The Ultimate Curtain Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Your Own Window Treatments [Paperback]

Isabella Forbes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2000

The best-selling comprehensive guide to creating your own window treatments. Learn to make professional-looking curtains, drapes, blinds, and valances-from choosing the best style to cutting, making, and fitting. Over 35 practical, step-by-step projects.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

I felt as if I were being told interior design secrets that had been kept from me for years. Curtains have always been something I thought should be left to the experts -- or at least to J.C Penneys. But who better knows what a room needs than yourself? Some of the projects I especially enjoyed were how to make velvet rose tiebacks and a stained glass window shade and how to add painted effects to your curtains with stencils. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Given the subtitle, the reader would expect to find a well-organized "how to" manual. Instead, Forbes, a London interior designer, has produced a lavishly illustrated book with imaginative variations of standard draperies. Experienced sewers will be inspired, but the instructions are given in such a disorganized fashion that amateurs will probably be a bit befuddled. Compared with Lady Caroline Wrey's The Complete Book of Curtains and Drapes (LJ 2/15/92) and Carol Parks's Complete Book of Window Treatments & Curtains (Sterling, 1993)-which provide, respectively, elegant window treatments and clear practical directions-this book falls short of its goal.
Gayle A. Williamson, formerly with Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762102438
• ISBN-13: 978-0762102433
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Windows

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book - Not for Beginners!, October 21, 2001

By 

Because Book Club (Albany, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Curtain Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Your Own Window Treatments (Paperback)

While the designs and photos are beautiful, this is not the book for those, like me, who are new to the home decor stage and simply want to "do it themselves" after growing to despise the current window treatments around the house. The instructions assumed a great deal of prior knowledge, particularly in sewing techniques and terms. I found this book frustrating and unusable - but then again - I can sew a straight line and that's about it. If you are looking for simple - look elsewhere.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best curtain book available!, February 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Curtain Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Your Own Window Treatments (Hardcover)

For those with little idea of what their style might be or the look they are trying to achieve, this could be the curtain encyclopedia. The style ideas run the gamet from truely traditional to truely contemporary. And, each composed picture of the curtain in a setting is accompanied by instructions on how to make the curtains. I found it to be indispensible

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars timeless classic styles, July 5, 2000

By 

bookhound99 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Curtain Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Your Own Window Treatments (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from the library to take a closer look before purchasing and am very impressed.

I found ideas in this book very inspiring. It has page after page of color photographs, with excellent color illustrations on how to achieve the curtains of your choice. Author has clear running commentary throughout the book and the projects' instructions are in a "recipe" format; what materials you need, how to take the measurement, and step by step instructions. I notice on the copyright page it was originally published in 1993 in Great Britain (there is a english country style about it), yet looking at the timeless, classic fabrics and designs of the rooms in which these curtains appear show no signs of dated materials. That's what I think good decorating style is all about.

The Complete Home Decorating Book by Nicholas Barnard would be an excellent companion book. These two books seem to share the same design sensibilities.