Successful Pattern Matching

The plan was to retire our existing lounge furniture and to buy new. As is often the way when I go shopping for a particular something, I came back empty handed. You'd think I'd have learnt this by now! 

Thus, the sofas have to stay! 

The backup plan was to make some new curtains and scatter cushions. But the backup plan failed too! 

When, oh when, did furnishing fabric become so expensive and so boring! The local shops are filled with furnishing fabrics in duck egg blue and greys but I want bright colours... I found a few embroidered fabrics that I quite liked with a bit of colour but they were really expensive. Plus, I need a lot of fabric as the curtains have to cover two sets of patio doors and a window. I really didn't want to pay so much for something that was okay, but not great. Especially, as we still want to replace the sofas in the future which is likely to trigger a need for new curtains.

What to do? Answer: make the best of what you've got. So, I've spent the last few weeks taking apart my old curtains to scrape together enough fabric to make the curtains that I now need. 

I thought about adding a panel of contrasting fabric to each curtain to make up the length but it is not a look that I like. 

I began to experiment with pattern matching. The pattern had to match along the join but it also had to match where the curtains meet in the middle....

After hours of work, I'm very nearly there! I'll have to live with some joins that I prefer weren't there but that is better than having no curtains at the windows. 

I've found the trick to success in pattern matching is patience. Firstly, iron both pieces. Secondly, match the pattern on both pieces. Thirdly, iron both pieces again along the join line. Fourthly, pin and tack both pieces together. Finally, check the line and sew the seam. Done!