Curtains

[Sid Charles]

Hi Guys

Where do you turn for narrowboat curtains? I have seen loads on boats and never thought to ask who runs them up, or is it a case of DIY, trouble is I don't have a sewing machine.

[LadyG]

I had a set of home made, came with boat. They would costalot to make nowadays, so to replace, i bought 

6 small 127mm wide pairs , they are far too long, but locally there is a college which have machines, so all I need do is get their shears, cut them to size and hem. It will work out half price of new  curtains from a seamstress.

.You could hem them yourself, just use proper shears, or very slowly cut with sharp scissors. You turn them up about 2.5 inches then again 3 inches. You can buy iron on hemming tape.

I bought six poles 28mm diam from Dunelm and the curtains are threaded on. Poles cost about same as curtains. £182 for 6x 120 cm oak poles with rings and brackets . I just swage these overlong curtains behind the poles during the day. Very stylish!

I will remember where I bought curtains in a few minutes.  

I have found them, Google

Morris and Co

John Lewis £67 per pair

Its difficult to make curtains from scratch, with no machine shears teimmings, but hemming is easy peasy, you can buy cheapo machines.

Someone who can do these things with a proper machine would  take  two hours max.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2025 by LadyG

[Peugeot 106]

I’m a show off and made my own on my wife’s machine with quite a lot of online help from @MrsM.
I offered to marry her if it offered me curtains for life but we only got as far as showing each other our sewing machines. Sigh. It could have been a first marriage for CWF. Unfortunately I realised that we were both already happily married

seiously if you can find or borrow a sewing machine it’s not too difficult and quite satisfying. Cost was minimal and you can probably source a machine for pennies 

 

[LadyG]

 

Duplication

I had a set of home made, came with boat,  amateur track. 

I bought six poles 28mm diam and the curtains are threaded on. 6 Poles cost £180, curtains (£67 x 6) 

Buy curtains then fix poles higher than normal in a house 

I think buying ready made and cutting to length is the way to go ...

You could do it yourself, but you need a decent machine.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2025 by LadyG

[David Mack]

27 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I think buying ready made and cutting to length is the way to go ...

But then it would be a shame to waste the offcuts, so you still end up needing to know how to turn them into a second pair of curtains...

[LadyG]

14 hours ago, David Mack said:

But then it would be a shame to waste the offcuts, so you still end up needing to know how to turn them into a second pair of curtains...

Cushions, dear boy.

PS for those with a proper boat with large windows and also portholes there is no waste. I have some of that plastic coated wire for that, when I get round to it   

The material is not bulky, if you know linen upholstery fabric it is the same thickness, but a sort of plastic spray on lining. which mean you dont need lining material unless you want extra insulation. 

 

Edited December 14, 2025 by LadyG

[BEngo]

Use the spare curtain(s)  to make an engine cover.

[Tony Brooks]

13 hours ago, LadyG said:

 

Duplication

I had a set of home made, came with boat,  amateur track. 

I bought six poles 28mm diam and the curtains are threaded on. Poles cost about same as curtains.

Buy curtains then fix poles higher than normal in a house 

I think buying ready made and cutting to length is the way to go ...

 

 

 

I can't help thinking that many ready-made curtains will be too thick and bulky for typical narrowboat windows. I also think that curtain poles over an inch in diameter and shortened to fit typical narrowboat windows will also look out of proportion and odd. Then there is the question about how the ready-made curtains are attached to the pole. In the size mentioned, I think domestic curtain rings would look out of proportion, and curtains where the pole fits through large metal rings in the top of the curtain would make any bulkiness worse.

 

It is a matter of taste, but I think the brass rods as shown by @Peugeot 106 threaded through the top hem or through small brass rings sewed onto the top back of the curtain look far more in keeping than many ready-mades and domestic poles will ever be.

