Awnings - French curtains in the photo in the interior with a description. French curtains in the interior French curtains with embroidery only on top

French curtains are very beautiful, but at the same time very expensive. In curtain stores you can see a wide variety of models from various fabrics and materials with sagging folds or with more lush assembly options. However, it is much cheaper to make such a curtain yourself. However, this is a very painstaking and reverent business that does not tolerate mistakes.

In order to sew correctly, you first need to make the right calculations, pick up the fabric, cut it, and only then proceed to processing the selected fabric. The tailoring of the French curtain begins with the calculation of the required cut of the material.

When you see the curtains of this model, it immediately becomes clear that a lot of material is needed to make it. Pleats, which greatly shorten the length, look more beautiful if the material was purchased at the rate of reducing the finished curtain in width. This means that knowing the width of the window opening or the length of the cornice, this figure cannot be taken as the width of the canvas. In order for the waves to turn out beautiful, and the distance between the scallops to be sufficient, it is necessary to multiply the figure indicating the width of the desired curtain by a factor of 1.8. It is this coefficient that will allow the folds of the material to lie down beautifully, without giving the impression of sagging fabric.

When calculating the length of the fabric for the manufacture of curtains, you need to multiply the number indicating the length of the desired finished curtain by at least two. In addition, you need to add a few centimeters of material for processing the edges. This means that it is necessary to add another 5-8 cm to the obtained values \u200b\u200bof the length and width of the canvas for processing sections.

Which material to choose

Having calculated the length and width of the material, you need to choose the one suitable for drapery. It should be elastic, and the folds on it should be smooth, even and soft. When choosing a cut in the store, you can try to collect a little canvas in your hand and see if the fold lays down beautifully, whether it forms even waves. If it bends, looks wrinkled or crooked, it is better not to choose this one.

The color of the curtains can be any, the main thing is that it is combined with the color scheme of the room as a whole. The denser the fabric, the more magnificent the folds will turn out, but they will have more irregularities. At the same time, the thinner the fabric, the more evenly waves will form on it.

What to buy besides fabric

In addition to materials, for sewing a French curtain you also need:

sewing machine;
pins;
scissors;
as well as soap or chalk (for cutting).

How to prepare fabric for cutting

Before cutting and sewing the curtain, it is necessary to process its edges, using a special braid for attaching the curtain. The side and bottom edges just need to be doubled and stitched, and then smooth the seams. The edges must be processed before sewing the curtains, since then they will be uneven and it will not be possible to process them beautifully.

It is also necessary to iron all the material before starting sewing, and if it is difficult to iron, then this should be done two or three times. After sewing the curtain, it will not be possible to iron it, therefore this stage cannot be neglected, but it must be done with high quality. When the edges of the canvas are processed and it is completely ironed, you can start cutting.

How to cut material

To properly cut the canvas, you need to know exactly the width and length of the finished curtain. When determining the width, you can focus on the length of the cornice, you can measure the length by measuring the distance from the cornice to the floor, or to the level where the curtain should end.

Next, you need to calculate the number of scallops and determine the distance between them. The number of scallops for the same width of the curtain may be different, and the finished curtain will also differ in appearance. The fewer scallops, the longer the folds will be, the more there are, the more magnificent the finished curtain will appear.

Below in the table, using the example of several options for the width of the finished curtain (in the absence of the necessary option, you can do the calculations yourself) and the number of desired scallops, the calculation of the distances between them is given.

Having decided on the distance between the scallops, you should make marks on the stretched canvas after a certain number of centimeters. The numbers indicating the distance between the scallops are those centimeters, through the number of which it is necessary to make marks on the panel.

If the required web width is not among those indicated in the table, then it is necessary to determine the number of scallops, and divide the web width by this number. The resulting figure will be the distance between the scallops.

For example: the width of the cloth is exactly 500 cm.

Number of scallops desired = 8.

500/8=62.5 centimeters distance between the marks on the canvas.

When making marks on the canvas, it is necessary to place the fabric on a flat, smooth surface, make markings on the reverse side of the fabric at the top and bottom. A line should be drawn through both of these marks.

Carrying out tailoring

Having processed the edges, ironed the panel, marking the lines along which the braid will be attached, you can start sewing.

Step by step instructions for sewing a French curtain:

It is necessary to take a braid that is intended for drapery and cut it into pieces equal to the length of the canvas. With the help of sewing pins, this braid should be attached to each upper and lower mark (to the lines along which the folds will form). All these manipulations should be done exclusively on the reverse side of the material. 2 braids, which will be located at the edges, are placed as close as possible to the side seam. The edges of the braid from below must be ironed and stitched to the canvas;
Next, you need to attach the drapery braid to the panel. A special cord is attached to this braid, which later form the treasured folds;
Next, you need to prepare the drapery cord. The length of one cord should be equal to the length of the finished curtain, and the number of cords should match the number of lines on which the braid is sewn;
Next, thread the drapery cord through the holes in the braid. Tightening the cord tightly, a drapery is formed. The cord must be fastened to the drapery braid so that it does not unravel and uniform folds form.

