When it comes to decorating a home, curtains and drapes are the finishing touch to the rest of the hard work you put in. Using curtains to accent the undertones of color in your room or to play up certain furniture by using particular designs will make the room more aesthetically pleasing.
Curtains can be considered medium weight fabrics that are used to decorate a window or otherwise cover a window. Curtain fabrics do not include drapes, which are heavier fabrics than curtains; nor do curtains include sheers, which are simple panels of thin fabrics hung like curtains that offer no light blocking properties. Curtains are heavier than sheers and lighter than drapes, which makes them perfect year round for blocking light and helping to keep the windows weatherproofed.
When using curtains, some people will pair a window with a shade or set of blinds as well. This is not necessary, but can be done to help filter out more of the incoming light. The sunlight shining in the window through your curtains can be damaging to the darker colored curtains, as this will bleach them over time. This can be prevented by using drapes that have rubber backed fabrics, or simply install blinds to keep shut behind the curtains.
Fabrics used for drapes are a heavier, more opaque quality than those used for general curtains. Curtain fabrics are lighter fabrics and are able to admit light through, whereas drapes are created to block light and weather. Curtain fabrics consist mainly of cotton blends and polyester blends, while drapes use mostly rubber backing on these same blends to create the opacity of the panel.
Curtain fabrics come in every color of the rainbow, and in many different styles. Curtain fabrics bearing names of your favorite cartoon character, sports team, room motif or plants can be found. The curtain fabrics that are the most common for homes is the 70% cotton and 30% polyester blend. From faux silk to linen, the curtain fabrics of today are much nicer than our great grandparents had.
The width of curtain fabrics will vary. This is due to the type of fabric used as well as the colors and styles chosen. For curtains that have a small but repeating design such as hounds tooth or pebbles, even small flowers; these curtains will normally be 54 inches wide like all standard curtains, but will also have anywhere from a 13 ½ inch to 18 inch repeat. This means that the original design is found on the first 13 ½ to 18 inches of width of the curtain, and is simply repeated throughout the rest of the curtain fabrics.
Most curtains are made of a light enough material like cotton, that easy movement can be seen in the panel. However, there are cotton and poly blends that create a stiffer appearance, and linen can be used for a very stiff panel. Linen is commonly used for simple flat panels with no valances or swags. For valances or swags that are offered in balloon form, cotton and poly blends are the most common. This type of fabric is used for its ease of design use and versatility. From valances to swags and panels, there are many fabrics and designs available.
Custom made curtains can be created from any fabric, design or color you choose. Many fabric stores offer designs and instructions on how to create your own custom made curtains. These packages will give you all the information needed to create them on your own, but there are many seamstresses that will create them for you. The prices for custom made curtains will vary based on the sizes and materials used.
Author Resource:
Ricky Pitcher is the author of this article on Curtains .
Find more information about Fabrics here.
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