Window Quilts?

**cheles2kids** · 01-15-2009, 08:30 PM

Okay, I know that some of you inventive & resourceful ladies here have made them & made them inexpensively.

I would love to hear from you and how you went about doing it.

I have a HUGE picture window in our den (60 inches high & 120 inches wide) and I desperately need something to hang in it to help keep the cold out.
Right now I'm using two of those cheapie polyster type blankets you would buy from Wal-mart (kinda along the lines of what the older electric blankets were made out of), and I have them thumbtacked around all the edges and while that is working temporarily, I would really like something that looks a little bit better.

Also I think some more insulating material would be even better.
I do have a sewing machine & can sew a little bit, so nothing too, too complicated, please.

I've done some 'googling', but really didn't come up with any good patterns or ideas to make them.

So please help educate this window quilt rookie.

**Michelle** · 01-15-2009, 08:35 PM

Hey Michelle, if you scroll to the bottom of the page you should see several posts RE: window quilts. HTH

**Patty A** · 01-16-2009, 03:23 AM

I did the window quilts and they do WORK well. I plan on redoing mine come summer and adding a layer of plastic to the back of them to make them even better. I went to the thrift shop and picked up comforter type blankets (I wanted them in a hurry) and hung them up.
They don't look the best but I plan on changing that when I take the down. I tack them in the corners so I could open them during the day time to let light in. When I take the down I plan on lining them with some material to make them look more like a curtain for next winter. I also plan on a trip to the dollar store for the plastic shower liners to add to the back of them. I think that will act as extra insulation against the cold. I can't believe how much warmer it has made my house, and my window are only two years old so they aren't drafty, just the cold coming off the glass. I will line the front with material that looks like a curtain, line the back with plastic, redo the tops to make them heavy so I can tack them right in to the window again. I know they work, and they work well to keep the cold from coming in through the glass on the windows. I won't do another winter without having them up, and up early!

**mommy4ever** · 01-16-2009, 08:27 AM

I am planning on doing some too, my girls have new windows, 2 years old that radiate cold from the glass, I guess when it's -40 windows are never efficient. These will be simple patchwork though I think in the colors of their rooms. At the top I plan to use some button holes so that they can slide it to one side to open and let daylight in if they chose.

In my livingroom we have 3 long skinny windows, I too am looking for a nice pattern. I currently have blinds on them, and hate it. But it's functional. So I'll have to think on a design for those!

**cheles2kids** · 01-16-2009, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Michelle

Hey Michelle, if you scroll to the bottom of the page you should see several posts RE: window quilts. HTH

I must be looking over these posts?
I went through all the threads here in home environment but didn't see any about window quilts?

Maybe I'm still looking in the wrong place, I dunno?

Puweese help me, I'm totally confuseded!

**Michelle** · 01-16-2009, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by cheles2kids

I must be looking over these posts?
I went through all the threads here in home environment but didn't see any about window quilts?

Maybe I'm still looking in the wrong place, I dunno?

Puweese help me, I'm totally confuseded!

scroll wayyyy downn to the bottom of this thread (when you're in the thread)--under the quick reply box--and you'll see a section called "similar threads". You should see a few regarding this topic down there.

PLMK if you need further help.

**cheles2kids** · 01-16-2009, 08:58 AM

PattyA, thank-you for taking the time for such a detailed explanation.
I really hadn't even thought of the shower curtain liner idea, but it makes total sense to me.

My idea was to use the two blankets that I have and buy two more to double them up, they were $4.00 at Wal-mart, then taking 4 full size flat sheets and place one on front & back.
That way it'll look more like actual curtains from both the outside and the inside, rather than just the blankets hanging there.

I haven't decided yet as to whether I would just stitch the layers together to fit the width of the window, or whether it would be simpler to just make two window curtains and hang them side by side.
I know if I did them all in one piece that there would be less air that could get in, but I'd say working with two separate peices would be much easier, especially when I sit down to hem everything.

Then tacking them all together with a cream colored yarn or thread, kinda like the older quilts were done, simply 'cause this will hold all the layers together and it will be quicker.
But what I might do now is to add in that extra shower curtain liner in the middle, before tacking them down.

