ae

Measure and measure again before cutting out! Use good quality dressmaking shears (these will last you for decades if carefully looked after and not used for anything except fabric, so are well worth investing in). Mark your cutting line with pins or dressmakers’ chalk before cutting so you’ve got a line to follow. If the fabric got creased in the bag on the way home...

If you’re intending to line your curtains, you’ll need to buy curtain lining fabric too. You’ll also need enough curtain tape, if you’re sewing a taped curtain, and you’ll need enough thread. If you can’t get an exact colour match for the thread, choose one that’s slightly darker than the fabric. You might like to weight down your curtains with curtain weights. These will help...

For small windows you can use a lightweight material if you like, but for larger windows you will usually need a heavier weight of fabric. You can buy this at shops that sell upholstery fabrics. Ask for a small sample of the fabric to take home before buying, so you can check the colours in the light your room, you don't want it looking out of place...

Unless it’s a very small window, you’ll need a metal tape measure for this, and it’s always wise to MEASURE TWICE. Mistakes are expensive! If you live in an old character house, measure the window at several points as sometimes old windows aren’t square – then work with the longest measurements. You need the width and the height (often called...

This is the first of a series of sewing blogs from industrial sewing machine specialists AE Sewing Machines of Wrexham, North Wales. We hope you find it useful & there is more to come.