SEW simple
Add a fancy finish to existing window treatments with a quick-and-easy ricrac and zigzag stitch combination
If you love a fast and gratifying craft project, then this one’s for you! Using a simple decorative machine stitch and a length of ricrac trim, you can restyle your current window dressing without replacing your curtains. This mini makeover can be achieved in an afternoon – even by beginners – and gives curtains that might previously have blended into the background a refreshing pop of colour, to add interest and depth.
1 Prep your curtain
by pressing out any creases. Then carefully measure the outer perimeter of each curtain (apart from the top edge). Cut out some ricrac trim to that measurement, plus an additional 2cm (to allow for folding at the corners and ends).
2 Lay the curtain on a flat surface with the right side facing upwards. Starting at the top left corner, fold 1cm of the ricrac under to hide the raw edge and pin it in place around 2.5cm from the edge of the curtain. Hide the ricrac under the tab if there’s a decorative overhang, similar to the curtain we used.
3 Continue to pin the ricrac all the way down the left-hand side, maintaining the same margin to the edge of the curtain, until you reach around 2.5cm from the bottom edge.
4 At the corner, flip the ricrac over so that the opposite side is facing upwards, then pin it in place as you run the trim along the bottom edge of the curtain. Do the same at the next corner and continue pinning the ricrac as you work your way up the right-hand side of the curtain. When you reach the top, fold and tuck the raw edge under and pin it in place.
5 On the right side of the curtain, start stitching a straight line down the middle of the ricrac trim using matching or contrasting thread, depending on the desired effect. At the bottom corners, lift the presser foot and leave the needle in the down position, then pivot the curtain by 90° for a clean angle.
6 Rethread the machine using matching or contrasting thread. Set the sewing machine to the zigzag stitch function, then adjust it to the longest and widest stitch size, as smaller zigzags might look like a straight line from a distance. 7 Sew a zigzag stitch on either side of the ricrac trim, all the way around, to add extra detail to the edges.