So it would go flat sheet, blanket, shower curtain liner, blanket, flat sheet.

Then I'll go back around the edges and stitch them all together?
What do you ladies think? Would that work?
I figured that even with doubling the blankets, since they aren't very heavy, it would give more thickness to keep even more cold out?

I found this webisite that talked about a way of attaching them to the top of the window, in order to be able to open them whenever we needed:
http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues..._Robishaw.html
If you scroll down just a bit, she talks about using a pulley-type system to be able to roll them up & down with.
Mike said that this could be done for fairly cheap and shouldn't be too, too hard to put up.

Does anyone else have any advice on my plan?
Or does it even sound like it would work?
I'd love to hear any & all suggestions, advice or problems that you might see in my plan.
I really don't want to have to re-do them once they are finished and hung up.
When not in use I plan on "rolling" them up to the top of the window and leaving them there until I need them again.

**cheles2kids** · 01-16-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Michelle

scroll wayyyy downn to the bottom of this thread (when you're in the thread)--under the quick reply box--and you'll see a section called "similar threads". You should see a few regarding this topic down there.

PLMK if you need further help.

Thank-you so much for clarifying for the slow girl.

**Michelle** · 01-16-2009, 09:05 AM

:laughinghard:

No problem, Michelle. I think a lot of people miss that feature or may not even know it exists, so don't feel bad!

**tbs727** · 01-16-2009, 11:12 AM

My idea was to use the two blankets that I have and buy two more to double them up, they were $4.00 at Wal-mart, then taking 4 full size flat sheets and place one on front & back.
That way it'll look more like actual curtains from both the outside and the inside, rather than just the blankets hanging there.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Just do it in a way that would be easiest for you. Two separate panels would be pretty simple.

**Patty A** · 01-17-2009, 04:14 AM

I love the idea of adding the sheets, that would make them look much better! If you have a thrift store near you check there for the blankets, most of mine were only 2 bucks, and the one heavy comforter was only 3. The blankets are really cheap there, and some are truly like new. I want to put the plastic liner (instead of between the blankets) closer to the window, I really think it would keep the cold out better to have it closer to the glass. But I really love the idea of the sheets to make it look more like curtains. ...JMHO.

**cheles2kids** · 01-18-2009, 10:54 AM

Okay, so what I've decided to do:
sheet
blanket
blanket
sheet

I bought all the supplies I'll need yesterday, and plan on starting on them today.
I paid $4.00 for 4 twin size flat sheets, & $4.00 for each blanket (which I plan on doubling, so therefore I bought 4)

I've decided that sense the curtains that were left up by the previous owners were more for looks than practicality, I will be taking them down completely.
I will however use the curtain/dowel rod that is already being used, except I think (?) that we will lower/reposition it so that my quilt will be haning much closer to the window itself.

Unfortunately my window frame doesn't have much of a 'lip' in order for us to actually place them inside the frame.
So we will have to place them directly outside the frame, but I plan on leaving enough on either side to overlap the frame as much as possible.

I also debated whether or not to purchase and use the shower liner, but in the end I decided against it because I was afraid that it wouldn't be practical whenever I needed to launder the "curtains".
I was afraid that when I needed to dry them that the plastic would heat up too much and possibly melt?
I know that I could hang them out to dry, but if for some reason they would need to be washed during the colder months I didn't want to deal with having to hang them and then wait for them to dry.

I am planning on just using those curtain 'clips' that they sell now with the clip on the top and the ring on the bottom and just clipping the tops of the window curtains with them and then just sliding the rings onto the rod.

I will try to get some pictures of them to show how I make them, that way maybe it will help someone else.

I'm not very sewing literate, so I'm hoping that they at least come out presentable.

**Patty A** · 01-18-2009, 11:29 AM

can't wait to see how they turn out. And hey, I don't sew well either but its sure worth the try to save on the heating bill and not be so cold! You will do fine, I know you will!

**cheles2kids** · 01-21-2009, 09:10 AM

Just wanted to update that I haven't started on my window quilts yet.
I did however get everything laundered yesterday and will be ironing the sheets today, so hopefully I can get started on them later this afternoon or tomorrow.

Thanks PattyA for the encouragement!