How to Make a Patchwork Blind

Patchwork blinds are great additions to any room. With the simple instructions below and some sewing skills you can make an easy-to-hang blind.

What You Need

First, you will need some plain fabric. Actually, how much fabric do you really need? Well, you will need a length of plain fabric at least the height of your window. Note, that you need to include the measurements of borders and patches. For the check patches you will need at least half the area of the windows depending upon the design, allowing extra seam allowances and repeats. You will also need some pins, dressmaking scissors, tape measure, needle and thread. Punch and cutter to fix rings and eyelets.

Work Out The Design

First, begin by measuring the height and width of the window. Then, continue by measuring the size of each patch. Divide the height and width of the window by the size of the patch do determine how many will be used. Divide the outstanding measurement in half to give you the widths of the border at each end and each side of the blind. After that, you need to cut the patches from the check and plain fabric, allowing a 1.5cm wide seam allowance of each edge. Cut lengths of plain fabric for the border – they should be twice the required width plus 3 cm so that they can be folded in half.

Stitch Patchwork for The Blind

Join together a horizontal row of patches, alternating the colours, using a French seam to create a neat finish. Make sure you stitch with check pattern uppermost so that you can guide the stitching exactly along the edge of the check pattern.

Make a French Seam

First, pin wrong side of fabric together with raw edges even. Stitch 5mm from raw edge and trim close to the seam. Turn fabric and fold along the stitched edges then pin right sides together. Stitch 1cm from edge along stitching line to create a seam with the raw edges enclosed. Press seam towards the plain fabric. Stitch horizontal rows together using a French sea, alternating the colours. Make sure that the seams stay flat against the plain fabric. Press whole blind, flattening horizontal seams towards the bottom of the blind.

Adding Borders

Press strips for the border in half length-ways, wrong sides innermost. Open out. Pin border to blind, right sides together with raw edges even and patchwork seams all lying in the same direction. The border will extend beyond the patchwork, so make sure that it is t equal at both ends. Stitch the full length of the blind. Repeat with borders on each edge. With wrong side of the blind facing, fold the border strips over, turn under and pin a 1.5cm hem. Hand-stitch to the stitching line on wrong side of the blind.

Finish Off The Corners

Turn under 1.5cm seam at end of each border. Trim off corner diagonally leaving 1.5cm seam. Fold under 1.5cm seam and pin. Repeat with adjacent border and hand-stitch corners together.

Eyelet Fixings

Position eyelets along the top of the blind and evenly down the sides at top and bottom of each patch. Use punch and cutter to make holes and fix eyelets. Fix hooks to the top of the window frame and down the sides to the bottom of the window to match up with eyelet positions. Make sure you windows are perfectly clean.

Enjoy your freshly looking patchwork blind.

The Author:

Aaron has passion for cleaning. He just can’t stand messy places. He is a great fan of the expert after builders cleaning services in Balham. In his free time, Aaron supports his beloved Arsenal. mycleanersinbalham.co.uk/after-builders-cleaning-SW12/

Photo. Aaron Clifford

Source: Ab