Then the curtain can be hung. The fact that the width of the curtain exceeds the dimensions of the window opening will allow the folds to sag more freely and, accordingly, evenly.

In the above master class, all stages of sewing curtains in the French style were affected. These steps include the calculation of the required amount of material, the correct choice of fabric and a list of necessary materials that will be useful in the sewing process. In addition, the article covers in detail the issue of cutting the purchased fabric and directly sewing the curtain itself. It also explains in detail how to properly prepare the panel for processing.

Based on the information in this article, you can sew a French-style curtain yourself. These curtains are suitable for guest rooms and bedrooms. They give the room a special solemnity and comfort, look very rich and stylish. Also, French-style curtains never go out of date and always remain in fashion.

French curtains first appeared in the middle of the 18th century in the living rooms of the European nobility, when the Rococo style prevailed in the interiors and have never gone out of fashion since then. In the Soviet Union, most of the population of which lived in small-sized Khrushchev houses, they decorated mainly the windows of theaters, restaurants and large government institutions. In modern Russia, spacious apartments and private cottages are no longer a rarity, and French classics are experiencing a rebirth.

What kind of interiors are French curtains suitable for?

The photo shows French curtains in combination with curtains in the interior of a classic living room.

Distinctive features of "French women" are fabric with a shiny smooth surface, pomp, a huge number of horizontal folds cascading along the entire length, many accessories in the form of frills, braid, fringe, ribbons and ruffles. Such pompous curtains look only in spacious rooms with high ceilings, for which they were once created.

The most suitable for them are refined and romantic interiors, filled with household items in the style of the XVIII-XIX centuries and furnished with artsy furniture without pronounced straight lines. Such as the:

Baroque,
Rococo,
Classicism,
Empire,
Colonial,
Neoclassic.

Of course, French curtains are also used to decorate small rooms with romantic, but less pretentious interiors. But in this case, their simplified versions are used, adapted to modern living conditions.

Rococo and Baroque living rooms are classic examples of French curtains.

French curtains in modern living rooms

There are static and lifting. Static curtains hang motionless, completely covering the window and part of the wall below it. They are sewn from translucent fabric and used as a curtain - a soft transparent curtain that protects the interior from prying eyes.

Stationary curtains made of translucent fabric, combined with elegant golden brocade curtains, look great in an interior with elements of classicism.

The height of the lifting French curtains can be adjusted, making them long (to the floor), medium (to the windowsill) and relatively short (like a pelmet).
For their tailoring, you can use fabrics of any density.

French curtains with a lifting mechanism fit perfectly into the living room window in the style of Russian salons of the 19th century.

In the interiors of modern apartments, French curtains are mainly used as curtains.

Fabric choice

For this type of curtain, a fabric with a smooth, shiny or matte surface may be suitable: satin, brocade, chiffon, silk, organza. The main requirement is that it should drape well. Its density depends on the quality in which it is planned to use curtains (curtains or drapes).

Colors can also be any, but preferably monophonic. Fabric with a pattern must be selected with care. Even the smallest floral print can get lost in numerous folds and ruin the look of French curtains already overflowing with “highlights”.

Long curtains are not suitable for windows over flights of stairs, and short curtains look unpresentable on them. The ideal solution is to hang a short transparent French curtain on such a window.

The bottom of transparent French curtains with a window sill length can be supplemented with a strip of dense fabric in the color of the upholstery on the furniture. She will give the curtains severity and make them friends with a not too romantic interior.

To visually increase the height of the window opening, make the scallops on the French curtains as narrow as possible.

Narrow translucent French curtains can be attached to the sashes of multi-section windows, like blinds.

The higher the curtains are raised, the more folds form on them and the more magnificent they look.

Despite all the pomposity inherent in them, refined and refined French curtains can make the atmosphere in the living room cozy and calm. The main thing that should not be forgotten when choosing them is that they must comply with the general concept of the interior.

Luxurious, rich, stylish, solemn - any of these epithets can characterize French curtains. Smooth lines, lush arched draperies, falling vertical rows of soft scalloped folds, combined with a light texture of delicate fabric and magnificent curtain accessories, leave no one indifferent. Looking at them, even the most staunch adherents of laconic interiors begin to think about decorating at least one window in the house with beautiful “French women”. What is the secret of the centuries-old attractiveness of such a phenomenon as French curtains and how they differ from other lifting curtains, we will understand in this article.

