Rainbow in Your Window

Hello everybody!

My name is Ella and I like to design and sew unusual things =) We live in Cyprus, and in hot seasons we need thick curtains or blinds for our windows because of bright sun.

I was bored with typical monophonic curtains and I decided to make colorful louvers for our hall =). Believe me, it looks fantastic, very stylish and moreover, it’s really very functional.

You can decorate kid room, living room, hall, and if you are creative person - even your office! If you like colors of rainbow, it’s will be perfect for your interior.

In this master class I want to show you how to create rainbow in your window! You can make it even if you have never sewn before, it’s very simple to make these louvers.

This following tutorial consists entirely of the author's own ideas, instructions, patterns and photographs.

So, let’s begin!

Step 1: Preparation

Color spectrum

So, for this item you need 7 colors of rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue and purple.

Product size

All sizes in this class are in centimeters!

Our curtain contains 7 lamellas of different colors. The length and the width of each part depends of the sizes of your window and your preferences.

My window is 95 Sm width and 125 Sm length.

So, I need to calculate the width of the lamella as follows: 95 Sm + 5 Sm extra / 7 parts. This way I have the width of my lamella - 14 sm.

I don’t recommend you make the width of the lamella more than 20 Sm. If your window is too large, make 2 parts of louvers – for both sides of the window!

The length is also depends on your preferences. If you want to make long curtains, measure the length from the beginning of the frame up to the floor minus 5 Sm.

If you want long curtains be ready for a large consumption of fabric because the width of the fabric is usually 90-140 cm and you have to buy fabric for the whole length of the curtains. There will be a large overrun of fabric!

It’s better to make louvers not longer than 127 Sm, if the width of your fabric is 140, and not longer than 137 Sm, if the width of your fabric is 150. Length including hem, loop and seam allowances!

I prefer short louvers, so I must measure length from the beginning of the curtain rod up to the end of it plus (5-10) Sm. I have 126,5 Sm (curtain length plus loop length).

This way, I have 7 lamellas 14 Sm width and 126,5 length, accordingly with the sizes of my window.

In this class we will work with my sizes. But if you have your own, be careful, please, and don’t forget about it!

Necessary equipment

1. Household sewing machine
2. Needle for dense materials, size 80-90 (If not, try to use any).
3. Fabric scissors
4. Angle ruler in centimeters
5. Fabric pencil or fabric marker
6. Sewing pins and needle
7. Iron with steam

Be sure that your sewing machine is configured correctly, adjust the tension of the upper and lower threads!

Before using fabric marker test it in the small piece of your fabric and be sure that it doesn’t leave very dark marks!

Necessary materials

As a base for the louvers, I strongly recommend you use non-stretch strong heavy materials. It can be very thick cotton or linen, if you want natural fabrics, or any suitable fabric for curtains, or gabardine.

• Suitable density of a cotton and a linen: 265 - 405 g / sq.m
• Suitable density of a gabardine: 290 - 440 g / sq.m

If you use stretching materials, your curtains will be able to sag and you have to buy fabric for the whole length of the curtains to cut along the main thread!

I use gabardine, because I found it suitable for my louvers, and usually you can find all the colors of it in a fabric shop. It’s not expensive, like linen or cotton, and it has high wear resistance.

So, for the width of each lamella 14 sm you need:

1. 7 pieces of gabardine (red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue and purple) – 30 х 140 sm.
2. 7 colors of threads according to the tone of fabrics, you don’t need more than 1 spool of each.
3. Interlining fabric with glue side – 100 х 120 sm.

It’s necessary to use this Interlining fabric for the louvers! We need the curtain to be tight and keep the shape.

Total cost

I don’t know the prices for these materials in your countries, but I want to give you my total cost just to understand the approximate cost of the project.

1. 7 pieces of gabardine – 12, 6 Euro (6 Euro per meter).
2. 7 spools of threads – 7,7 Euro (1,1 Euro per one).
3. Interlining fabric with glue side – 0, 9 Euro.
4. Needle for dense materials, size 90, 5 needles – 5 Euro.
5. Fabric markers, 2 markers – 1,5 Euro.

