, sometimes several at once. Headings are pleated, gathered, tabbed, ruched, buttonholed, bunched, reefed, grommeted, and gobleted; edges are bound, bordered, fringed, piped, and rolled.

Made Easy is rather a misnomer, however, since Luke's depth of detail in the directions does not match the breadth of her imagination in the design. Step-by-step instructions outline the basics of making each style, but none save the expert sewer will find these brief explanations fully adequate. Yet the book's very opulence is part of its success; the other part is Luke's expertise at analyzing design elements, fabric choices, and color and pattern considerations, and at adapting a dizzying array of styles to almost any type of window. Experienced curtain makers can probably manage with the how-tos; everyone else can feast their eyes on these lovely creations, gather ideas, then hire an expert to help realize their window dreams. --Amy Handy


PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 646.21
EAN: 9780823010417
ISBN: 0823010414
Label: Watson-Guptill
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 160
Publication Date: 2001-05-01
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Studio: Watson-Guptill


SIMILAR ITEMS:

• Sew in a Weekend - Curtains, Blinds & Valances (Sew in a Weekend Series)
• Window Treatments Idea Book (Taunton Home Idea Books)
• Do-It-Yourself Fabric Decor : Pillows, Window Treatments, and Slipcovers for Your Home
• Sunset Curtains, Draperies & Shades
• The Complete Book of Curtains and Drapes


CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Beautiful Photos, Short on Advanced Details -
Great, creative curtain designs, marvelous for inspiration. There are solid instructions for basics such as estimating yardage, seam types, lining, etc. However there are NOT actual instructions for making most of the styles shown. The occasional detailed instructions are patchy (just showing the basics of one detail, rather than how to achieve the whole effect, and sparsely illustrated) I give this book 5 stars for photography and ideas, but only one star for detailed instructions for all but the most basic curtain sewer. There are many lovely curtains in this book I'd love to know how to assemble. It is so frustrating to see all these cool ideas and then find only the barest coverage of the techniques needed to create them!

Great book for making curtains -
Curtains are more complex than one would think and this book does a great job of getting you through the basics and into advanced designs. It book starts out helping you choose fabric, curtain fittings and poles. Preparation for sewing both curtains and shades, planning, measuring and caring for your curtains is also covered. A section on estimating amounts of fabric and accessories needed was a big help.

In the first set of examples you learn to make tiebacks, folded, and roman shades. Sheers and lightweights are next. I love the one decorating with flowers. Projects include a kitchen gingham with bindings, a hook back curtain and a pin-tucked lined curtain.

Lined and interlined curtains as well as flat and gathered valances follow. You are shown how to make hand-pleated, gathered, hand-gathered, rolled edge and bunched headings. Hook bands, frills and Italian stringing are also covered. Projects include an appliqued curtain with tabs and patchwork curtains. There is great advice on adding contrasting linings or quilted borders and mixing and matching fabrics too.

The project instructions throughout are excellent. The entire process is explained step-by-step with demonstrating photos. A large photo of the finished project accompanies these and a great variety of styles and fabrics are used.

The last chapter focuses on basic sewing skills. This is a great reference and very helpful for beginners to sewing like myself. Here you are shown how to make seams and mitered corners. Several stitches, borders and piping are also illustrated. There is even a discussion of bought trimmings, a glossary and a list of suppliers. This is a great book for anyone who wishes add that special touch or save money by making their own curtains.

Curtainmaking--Making them so they flow like the pros -
If you are inspired by visualization, this book is for you! I purchased this book primarily for ideas and and I received plenty of them. What stands out far and above everything are the beautiful photographs. They are pictures of the different types of drapes and curtains that Ms. Luke has created for the homes of various clients. She has created alot of wonderful drapes that also serve as creative artwork.

I have never made a curtain or drape in my life, but I am an experienced sewer and in my opinion Ms. Luke takes the time to explain everything in an orderly fashion in order to familiarize the reader with what to expect as well as providing you with a break-down (both in metric and U.S.) for how to measure your windows or doors with acuracy as well as how much fabric to buy. In addition, she also gives instruction for how to do various hems, tiebacks, valances, and interlinings. She describes the different types of drapes you can make to get the dramatic looks you want. In all honesty I will probably have a professional make a pair of drapes from the book for me before I do it myself because I want to make sure they are done with precision, however, that takes nothing away from the instruction that Ms. Luke has provided- what I want I don't have the time to do right now.

I would gladly recommend this book to an experienced sewer or an adventurous beginner.

---

NOTE: All online transactions are processed at Amazon.com's secure server, using the latest technology on internet's secure transactions.

| Home Design | Interior Design |