How to Sew a Valance or Curtain

It's time for another FREE pattern and my daughter can vouch for this one. She begged for a long time to add curtains to her bedroom window.  I've made them many times before so I knew it would be a quick project and kept putting it off. When we finally got around to it, she helped me make it and it took less than an hour. Oops!  She loves how it turned out though.  Today I'll show you how to make a simple valance or curtain! 

 Didn't they turn out super cute?  You can do this too!

First of all, I'm sure you've noticed that windows come in all different sizes.  That's not a problem for our tutorial because I'm going to teach you how to make a valance or curtain for ANY size window! 

This process is easiest if you attach your curtain rod to the wall at the very beginning.  You don't want to make a curtain a certain length and then have it be too long or short because of where you placed the rod!  

Make an Adjustable Waist Using Buttonhole Elastic

One of the features I have always looked for on my kids' storebought jeans is the awesome adjustable elastic on the inside of the waistband that gives the perfect fit no matter what body type they are.  (My kids are all different!)  Plus, you'd never know by looking at the outside of the jeans that they have hidden elastic to help keep the pants up without a belt.  It's fabulous! 

I'm not here to sell you on that kind of jeans though. I'm here to tell you that you and I can build it into any of our kids' homemade clothes too!  In fact, I'll show you right now:

Summer 18 Looks

I love watching fashion trends evolve. It's so fun to see what comes into style (usually back into style!!) and how long it stays. I love making my kids classic pieces that will last, but it's also fun to throw in some trendy styles that all of their friends will drool over!

So, with that being said, we challenged the staff to recreate looks they've seen for summer 2018 in Pinterest, through their favorite boutiques, or in stores.  We wanted to show you how easy it is to get a look you love with patterns you might already own! AND you get to customize the colors and fit to get a one-of-a-kind look.

First up is Tiffany Spence Argueta. She NAILED this look!!

Crops and fringe are everywhere right now, and this a great crop option for a little more modesty! Tiffany used Waverly for the top and Brooke's shorts modified to not be gathered at the cuff with added faux ties.

Next up is Shannon. Have you noticed all of the shirring this summer? I personally love shirring as it is SO forgiving- gain a little, lose a little, and it grows/shrinks with you!

 

Doesn't she look gorgeous? I love this top from Tillys but I also love a good polka dot. :) Shannon used our free Faith pattern and shortened it to be a shirt length (20" long). She used this free blog for the sleeves. She kept the same width as the cap sleeve but lengthened it to 12". A fun look for summer, and I know so many of us love sleeves!!

 

Nikki Luke made an awesome Fourth of July dress!

 

Nikki used our Davina pattern, which is a summer staple around our house! Isn't it awesome how one little detail like an angled skirt piece can add so much dimension yet be so easy?!?! This looks amazing on her!

 

Tiffaney Coleman saw this Well Dressed Wolf dress and instantly thought of Hattie!

 

Hattie is a fan favorite, anyway, because of it's beautiful simplicity. Add in a few details as shown here, and you've got a fun look for the beach or really many other occasions!

 

Tiffany Spence Argueta made a second look, and this one really vibes with my gypsy soul!

 

I mean this one is really screaming boho chic! Clothes that are cute and uber comfy are just the best, in my opinion. Tiffany used a shortened Charity top and Josephina skirt.