So, total cost = 27,7 Euro.

Step 2: Prepare the Fabric for Cutting

Any fabrics which contains at least some percentage of natural fibers it’s necessary to iron with steam from the both sides before cutting and sewing!

So, the fabric shrinks and will be smoother. You can wash your fabrics if you find it dirty or you don't like smell.

It’s better to iron the gabardine also.

After steaming the fabric cannot be removed from the board while it hot or wet, it must be dried before!

For drying you can use a wooden iron, thick flax or cotton, but best of all is to make a "pita". This is such an oval of flax or cotton, filled with sawdust.

The process of steaming and drying called decating!

I attached video how to steam and dry the material right. Please, do it before sewing! It’s important step of preparation.

Step 3: Draw and Cut

First of all, we need to make the strips for the lamellas and for loops.

For the lamellas:

1. Fold the piece of fabric in half lengthwise and mark the middle;
2. Back off 2 cm from the top and mark aside 7 and 14 cm from the middle in different directions. Use the angle ruler;
3. Draw lines through these points at a distance of 7 and 14 cm;
4. Back away from the top line 5 cm and draw a fold line;
5. Back away from the bottom line 7 cm and draw a fold line;
6. Draw the seam allowances of 1 cm around the perimeter;
7. You must cut a rectangle 135 Sm length 30 Sm width and with the allowances of 1 cm around the perimeter;
8. Make 7 stripes of different colors;

Make 7 strips 120 Sm length and 14 Sm width from interlining fabric.

For the loops:

1. Fold the remaining piece of fabric in half lengthwise and mark the middle;
2. Back off 2 cm from the top and mark line 26 Sm;
3. Back away from the top line 6 cm and draw a bottom line. Use the angle ruler;
4. Draw the seam allowances of 1 cm from the bottom and top lines! Left and right sides do not need seam allowances;
5. Cut the rectangle 26 Sm length and 8 Sm width;
6. Make 7 stripes of different colors.
   
   I attached photos with the sizes of patterns in this step. Be sure that you have the same results!

Step 4: Duplicating of Fabric

First of all, we need to strengthen our lamellas. To do this, on the back side of the fabric between the fold lines we glue the interlining.

We don’t duplicate the fabric after the fold lines because we don’t need an additional density in these places.

I attach the video how to do it right. Watch it before proceeding!

So, the steps of duplicating:

1. Place a strip of fabric face side down;
2. Put the interlining with glue side down on the fabric;
   Strictly placing the interlining between lines which you drawn at 7 cm from the center!
3. Straighten the lining, and iron without steam, pressing iron.

Make sure you don't have bubbles between the interlining and the fabric!

Iron carefully to keep your perimeter lines because they can be erased!

So, we are ready for stitching =)

Step 5: Stitch the Lamellas

1. Turn the fabric inside out and fold it by the middle line comparing the edges;
2. To fix edges together use sewing pins;
3. Make the 1 cm seam from the edge by the line;
   Use a machine stitch A-3 or A-3,5 for stitching!
   Don’t forget to make the locks at the beginning and in the end of the seam!
4. Without turning out, place the lamella to have its seam in the middle;
5. Iron the seam with steam making allowances in different directions from center and dry it;
6. Cut the allowances on both sides for 1 cm from the edge;
7. Turn out the lamella on the front side;
8. Iron it with steam and dry it;
9. You must have the rectangle 135 sm length and 14 sm width.
   During the ironing on the front side, you must compare the distance from the seam to the edges with a ruler. It must be strictly in the center of the back side and does not “dance”!
10. At one end on the face side draw a 1 cm allowance line and draw a fold line in 5 cm from the allowance line;
11. At the other end on the face side draw a 1 cm allowance line and draw a fold line in 7 cm from the allowance line;
12. Fold the allowances inside and fix with the sewing pins;
13. Bend along the fold line to the inside and fix with the sewing pins;
14. Iron the edges with steam and dry it;
15. In both edges at 4.5 and 6.5 sm respectively on the front side draw a line of the seam;
    Don’t afraid to draw lines once again, because a clear line is very necessary in this process!
16. Stich along these lines;
    Before you sew the last side, compare the length with the previous lamella! You can mistaken and you must compare the length!
17. Pull out the threads from the back and tie them together;
18. You must have the rectangle 120 sm length and 14 sm width.

