Kitchen window coverings can be made quick and easy and require little fabric. The window coverings can be made with minimal sewing and especially simple to make if sewn to be hung with clips for an airy café covering, top folded over, stitched and gathered for a casing style, as two-toned sail curtains or if the window well is deep for a market style awning.

Creative fabric choices can be from an inexpensive tablecloth, pretty tea towels, ready-made printed panels, popular cotton gingham, crisp poplin, muslin fabric hand stamped with a self-design, translucent sheers, laces, rustic open weave linen or any light weight fabric types too numerous to mention.

Café style – these curtains cover just the lower half of the window. Determine finished dimension of the curtains by measuring the width of the window and desired length of the curtain, add 1 inch all around to the fabric for hemming. Cut two of chosen fabric. Fold all edges 1/2-inch to the wrong side, press, then fold again for a neat hem edge. Stitch to secure or use double-sided fusible hemming tape for a no sew option. Attach grommets, café clips or hand sew on rings to hang from a tension rod. For a rod pocket top, be sure to add an extra amount to the measured length for the fold-over casing pocket.

Casing top – a casing is a simple pocket or channel through which a dowel rod or tension rod can be threaded through to hang the curtain. A casing can be as simple as a fold over top that is stitched down on the top edge or a double row of parallel stitching – spaced a few inches apart from the hemmed top edge leaving enough space between the rows of stitching to accommodate the rod. A frill of gathers can form at the top if fabric width allows. For full gathers measure the window from top to bottom either outside or inside the window frame as desired, multiply the width by 2 or 2 1/2 and add hem allowance for the sides, top fold and bottom hem. Stitch all hems using a straight stitch or if desired use double-sided fusible hemming tape for a quick finish option.

Sail curtains – a simple and charming window covering that uses minimal fabric. There are two straight panels, lined with contrasting fabric, that have a grommet or finished buttonhole placed in the lower inner corners to allow these corners to hook back onto wall hooks. When the inner edges of the panels are hooked to the wall, the two-toned flat curtain has the look of a boat sail, especially if the lining is a plain fabric in contrast to maybe a print outer fabric. Measure the total area of the window to be covered and divide by 2, adding a 1/2-inch seam allowance all around.

Cut the outer fabric and inner lining fabric for both sail panels using the same measurement. For each panel, stitch the lining to the outer fabric, right sides together on all sides using a 1/2-inch seam, leaving an opening for turning right sides out. Press, then hand stitch or machine stitch the opening closed. Use one small grommet or stitch one round buttonhole on the lower inner edges of each panel. To hang, attach a sticky type of hook and loop tape to the inside top edge of each panel and corresponding length to the wall just above the window. Attach removable wall hooks to either side of the window about 1/3 up from the window ledge. Hook the curtain onto the wall hooks to allow the sail shape to form and some of the window view to shine through.

Interior window awning – create with two tension rods and a length of fabric to add a charming market style to kitchen windows with deeply recessed sills or a window tightly sandwiched between two cabinets. Measure the width of the inside window and the desired length of the awning. Add 2-inches to the top to form a casing and 1-inch around the side and bottom edges for hemming. Hem the sides and bottom by folding over 1/2-inch, press, then fold again, stitching all edges to secure. Create the top casing by hemming first the top edge then fold down and stitch the hem edge to create the casing tunnel.

To hang the awning, use two tension rods, one at the top of the window frame to pass through the fabric casing and the other place a few inches from the bottom of the awning. The bottom of the awning fabric will simply drape over the bottom tension rod and then hang down a few inches giving the window covering an awning look. Move the bottom tension rod as needed to determine how much of the fabric would look best as it drapes over the bottom rod. The awning can be created with a lining as well.

Sewing curtains are a great beginner project as only a few straight machine stitches are needed, little measuring, no patterns needed and fabric choices are nearly endless.

Sew happy, sew inspired.