DIY: Custom Drapery

One of the best features of our condominium is the span of windows around. There are 12 windows! The unit came with blue blinds. I'm not crazy about them, but they do their job and it would cost a fortune to replace them. We have frameless windows, so it looks bare and cold without any window dressing. Drapery panels cost about $50 per panel. I need 12 panels + hardware. Total cost would be $800+. Frugal me would make them myself, or better yet, have my mother do it :). The color of the walls are a very pale grey. To warm up the place and provide some contrast, I'm using a dark grey cotton twill fabric, typically used for men's suits. I love that it's wrinkle free and it hangs very straight and tailored. I bought 37 yards of it at $3.50/per yard = $130 + $100 on basic hardware. The fabric comes in 54"W finished ends. That's the width of the panel anyways, so it didn't need to be hemmed. My mother sewed a 3" pocket with interfacing to reinforce the shape on the top of the panel. I used iron-on double sided adhesive for the bottom hem, so it doesn't have thread showing. I don't like putting the curtain rod through the pocket, because that would cause rouching. I want it to look clean, so I used clip on rings. That's it! It's a simple project and it saved me over $500! Some elbow grease and leg work goes a long way.