You should have the following result like in the last photo for this step!

Step 6: Make the Loops

1. Turn the small piece of fabric inside out and fold it by the middle line comparing the edges;
2. To fix edges together use sewing pins;
3. Make the 1 cm seam from the edge by the line;
4. Without turning out, place it to have its seam in the middle;
5. Iron the seam with steam making allowances in different directions from center and dry it;
6. Cut the allowances on both sides for 1 cm from the edge;
7. Turn out the loop on the front side;
8. You mast have the rectangle 3 Sm width and 26 Sm length;
9. Iron it with steam and dry it;
10. Fold the 1 Sm allowance from one side inside, fix with the sewing pins and iron it;
11. Take the lamella’s edge, where you made 5 Sm hem, mark 5,5 Sm from both sides to the center and 1 Sm from the top and draw the line;
12. Place the loop face side down under this line and fix it with the help of sewing pins;
13. Stitch from 0.2 mm from the edge;
14. Bend the loop and place the front side up;
15. Fold the other edge of the loop on 1.5 Sm;
16. Place the edges of the loop so that the loop itself is 10 cm, and from the edge of the lamella it is 6.5 cm;
17. Make the seam. If you experience difficulties due to density, help the machine by turning the hand-wheel manually;
18. Iron it with steam and dry it.

Compare the length of loop with the previous lamella! You can hang up them on the pipe and compare.

Do these steps for all 7 colors!

You should have the following result like in the last photo for this step.

Step 7: Assemble the Lamellas

Before this step you have to iron each lamella from both sides with steam and dry it.

Watch the video how to make ironing and drying of lamellas!

For these curtains, I did not make a special mechanism for the automatic assembly, but to push the blinds apart, pulling on the outer lamella, you need to connect them together. For this we will use our sewing colored threads.

I attached video how to make it correctly and how this mechanism work, watch it before making this step!

1. Put the lamellas face side down in order they will be assemble purple, blue, light blue, green, yellow, orange, red;
2. Mark the places from the beginning of one loop to another;
3. Take the thread the first lamellas color, thread the needle and tie a knot. Thread should be doubled;
4. Hide the knot under the seam and make a thread loop;
5. Weave a string of thread to the beginning of the next lamellas loop, It is like crocheting;
6. When you have finished weaving, thread the needle into the thread loop and fix the bar at the beginning of the second lamellas loop;
7. Make 6 strings of thread to join all lamellas to each other.

If your lamellas aren’t heavy and straight enough, you can put the carton into the bottom part of it!

I’d like to congratulate you on creating your louvers, now it is totally ready! You managed to complete a very difficult project, but it was worth it!

Now you need to put eaves tube into the loops and fix it. I hope you enjoyed the class and feel proud of the beautiful creation you made!

Finally, I want to give you some advice about caring for your handcrafted creation.

It’s best to wipe it with a cloth and it will be enough to clean it.

Hand wash with cold water only! I recommend you use vertical drying. It takes 8 hours to dry out completely.

Ironing is possible at high temperatures with steam, and dry after!

I’d love to see photos of your louvers in the comments. Thank you.

Step 8: Bonus

If you would like to make the louvers for kid room, you can decorate the curtains with the small beautiful unicorn and clouds. It looks fantastic and children love these felt toys!

I give you the patterns of unicorn and clouds, but in this class I don’t write how to make felt toys, because it’s not about it =)

If you want to do it, in this my class there is a lot of information how to make felt toys and what felt you need:

Big-World-for-Little-One

Use threads or Velcro to fix it on the lamellas!

Thank you so much for the attention.