 

I agree the lack of a sewing machine is a problem, as will be storing one on a boat, but it Peugeot and myself can make them it should not be beyond many. It just needs a bit of thinking about before jumping in, and if one DIYs there is no need to do things the way a curtain maker may, you can work out the simplest way for yourself.

 

Here are the curtains I made, some years on so they have faded a bit (best photo I now have):

 

For all the other windows, I chose roller blinds with an L shaped channel at either side to keep them flush with the cabin side. You can just about see this on the galley window on the left of the photo. In fact, mail order blinds were as cheap or cheaper than ready-made curtains.

Edited December 14, 2025 by Tony Brooks

[Mac of Cygnet]

14 hours ago, Peugeot 106 said:

. It could have been a first marriage for CWF.

Would it?  There are several married couples contributing to CWDF, but have any been brought together by the forum?  (OK, I'm derailing the thread, but hey ho.)

[Peugeot 106]

34 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Would it?  There are several married couples contributing to CWDF, but have any been brought together by the forum?  (OK, I'm derailing the thread, but hey ho.)

I did say could not would! Where is @MrsM when her input is obviously needed. I thought she would be here in a trice at the mention of curtains. I’m sure she could give practical advice if the OP fancies turning seamstress. 
 

Confession. I made them with blue linings as suggested by @Tony Brooks.. excellent advice but the linings have faded as I didn’t get colourfast material. Anyway they still look fine

 

 

[LadyG]

I bought my curtains unlined, they have some sort of coating, possibly fire proofing.

The 28mm diam fit perfectly, I tried the curtain rings on poles but they looked weird .

The curtain tape is open at either end and a 28mm pole fits perfectly when they are pushed thru the curtain tape  "pocket". The tape is about 3 inches deep.

I bought six poles 120cm, this does not allow the threaded curtains to open completely when not in use but the 150cm poles looked too long with my oak panelling.

16 hours ago, Sid Charles said:

Hi Guys

Where do you turn for narrowboat curtains? I have seen loads on boats and never thought to ask who runs them up, or is it a case of DIY, trouble is I don't have a sewing machine.

I bought curtains from John Lewis, by  Morris & Co, 117 width and 137 drop.

£67 per pair.

45 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I bought my curtains unlined, they have some sort of coating, possibly fire proofing.

The 28mm diam fit perfectly, I tried the curtain rings on poles but they looked weird .

The curtain tape is open at either end and a 28mm pole fits perfectly when they are pushed thru the curtain tape  "pocket". The tape is about 3 inches deep.

I bought six poles 120cm, this does not allow the threaded curtains to open completely when not in use but the 150cm poles looked too long with my oak panelling.

I bought curtains from John Lewis, by  Morris & Co, 117 width and 137 drop.

£67 per pair.

I expect brass rods would work instead of my 28mm oak poles, but not domestic curtain track, it depends on the boat. The poles dont look oversize, the curtains mistly cover them, they are six inches longer than windows either side. I threaded five curtains and have rings on the window near the fire to make sure they are clear of the stove .

I think I  only looked at them the day i set them up. 

Edited December 14, 2025 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, Peugeot 106 said:

Confession. I made them with blue linings as suggested by @Tony Brooks.. excellent advice but the linings have faded as I didn’t get colourfast material. Anyway they still look fine

 

To be clear, I did not actually line the curtains I made. I made them in a way that allowed the relatively thin material to be worked doubled over, so on side acted as the lining. This meant that all the material was the same, so when washing to remove the inevitable spider poo they all shrank at the same rate with no problems with bagging where the lining and curtain material shrank at different rates. Mine faded as well, but I suspect that was the sunlight which I think would attack even colourfast material.

 

FWIW, I think my method was this, having cut to width and double length allowing for hems etc.

 

Iron something like a 10mm "hem" on each side but do not stitch.

 

Fold in half and iron the fold to keep it flat.

 

Sew straight through both sides, including the "hems", 2 to 3mm in from the edge.