History of appearance

It is believed that the description of the first curtains with scalloped folds laid along the entire length appeared in the 17th century in France during the reign of Louis XIV - King - the Sun in the heyday of baroque and classicism. Who exactly came up with decorating the windows not with straight lines, but with canvases gathered along the entire length in cascading rows of festoons, history is silent. But with the light hand of an unknown designer, such window curtains quickly gained popularity among the nobility and became the personification of wealth and luxury. They were sewn from natural Chinese silk and decorated with fringe and tassels.

For "French" fabrics, several times more is required than for straight curtains, in addition, numerous scalloped folds do not look on cheap textiles and small windows. Therefore, it is quite clear that they were inaccessible to ordinary people, and the people called them "marquises" - by analogy with one of the highest European noble titles.

Officially, "marquise" is called a fabric canopy for protection from the sun and rain.

The second unofficial name has been preserved behind the curtains by aristocrats to this day and leads to confusion of concepts. The fact is that officially awnings are called fabric awnings over windows, used to create a comfortable shaded area on the street in front of houses, cafes and restaurants.

In its original form, the marquise curtains are stationary (they do not move apart, do not rise, but simply hang motionlessly to the floor), they look very solemn and pompous and look best in spacious rooms with high ceilings. Therefore, today they are used mainly on stage, in concert and banquet halls, restaurants, spacious halls of country houses.

For owners of average apartments, options for French curtains have appeared, sometimes they are called French blinds, adapted to modern realities:

Firstly, the length of the canvases was significantly shortened and, for example, in the kitchen, you can hang a French curtain up to the windowsill.
Secondly, in addition to natural silk, many high-quality, but not so expensive fabrics have appeared today, on which scalloped folds also look attractive: organza, chiffon, cambric, moire.
Thirdly, cornices for French curtains began to be equipped with lifting mechanisms, both with manual and electric control, which can be mounted on hinged windows, which significantly increased their functionality and expanded their scope.

What are modern french curtains

French curtains (marquises) - a cascading variety of lifting curtains. But unlike other lifting models, it is not practicality and functionality that come to the fore, but beauty and the difference in their appearance is obvious. At the same time, it is impossible to confuse French blinds with strict Roman blinds with their characteristic even linear folds and laconic rolls, on which there are no folds at all. But they have much in common with the Austrian models: the canvases are divided into vertical sections and assembled into arched folds. The French and Austrian curtains of the photo, which are below, clearly demonstrate the difference between these two types.

The difference lies in the fact that the draperies of the Austrians are not so plentiful: they are formed only in the lower part and are much wider. When unfolded, they are completely straightened, and their length never falls below the window sill. Awnings are curtains, even in the lowered position, consisting of a large number, divided along the entire length into vertical segments of cascading scallops (sagging towards the center of the assemblies). When the curtain rises, they become even deeper and more expressive.

The length of French curtains can be set to any length, both to the window sill or just below it, and to the floor. In addition, they are divided into stationary (fixed) and lifting:

Cornice for French curtains

The cornice for French curtains can be the same as. Depending on the model, it is equipped with a lifting mechanism or a simplified version is dispensed with. At the same time, the fastening of the canvas can be on Velcro tape or on hooks. The photo below shows standard curtain rods for French curtains with an open and closed curtain lift mechanism.

It is worth noting that no matter what fabric (thick or transparent) was used for tailoring, thanks to the abundant and complex drapery, the marquise is able to completely protect the interior of the room from views from the street.

What fabrics are suitable for French curtains

French curtains in the interior are far from the most economical way to decorate windows. They will require several times more fabric than ordinary curtains. In addition, scalloped folds on cheap fabrics look ugly and primitive, and, despite the fact that modern awnings do not have to be sewn as they used to be from expensive natural silk, it will not work to save much on textiles either.

Before choosing the French version of curtains, it is advisable to properly weigh the costs of their manufacture and make sure that they fit well into the interior and the money spent on them will be compensated by the beauty and harmony of the situation.

To make the folds look spectacular, even and smooth, you need to choose a well-draped, light and soft fabric. These conditions are best met by natural or mixed, with a small addition of polyester fibers, textiles:

tulle;
thin silk;
chiffon;
batiste;
moire;
muslin;
veil;
organza.

Such curtains look light and delicate and are used as curtains, both independently and together with curtains made of taffeta, satin, velvet, brocade. At the same time, curtains should also look luxurious and not be lost in the splendor of French curtains.

French satin curtains

Sometimes awnings are also sewn from dense, but thin, soft and well-draped fabrics. It could be:

velvet;
velours;
curtain wool.

Such curtains do not need partners and look elegant and respectable. Any curtains hung with them would be redundant. But you need to keep in mind that windows with dense opaque awnings look “deaf” and they are suitable only for spacious rooms and classic interiors corresponding to them in status with massive natural wood furniture and gilded or bronze accessories.

