The Sewing Place

Curtain making

Nicola1968

Curtain making
« on: May 15, 2018, 18:02:18 PM »
Last week I did a Professional Curtain Making course. I really enjoyed it and already have a couple of enquiries.

So excited to be starting a business doing something I love.

Nik


Renegade Sewist

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2018, 19:24:23 PM »
Nik, I wish you well in your new endeavor. That is such a neat skill to have.

When I was a child my Mom made our house curtains and draperies and they were amazing. The Conso company, which makes a lot of trims and header tape used to publish frequent decorating and how to books. I loved reading them. I have them somewhere.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

fajita

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2018, 22:19:20 PM »
That's pretty good going, @Nicola1968 , to get enquiries so soon after training. Good luck for your business venture.

Hummingbird

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2018, 09:05:33 AM »
Great news to have some orders already.....if you find you need some specific curtain advice or would like to get to know some other curtain makers then I can recommend the soft furnishings forum over at mydecozo.co.uk

b15erk

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2018, 09:17:24 AM »
Good Luck Nicola!  Wishing you all the very best.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Sewgorgeous

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2018, 21:32:56 PM »
@Nicola1968 - This sounds like something I need. Can I ask how what course was it, how long it was for and where did you do it?  Also, did you learn enough to be confident enough to make curtains for others i.e different styles etc? It sounds exciting

Nicola1968

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2018, 21:41:48 PM »
The course was Proffessional Curtain Making and was put on by Blindingly Simple. There were just 2 of us on the course and it was 4 days.

On the first day we did a lined pencil pleat curtain and on subsequent days we did a couple pleat and triple pleat lined and interlined curtains, a curtain with a border, finishing up with eyelet curtains. We did pattern matching, joining widths etc. I do feel confident enough to make curtains for others now (although I’d take it very slowly and measure lots)

I nearly forgot, the course is in Alton in Hampshire)

Nik

@Nicola1968 - This sounds like something I need. Can I ask how what course was it, how long it was for and where did you do it?  Also, did you learn enough to be confident enough to make curtains for others i.e different styles etc? It sounds exciting

Sewgorgeous

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2018, 22:05:52 PM »
@Nicola1968 thanks for that information, sounds good, I always make my curtains and although there good enough for my home there not 'professional' so I would like to learn how to make them more pro looking.  I would also love to have the space to make them which I always feel would help with the 'pro' look as you could lay them out flat etc, maybe one day  :'(

Gernella

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2018, 11:07:43 AM »
Just out of curiosity do they give you an idea of what to charge because I would imagine you will be in demand.  Beautifully made curtains can certainly change a room.
Stash extension 2024- 6.1 meters
Left at the end of 2023 - 66 meters now (includes fabric found hidden out of sight)  Lining fabric not included

Nicola1968

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2018, 11:58:38 AM »
Just out of curiosity do they give you an idea of what to charge because I would imagine you will be in demand.  Beautifully made curtains can certainly change a room.

Yep, there's lots of information on calculating widths, charging schemes and introductions to suppliers.  There's also a bit of marketing advice etc, what sort of deposit to take and to NEVER LEAVE WITHOUT FULL PAYMENT AT DELIVERY

Nik

Missie

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2018, 14:39:14 PM »
NEVER LEAVE WITHOUT FULL PAYMENT AT DELIVERY

And only by cash or card, not cheque as a cheque can be cancelled!  If they wish to pay by cheque (although who does these days) it mush be cleared by delivery date.

Goth Gardiner

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2018, 17:39:48 PM »
And not just card details to process later you need a handheld cars reader as cards can be cancelled too.
There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

sewmuchmore

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2018, 20:56:40 PM »
The course was Proffessional Curtain Making and was put on by Blindingly Simple. There were just 2 of us on the course and it was 4 days.

On the first day we did a lined pencil pleat curtain and on subsequent days we did a couple pleat and triple pleat lined and interlined curtains, a curtain with a border, finishing up with eyelet curtains. We did pattern matching, joining widths etc. I do feel confident enough to make curtains for others now (although I’d take it very slowly and measure lots).

Wow, it took me 1 year (2 days a week) to get my soft furnishing qualification. Of all the sewing work i do curtains and blinds are were you make your money. For some reason people will pay what you ask for soft furnishings but always seem to question the price of alterations.

Nik

Wow, it took me 1 year (2 days a week) to get my soft furnishing qualification. For some reason people are quite happy to pay oodles of money for curtains and blinds making but not for time consuming dressmaking so you have definitely chosen the right path.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2018, 21:00:41 PM by sewmuchmore »
It's not easy being this perfekt

Janet

Nicola1968

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2018, 14:42:44 PM »
Ah, but I can only do curtains, I'm not sure I could even make a cushion cover with supervision, so I'm not nearly qualified in soft furnishing.

I think generally people see curtains as an investment in their home but rarely see the investment value in good clothes.  My fine motor skills aren't particularly good and once I'd started with curtains they felt like my natural habitat!  No little bits to try to guide or cut round etc.  No fiddly bits for me to get cack handed with :D

Nik

Wow, it took me 1 year (2 days a week) to get my soft furnishing qualification. For some reason people are quite happy to pay oodles of money for curtains and blinds making but not for time consuming dressmaking so you have definitely chosen the right path.

mammafairy

Re: Curtain making
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2018, 15:32:33 PM »
and there is an app you can get on your smart phone for processing the card payments. Of course, you have to have a smart phone for that, which I do not...and there is also a mini printer you can get to do the receipts...