Well Tara, I usually make all of our window treatments. Have since before I got married so I'm not much of a help other than my Mom loved JCPenney's quality. She usually had custom ones made though. They do carry a large variety in the stores around here though. (eastern NE)

It is rare that I don't buy bedding or curtains from Penney's. If you do find something online you like, do a google search for JC Penney coupon code - you will get multiple sites with different options. Depending on what you order free shipping won't save more then a percent off code.

Right now my favorite window treatments are the chameleon line

Do check out Bed, Bath and Beyond. They have some pretty ones.

Vast majority of my window coverings seem to all lead me back to JCP. ;D I don't know why, that's just the way it seems to work out.

Just a word of warning about JCP. I've returned at least four orders of draperies in the past year due to variances in length. For example,one room required eight 108 in. panels. The length varied from 103 - 109. Yet I kept trying because of what appeared to be great sales combined with free shipping coupons.

This month I returned an order not only because of length differences but also (and at least as important to me) the Country of Origin was incorrectly stated on JCP's website. One set of panels that was supposed to be made in the USA was actually labeled Made in Pakistan. Another set was made in Mexico out of fabric from China.

With the time I've wasted on those orders, I could have sewn my own. In fact, that's my project for this winter.

I either make my own or end up at JCPenny. Sometimes when they have sales I can buy the drapes for less then it would cost to make them.

I searched high and low looking for the perfect color of drapes. I had an exact shade in mind which made the search quite daunting. I wanted to buy some drapes at Penney's but they did not have the color that I needed. I finally resorted to sewing them myself.

I've been looking myself. I saw some nice ones at Overstock.com (looking at the ones with the best customer reviews) but unsure about how the colors were without viewing in person.

Good thread. My old drapes (from previous owner) where 20-year old JCP custom--good quality,but colors faded and out of style so now I'm looking. I did get stock JCP for my bedroom and the quality is not as good as my old custom ones. I'm now shopping for the living and dining and would like to get the dupioni silk. I've also been looking at drapes at Ethan Allan as they seem fuller and thicker than the ones at JCP, but will probably cost more also. I've also looked at the drapes at Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn and like those as well. My wide window and bay window are just proving a challenge as not much comes with the wider panels--unless I go pinch pleat which is not my first choice, stylewise.

If you have a Calico Corners near you....they carry silk Antique drapery hardware ready made drapes. They also carry their hardware. Not the cheapest but not custom price and they look very nice.

Curtain Exchange....again, not the cheapest but look custom and you can take them home that day!! Which is kinda cool.

Smiles:)

Don't know where you live, but see if there is a JCPenney Outlet store near you. The JCPenney Outlet store at Franklin Mills Mall (Philadelphia) has a large drapery department. In one section, my favorite section, are all the custom orders that have for one reason or another, been sent back to JCPenney. I have bought incredibly beautiful custom made drapes for a fraction of what they originally cost. They are fully lined, weighted, and made of lovely materials. The catch is: you have to check frequently to see what's in stock, you may have to slightly modify the drapes to fit your windows, you have to find what you like from a limited selection. BUT if you find what you're looking for, it's a steal.

Another store that has a similar set up are the Waverly outlet stores. There's one in Morgantown, PA at a Furniture Outlet Mall and another one in Newark, DE. They sell custom quality bedding, shower curtains, drapes and other soft furnishings from the Waverly/Schumacher fabric lines. I do not know if these are rejects from customers or excess from their off-the-rack production, but the quality is phenomenal and the prices are insane. Of course, there's the caveat again of 1) you have to hit it at the right time and 2) you have a limited selection. Personally, because I've been home with kids I have more time than money. But, if I was in the reverse situation and very busy with a job, I'd probably opt to pay retail and get what I want when I want.

By the way, I also have had custom work done at Calico Corner. I paid $1400 for valances and drapes for three windows. And while that sounds (and is!) costly, I have had (and loved!) those window treatments for nearly 10 years. I don't expect to change them anytime soon. I think the Calico Corners workrooms turn out a quality product. I have had things made by other independent workrooms but nothing has approached the quality construction I enjoy in my CC drapes. And no, I am not paid to shill for them!

As for Country Curtains -- I just can't bring myself to pay their prices for their quality. I have visited the store in Stockbridge, MA at the Red Lion Inn and tried to find something I liked but I just couldn't quite get my mind around the quality/cost ratio. For a not-too-huge amount more I could get a simple custom pinch pleat, in some cases. I appreciate some of their fabrics and their traditional New England aesthetic, they are very generous with sample swatches and I think they're a well run outfit but for me, it's just not going to happen. Particularly since I have my own special 'haunts' for real custom at a discount.

I agree with Judith about Calico Corners. I made the foolhardy mistake of buying their fabric and having another "custom room" use Calico fabrics and ruined about $2000 worth of fabrics and charged me $3000 to do it. I will never do that again. My DIL used Calico Corners and the difference in mine and hers is like daylight and dark (dark being mine).

Well, y'all are convincing me to make my own again! We have a GREAT place near us that has incredible deals on fabrics...$40-$60 a yard for $3!!! Drapes really aren't that hard, I've just worked soo long and hard on this remodel (just caulked 6 door frames today)...that I'd just like to put something up that looks nice that I don't have to spend 1k on! If I buy the fabric, I know it'll sit in my project room for 3 months before they get hung....I like Country Curtains for my laundry rooms and office...just something nice to hang up and be done with it...I've never seen their drapes so good to hear about their quality issue...
No Calico Corners that I know of here...I would definitely sew my own drapes before paying anyone over $200 to do it! :) I was just hoping to spend $500 or less on some drapes I could just hang up...I paid $180 for my fabric on the drapes I made last year but it did take me 6 months....but the fabric alone would have retailed over $700....so I got a good deal..

Off to check out those sites!!! :)
Tara

If you can make your own drapes, then make them.
We always make our own drapes, all kinds shapes and sizes.
We just made chenille drapes for our 12 foot living room window, and our
French door in the dining room. We designed them along the way, first
we made tube pleats then changed them to pinch pleats.
Usually I know what I want, but this time we really winged it.

Joann

I was at BBB this weekend and thought they had very good prices. They just did not have the color I was looking for.

Good luck.

Joann: Would love to see a pic of the drapes you made for the living room window. Sounds lovely.

I think we have a Calico Corners in San Jose--never would've thought of checking there for drapes.