Hello peoplez so I went out and bought some panel curtains for my spiffy new apartment but it turns out that the apartment people put the curtain hanging thingy (I don't know what it's called) a bit lower than "standard height", or in other words, I have 5 panel curtains that are about 20 cms too long.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a seamstress or person with a sewing machine that could take up my curtains for a reasonable price? The curtains are very light, perfectly rectangular (no folds as they are curtain panels) and it is simply a manner of taking them up.

Being a non-feminine arts educated person I have no idea how to do this myself even if I were so inclined (and I'm worried about cutting the curtains to length myself also since I've never been known for cutting things straight even on paper!). However if someone on the forum is handy with a sewing machine and wouldn't mind either teaching me or doing it for me (I'll pay a reasonable fee), that would be awesome!

Anyone know of someone who might help?

How about getting some special tape you just have to iron for the glue to be activated and stick the material to the right height. Easy Peasy.

Look at ... for your nearest Creasphere shop- or any haberdashery or large store should have it:

www.creasphere.com

That's what I was going to suggest. Iron on tape. Easy peasy.

And where does one buy this magic iron-on tape?

Additionally, because they are panel curtains there needs to be a "slot" left to slide the weight bar into. Will this iron-on tape allow me to do that?

Thx!

Yes, you put the tape where you would normally sew.

You can get where they sell sewing stuff including Coop & Manor.

Cool. Thanks, I will do that.

Now, do you have any tips for how to make sure you cut things straight? Is there such a thing as a straight-edge for cloth or something? Or do I mark it with a pencil first? Or how do people do it?

Thx,

-E.

Take a tape measure and measure from the hem and mark on reverse side with a pencil - or buy a chalk crayon when you buy the tape. If there isn't too much material over, you might get away with not cutting. If you want it perfect, it is a good idea to rough stitch the hem with large hand stiches and then adjust.

I can't help with that: Everything I sew is crooked! LOL

I would avoid cutting the curtains. Just fold them over with a 20 cm hem, and iron them with the tape. They might not hang perfectly, but after removing the tape, they will be the correct length for the next appartment.

At the sewing section, on the 4th or 5 th floor of "Loeb" in Bern, you can get sewing jobs done, but they aren't cheap.

Another tip is that most dry cleaners will do alterations.

Yeah, I've thought about it and the nature of my panel curtains is such that a 20 cm taped up hem will not look nice at all. So I need to get it sewn properly. I've settled for the following solution.

On Monday I'll ask around at work if someone knows a not too expensive seamstress or knows how to sew (I estimate that for an experienced seamstress the job would not take longer than an hour). If the women at my workplace do not know of anyone, I might bite the bullet and buy a sewing machine and learn how to do it. I figure it will be a worthwhile investment. My trousers always need hemming and my buttons always fall off so it is a good skill to have, and what better way to get motivated to learn than when you need something done, right?

Wish me luck, ha ha. And if you do visit my apartment, try not to comment on the crookedly-hemmed curtains.

Sbrinz, I'll ask around Loeb but the last time I wanted someone to do my curtains they came out to over 100 CHF each which is way beyond the scope of this exercise. . I guess living in Switzerland is good because it encourages you to learn how to do certain small repairs on your own. I actually come from a country where people can sew a full dress for you from measurements (and no patterns) for around 20 CHF and will paint a whole house for you for less than 400CHF, so getting used to paying 100CHF or more for one-hour's worth of unskilled labor is quite a change for me. So I'll just learn to do the unskilled labor myself! (Which ironically means that the labor in question does indeed require skills and training, for I don't have any of them at all!).

Oh well. So it goes.

If you are buying a sewing machine, check out the Lidl stores - they had a Singer ( good brand, been around for over 100 years) model in last week for 199chf.

But, trousers should not have the stitches shown at the hem of the legs - they should be hand sewn. Buttons are also very easy to hand sew ( my son learnt to do that for a scout badge when he was 8.) and a cheap sewing machine may not have that function anyway.

The curtains? Hhhhmmm, pins, a needle and thread is how I was taught to do them - again to not have any stitches showing. Ideally the first fold would be done by machine, then a second fold for the hand stitching.

1. Buy the correct colour thread and needles from Migros.

2. You CAN cut off the few cm in a straight line. Of course you can - a ruler and chalk for marking it first.

3. Then make a small fold - approx 1 cm. Iron that. - You can iron? Yes, you can. :-)

4.Then make another pinned fold to get the finished length. Pin, then iron that flat as well.

5. Now comes the not so absolutely simple part of sewing the hem. This is where, is you have never sewn before, and lack problem solving abilities, ( you don't . Not really. ) you ask a colleague to demonstrate the stiching on a scrap that you have cut off. Then, to quote, "just do it."

Hang the curtains and invite guests around. They will be so impressed with your new found skills.

Buttons: Aaah, that is your next lesson. Let us know when you are ready for it.

I was also going to suggest you could buy a sewing machine. Fust has them on sale now for 199.

Today I saw a sewing machine for CHF99 at Coop. You probably won't make a new career as a seamstress yourself with it. But I bet it'll get your curtains done and some throw pillows and a few other bits and bobs.

If someone is aware of a reasonably priced seamstress/tailor in the Basel area, or can direct me to a thread here on the matter, that would be great.

There are lots of places in Saint Louis, just over border, including dry cleaners, called 5 a sec. just google it. It's on the main street "(avenue de bale) on right hand side. I believe it's much cheaper than Bale.

Thanks ~ merci! I was thinking this would be an idea for hair salons, too.