Cushions and curtains for beginners

BASIC CUSHION COVER
Cover an existing cushion pad or buy a new one. John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com, 020 7629 7711) have a good selection. For a 45cm square cushion you will need 50cm of 137cm-wide furnishing fabric. Cut out one 47cm square for the front of the cushion and two rectangles 47 x 31cm for the cushion back.

How to make
Press under 1cm then 3cm across one long edge of both rectangles and stitch. With right sides together, lay the two backs on top of the front, overlapping the backs to fit. Pin and stitch all round the cushion, taking 1cm seam allowances. Neaten seam allowances. Turn right side out and press.

This is a simple plain cushion cover with the overlapped edges hidden at the back of the cushion. Alternatively, you could make a feature of the opening by adding buttons with press studs underneath and using this as the front of the cushion.

EASIEST-EVER CURTAINS
Made-to-measure curtains are expensive, so if you can't find readymade curtains in your choice of fabric, have a go at making these. They're basically panels of fabric hemmed all round and secured to a curtain pole using curtain rings with clips such as Adele or Taljare rings with clips, from Ikea (www.ikea.co.uk, 0845 355 1141).

Measuring up
Before you buy any fabric, work out how much you will need. Measure from the curtain pole to the floor or wherever you want your curtains to finish. Add on a total of 20cm for hems top and bottom. This gives you the length of fabric needed for one panel. Most curtain fabrics are between 137 and 150cm wide and you need at least twice the width of your curtain pole - not the window. For instance, for a 150cm wide pole you will need two 150cm wide panels.

If you find you need three panels, cut one in half lengthwise and join each half to a full-width panel giving you two panels of one and a half widths each. When you hang these curtains, have the join nearer the outer edge of the curtains where it will be less noticeable.
The next thing to consider is whether your fabric has a pattern. You'll need to allow extra fabric for matching up at any seams and so the pattern matches across the width of a pair of curtains. If you're not sure how much extra to allow, take your measurements with you and ask for assistance when you buy your fabric.

How to make
Cut out your panels, making sure any pattern will match across the width of all panels. If necessary, join any panels together to give you sufficient width. Neaten seam allowances and press them open. Press under 1cm then 3cm on both side edges and stitch. Press under 1cm then 9cm across top edge of panel.

Clip up your panels using about 10 rings with clips per 150cm width. Leave the curtains to hang for about a week to allow the fabric to ‘drop'. Pin up hems.

Take curtains down. Press under 1cm on edge of hem, then stitch the hem in place either by hand or machine depending on whether you want the stitching to be visible or not. Press and re-hang the curtains.

Illustrations: Terry Evans