French velvet curtains

The appearance of the folds depends entirely on the texture of the fabric: the softer and heavier it is, the more concise and smoother the scallops are. And, conversely, the harder and lighter the material, the more magnificent and embossed they are.

As for the colors, only plain fabrics are suitable for this type of curtains. Any drawing will be lost in numerous scallops, it will look broken, and the curtain will be untidy.

Which rooms and interiors are awnings suitable for?

French curtains in the bathroom

Pompous and aristocratic French curtains will not fit into every room. Cascading vertical rows of scallops, expensive fabrics, accessories in the form of fringe, tassels, flowers and beads will look ridiculous and cumbersome on small windows in small rooms and modest interiors. Best of all, "Frenchwomen" look in an exquisite romantic atmosphere of rococo and baroque in the spirit of the 17th-18th centuries with artsy, smoothly curved furniture, crystal chandeliers and bronze figurines.

French curtains in the interior of the living room

Of course, few people today will think of creating an interior in their home that completely copies the atmosphere of past centuries, but its main signs and general style must be respected. If you want to decorate a small room with awnings, use options adapted to modernity and performing the function of tulle - made of transparent white or pastel shades of fabric, up to the window sill, without additional decorations.

French curtains in the office

So that the light tulle French curtain does not “play” from the draft and hangs statically, special weights can be sewn to its lower edge.

A short French curtain complemented by an original pelmet on the kitchen window

As for the functional purpose of the rooms in which it is planned to hang curtains of this type, it can be anything - the main thing, as already mentioned, is the surroundings corresponding to the awning. Of course, French curtains look best in the living room or study, but they are used no less often in such non-residential rooms as the bathroom and kitchen (as in the photo above). The only room where their use is undesirable is the nursery. No matter how attractive the “Frenchwomen” are, dust inevitably accumulates in numerous scallops and they often have to be washed, so curtains that are more functional and simple in shape are appropriate for the room where the kids live.

Despite their aristocracy and sophistication, French curtains can make the interior not only elegant, but also cozy and peaceful. The main thing is that they should match the interior and look, and a modern mechanism with a lifting block will help to increase their functionality.

Video: French curtains in the interior

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French curtains are distinguished by the presence of several sections and fluffy folds of fabrics falling down along the entire length. Curtains can be long, medium and relatively short (these are usually used for kitchens).

The first type is static curtains. They are also called stationary. They are not always convenient to use, as they hang motionless. Their design does not provide for movement up or to the sides. Usually such curtains are made of light translucent fabrics and perform the function of tulle.

The second type is lifting curtains. They are more common than stationary. With the help of a special clamp, you can adjust their appearance and length. You can lift the curtains up, then even more folds will form, and they will be more magnificent.

French curtains in the interior

Best of all, these curtains are suitable for spacious rooms. In order for them to look good in a small room, it is important that they are not very lush, and there are not too many folds.

If the room is decorated in modern style - such curtains will become its integral part. If the bedroom is decorated in this style, curtains of different lengths will look good. This will give the room a casual and romantic feel.

Also, French curtains will look good in a room that is decorated in a classic style. Especially if there is classic or antique furniture, then such curtains will only add solemnity to the interior.

DIY French curtains

Of course, it will not be difficult to find and buy French curtains. But if a person has some sewing skills, you can do them yourself.

First you need to decide on the fabric. It can be thin cotton or linen, silk or satin. The next thing to do is to calculate the fabric consumption. To do this, measurements of the window are carried out and, based on the results obtained, it is calculated how much tissue is needed. For this, the following is used: the width of the window must be multiplied by one and a half, and the height by two.

When sewing curtains, it is important to follow a certain order:
1. Before starting work, the fabric is processed and the decathing procedure is carried out.

Decating is a wet-heat treatment of fabric for its shrinkage.

2. After the fabric on the floor. On the sides, bends are made twice 1-1.5 cm wide and hemmed.
3. At the bottom of the fabric, a 2 cm wide hem is made and also hemmed.
4. Cords are threaded into hemmed seams.
5. After the drapery is performed. A marking is made along the width of the fabric every 45-50 cm, and then a piece of fabric 3 cm wide is sewn vertically, bending the edges inward. Thus, the drawstrings are formed. Cords are threaded through them and fixed at the top. The bottom ends are free.
6. A tape is sewn in the upper part of the canvas to secure the curtains to the cornice.

In addition to their luxury and pomposity, French curtains add calm and comfort to the room. And they always unobtrusively pay attention to the wealth and success that reign in the house.

Usually, the fabric for French curtains is chosen in a single color, but in exceptional cases, a fabric with a light, unobtrusive pattern can be used.