I will be making curtains for a bathroom window. I want to make them in two parts, so that they can be opened. The actual window measures 39 inches across. How many inches should I allow for gathers? Is double too much?
It depends on the heaviness of the fabric. The lighter the fabric the more you want to gather in order to get the same fullness effect. You might need to gather anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the width of the window.
This post has some ideas about how to determine the level of fullness you want.
1½ is generally considered the minimum. I think 3 times would be too much to gather at the sides. Double would probably be OK but you should also take into account what you are hanging it from. A pole needs more than a wire.
It all depends how much gather you want in them. Standard is to double, skirts, dust ruffles, curtains!
Oh, that’s wonderful advice! Exactly what I needed. Thank you, all.