Blackout lining doesn't come in any fusible types. It has rubber embedded in it between two layers of fabric, it'll melt/warp if you try to fuse something to it. It can be ironed because it's fabric on the outside, but excessive pressing/heat will warp it or make it pull off grain very easily while hot from the iron.

Also, unlike regular fabrics, once you sew it, you've got holes that'll show light through them. Ask me how I know that :)

As for the rest of your idea, I don't think velcro will hold well (also would be bulky), but the buttonholes should work. Tension rods are best for smaller windows, & using light weight fabric, too heavy & they may slip out of the window a lot.

Congrats on the new house!

Thanks, Jomuir. Great info. I'll try to adjust and allow for the holes. Perhaps cover them with ribbon... I think I'll use very light fabric with the blackout lining. It's gotta be cheap because it's temporary! Thanks again.

I LOVE jomuir's answer! I KNOW how she knows that! I made a huge blackout lined shade for a client, we lowered it on a sunny day, and it looked like a starry starry night! We ran out and bought Whiteout and dabbed it on every ring hole. I just ordered a bolt of some new blackout lining that is supposed to be "self-healing".

Well, I found Roc-lon blackout fabric at Joann's last week for something like $3.50 a yard using a 50% off coupon. I cut them all out over the weekend and will start sewing tonight. I'm really banging these out quickly just as a temporary coverup. In fact I may only do the top rod pocket and let the rest hang down without any side or bottom seams. That way if I ever want to use the blackout lining for something else I won't have to do a lot of unsewing. The self-healing stuff sounds interesting.

Haha Patgirls, we sewers do learn things the hard way, don't we? Starry starry night, rofl! Reminds me of the time we had hand-painted canvas provided for a job, painted by the clients daughter in Chicago & shipped to us, in number order to make panels that were in effect a mural. I almost threw up when I cut at my fold line for the hem on one of the panels. Talk about no more fabric available! Showed the boss, she blanched. Then she carefully glued the cut edges together after it was all pressed. No-one was the wiser.

Ff, 3.50/yd is a good price. I made some B/L lined drapes for our office, it gets blinding light before sundown, and they're so heavy I'm surprised the rod is still on the wall!

You can def. reuse your B/L the way you're making your window coverings. My sewing hero Sandra Betzina used to say on her sewing show,"fast & dirty" for your kind of project. I like that kind of sewing, you get quick results. Unlike my living room drapery project which I managed to drag out for 2 months....

I was in the same situation. I bought the black out fabric, used carpet tape to secure the outer fabric (cotton) then folded over and again used carpet tape to make room for the tension rod. Not the best looking, but I was able to live with it for four months.