 

Fold and iron a 10mm "hem" along the open end, but do not sew.

 

Fold again, with the "hem on the inside" to form a long pocket for the curtain rod. Pin if required.

 

Sew right though both sides and the "hem".

 

Job done, it wll all depend on how straight and accurate your stitching is. Mine was not straight, but the look OK with coloure matched thread

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LadyG]

17 hours ago, BEngo said:

Use the spare curtain(s)  to make an engine cover.

I keep my engine nice and warm by running it nearly every day 

it likes a well charged starter battery and grumps a bit if its 0 degrees Centigrade.

Edited December 14, 2025 by LadyG

[Onewheeler]

I use blinds. Much tidier.

[LadyG]

50 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

I use blinds. Much tidier.

Yes, I think they need special fixing if cabin sides are angled. OK if you are converting a container

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Yes, I think they need special fixing if cabin sides are angled. OK if you are converting a container

Not necessarily. The roller blinds I have (on portholes) use a magnet and a small steel washer below the opening to hold them against the cabin side.

 

 

[Onewheeler]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

Yes, I think they need special fixing if cabin sides are angled. OK if you are converting a container

Nope, just a cleat underneath.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

Not necessarily. The roller blinds I have (on portholes) use a magnet and a small steel washer below the opening to hold them against the cabin side.

 

 

The one roller blind on a sloping wall I still have on the boat (galley, nearish the hob) slots in to a couple of cup hooks below the window. Magnets and washers look a neater solution. 

[IanD]

28 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The one roller blind on a sloping wall I still have on the boat (galley, nearish the hob) slots in to a couple of cup hooks below the window. Magnets and washers look a neater solution. 

And one which works very well -- my blinds came with this fitted, also blackout fabric. You also don't have to manually raise them, just tip them off the magnet and let go and they retract slowly. Not cheap though... 😞

 

https://www.blindsforboats.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-roller-blind-slow-rise-blockout-fabric-1

[Jen-in-Wellies]

10 minutes ago, IanD said:

And one which works very well -- my blinds came with this fitted, also blackout fabric. You also don't have to manually raise them, just tip them off the magnet and let go and they retract slowly. Not cheap though... 😞

 

https://www.blindsforboats.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-roller-blind-slow-rise-blockout-fabric-1

You're not wrong. Ouch! Think I'll stick with the Ikea one and the cup hooks. 

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

You're not wrong. Ouch! Think I'll stick with the Ikea one and the cup hooks. 

Anything custom-made in small quantities is always going to be more expensive than something standard made in big quantities -- this applies to blinds as well as boats... 😉 

[Onewheeler]

3 hours ago, IanD said:

And one which works very well -- my blinds came with this fitted, also blackout fabric. You also don't have to manually raise them, just tip them off the magnet and let go and they retract slowly. Not cheap though... 😞

 

https://www.blindsforboats.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-roller-blind-slow-rise-blockout-fabric-1

What do you expect? It's got boat in the name. There are umpteen companies that make bespoke roller blinds.

[IanD]

34 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

What do you expect? It's got boat in the name. There are umpteen companies that make bespoke roller blinds.

Yes I know, and I looked at quite a few of them. All (made to fit) were expensive, and some didn't do as good a job, or were far too big and obtrusive (big square boxes).

 

Sometimes you can find cheap *and* good, this time I couldn't find this... 😞 

Edited December 15, 2025 by IanD

[Tony Brooks]

I got mine from the internet, possibly blids4you, and they were not expensive. The components seem similar to the John Lewis made to measure ones we have at home.

[Onewheeler]

3 hours ago, IanD said:

Yes I know, and I looked at quite a few of them. All (made to fit) were expensive, and some didn't do as good a job, or were far too big and obtrusive (big square boxes).

 

Sometimes you can find cheap *and* good, this time I couldn't find this... 😞 

From memory, about £40 each. Maybe less for seven.