Tiny Cupboard Curtains for my Caravan

At this time of year we usually start to make plans to go away in our caravan, providing that the weather is mild, but this year we have just bought a new car and we are still waiting to have a tow-ball fitted so we had to stay at home over Easter. One of the things I like about having a caravan is that it is just like having a play house, but as an adult. I can express my love of sewing and handicrafts by personalising the interior and the quilts, throws and cushions are all useful on cold evenings. I enjoy my holidays surrounded by things that I have made that remind me of happy times and build new memories year by year.

In an attempt to reduce the weight of our caravan we removed the built-in microwave, which we will never use, and we gained a small cupboard to store the breakfast cereal. This alcove was a bit rough and had no doors so I have made a tiny pair of curtains.

I recycled a pelmet from some very large curtains that hung in our last 2 homes. In our first home they hung over the front door to keep draughts out and in the second house over large french windows. I loved these curtains for almost 30 years until they began to fade, fray and fall apart, but the pelmet was still good and at each end I had enough fabric to cut out these curtains with a lining.

I took the measurements for the alcove and cut the fabric and lining to the height of the space adding 5/8 inch seam allowances. I made the curtains 1 1/2 times the width of the space in total.

Each curtain is 2 inches wider than the lining to allow for an overlap of one inch at each side, but I didn't have enough fabric for a deep hem so I continued the seam along the bottom. Here you can see the curtain fabric and lining sewn together inside out.

I clipped the corners before turning each curtain right sides out.

I salvaged a short length of the original Rufflette tape which I attached to the top of the curtain. If I had been buying new tape then a narrow width would have been quite satisfactory and cheaper.

I pulled up the tape and in no time at all I had a small pair of curtains for my cupboard. I have hung them on curtain wire stretched across the top of the alcove.

This technique will make nice curtains for any small cupboard or shelf, it will keep the dust off and hide the clutter!

A little piece of our family history is now incorporated into our holiday home. My next project is to replace the very boring shower room blind with something on a seaside theme. I have started to knit a little seagull which I will blog later. Dreaming about holidays is the next best thing to actually going away I always think!