Short Cuts to Designer Style: Soft Furnishings

If you want to freshen the mood of a room, transform the atmosphere and style by sewing new window treatments, cushions, and other accessories. Many of the projects feature curtains, with your choice of hand-pleated, looped, slotted, taped headings. Others show some new blinds (Roman, Austrian, and festoon blinds) as well as cafe curtains. Still others offer imaginative touches for pelmets, valances, drapes, and tiebacks. Hints for putting on finishing touches make sure you create your personal style every time.

Drawing on the secrets of professional workroom techniques, this detailed guide explains how to create the delicious fabric accents that ‘add warmth and coziness, coolness and quiet, or bright colorful vitality.’ Learn all the basics of designing, measuring, pattern matching, lining, and hanging, and then choose from among the more than two dozen projects to construct curtains, blinds, drapes, valances, tie-backs, cushions, and bed canopies. Plus, find helpful shortcuts (like using Velcro to close pillow openings or to hang valances), tips on alternate applications such as making a room divider out of curtains, interesting variations on standard looks, and suggestions for reinterpreting the designs to suit your own personal style. –Amy Handy

If you want to freshen the mood of a room, transform the atmosphere and style by sewing new window treatments, cushions, and other accessories. Many of the projects feature curtains, with your choice of hand-pleated, looped, slotted, taped headings. Others show some new blinds (Roman, Austrian, and festoon blinds) as well as cafe curtains. Still others offer imaginative touches for pelmets, valances, drapes, and tiebacks. Hints for putting on finishing touches make sure you create your personal style every time.

Drawing on the secrets of professional workroom techniques, this detailed guide explains how to create the delicious fabric accents that ‘add warmth and coziness, coolness and quiet, or bright colorful vitality.’ Learn all the basics of designing, measuring, pattern matching, lining, and hanging, and then choose from among the more than two dozen projects to construct curtains, blinds, drapes, valances, tie-backs, cushions, and bed canopies. Plus, find helpful shortcuts (like using Velcro to close pillow openings or to hang valances), tips on alternate applications such as making a room divider out of curtains, interesting variations on standard looks, and suggestions for reinterpreting the designs to suit your own personal style. –Amy Handy