Okay so making curtains is....not hard. Even good ones, unless you are working with troublesome fabric. If you have some lightweight see through stuff built up in layers over a backer, that can be tough and quality will depend on who you hire.

It really depends on what you are asking of them. I could teach my dog to sew basic upholstery cloth curtains.

Truly, I cannot think of why anyone would want custom curtains, unless you are hoping for a padded valance with special trim work. You will pay thru the nose for a simple panel drape and with probably a hundred different sources, drapes/curtains these days are CHEAP and CHEAPER from so many places...less than you could buy just the LINING by the yard. You can buy blackout drapes, grommet hung drapes, literally flat sheets hung with cafe hooks on an aluminum length of conduit, sheer drapes with print, prints that mimic Indian fabrics, or damask table cloths. If you don't have what they used to call a "bay window" the width of a football field, or other special shaped window, I encourage you to just do a search for drapes or panel drapes online and make it easy on yourself. It is marvelous, what window treatments have become today! :D

Thanks for the comments! I appreciate you responding. I realized I needed to provide some background. I am starting a business where I make and sell custom curtains! The cool thing is that I can sell curtains that are any color and in multiple different fabrics all handmade and custom dyed! I will also be able to make matching headboards, pillows duvets etc...to go along with these curtains. So this is more of a business question...unfortunately I don't know anyone I can go to for advice which is why I'm here. I'm trying to decide between a seamstress and a cut and sew to produce my samples then to work with on an on going basis as orders come in.

Not tooo long ago, I read where the wooden or padded over wood valance is coming back for the more formal areas of the large homes so many are building these days. I personally LOVE that look. And there are alot of folks who will pay to have drapes and cushions and pillows that coordinate. Good luck in your endeavor. The prettiest rooms I ever recall seeing had those padded cornices above and across the windows, the padded headboards, we see so much of today. Makes me remember those famous early turquoise and pink and gold movie pictures that were made in the 50's and shown as reruns on television during many late nights of babysitting as a grade school /high school student for neighbors. LOL.....If I paid for that, having a great amount of scotchguard on the fabric would be very very important, so you may want to look into the industrial way of applying that for your customers that request it...

If you are the new one on the block, be aware your first customers may be folks who did not settle up with their last custom work, employed person, so if the job is huge, YES you need to know their credit rating/worthiness... Those folks are often the near death of a start up business, so brush up on your business skills right along with your color wheel. You must have a plan and you DO need to get enough money up front to make the job profitable within the confines of their expectations. And yes, the ones you KNOW can pay without a problem, are often the ones who take the most liberty because 1. they know you need their name as good advertisement publicity(and they think that buys you bread at the store) and 2.often have everyone fooled, like the emperor seamstress and the no clothes fable of a long time ago. And no matter how good of a job you do, they only typically, use you once, because they KNOW if they got a really good deal, you will make up for it with their 2nd time they hire you, so take care of yourself and remember it is a real business and don't let them take you to the cleaners on it... Vendor, be aware.

Wow thank you for your pearls of wisdom! Believe it or not I never heard of scotchgard but I made a note of it and looked it up for future reference! And yes I loveee everything vintage the 40s, 50s and 60s I imagine that everything was of a higher quality and a little more beautiful in a classic kind of way. I just got tired of the low quality that so many things are today. So I purchased a bunch of Very good fabric and now I'm going to hire a seamstress to make my samples and items as orders come in. I make other things too like pottery, picture frames and wall art that will go with the colors of the sewn items. I do understand about people not paying and things like that so I do require payment upfront. But I think most people are honest and good so I'm not too worried. Thanks for showing interest this business is my passion.

Just a crazy FYI...If you want to put silk or the soft fabric? type flowers outside for a length of time, whether at home, or in that place where people often do put flowers for display that are not real.....if you spray THEM with Scotchguard, it will keep the UV Rays from discoloring them and they will look much nicer for a longer period of time. Gotta wonder if it does the same thing for upholstery cushions outdoors?? Should check on that.

Oooh, this is a really good idea...I'm picturing something like "Room in a Box," you know, like "Bed in a Bag," but for a whole room: curtains, throw pillows, maybe a blanket, two pieces of wall art, maybe a rug in a coordinating color...I think a lot of people just starting out in their first home or a new home would buy something like that, especially if the price is reasonable! And you could do them for different rooms, too, with different accessories for each one--Bathroom in a Box might have a set of six towels, shower curtain, and mat, while Bedroom in a Box would have a blanket or duvet cover with curtains, a rug, and a lamp or one of those fabric pieces people put on their dressers or bedside tables, all in a matching pattern or colors that go with the curtains. A higher-end one might have a padded headboard in the same pattern or color or whatever, too.

So you could just buy one of those and not need to worry about hunting down all those little pieces and if the color is really the shade it appears to be on the screen or whatever. It's hard when you're starting out and don't have much and don't have time to hunt stuff down, too.

I agree with you, too, about the lack of quality in so many things today.

IMO your big concern will be who can keep up with the work--you don't want someone who's going to fall behind because their kid got sick or they're just not in the mood that day or whatever. So that's something to consider, too.

As others have said, making curtains is easy--I've made some in almost every home I've had, and I just the other day bought some long blackout curtains in a cool pattern that I'm going to cut in half to make four shorter curtains for my bedroom (windows are only 36" high, and curtains are 84" long). So it's the patterns and other stuff that will make you stand out, and that's where the skill of the workers come in, too.

BTW, heh, don't worry, I'm not stealing your idea (but if you use the Room in a Box thing and it takes off, I wouldn't mind a small check, lol). I just get enthused about things, and this sounds like it could be really fun, especially if you have patterns and designs nobody else does. It always shocks me how little variety there is out there in affordable curtains etc. Why does everything have to be just solid colors and that's it, you know? Anyway. Best of luck to you! I'd love to hear how it goes as you move forward.

Where is your PROFIT? What is in your bank account to cover the inevitable errors? Who is measuring, installing? What "very good seamstress" and how will quality construction be assured? How will you pay the seamstress, invoice the end consumer, pay the sales tax to whatever state you reside on your end product when sold to the consumer. How will you deliver the padded headboard and room in a box?

Where is the business plan that even guesses how much of this you could sell, to whom you could sell it and for what profit over your COSTS of doing business? Where is the accountant who shall arrange how you pay the various or single sewers of the product..............and report all their income to the federal government?

If every thing was easy, EVERY ONE would do it.

I am starting a business where I make and sell custom curtains!

Really??? If you're making them then you don't need a seamstress. A seamstress can probably make curtains but it is not their main focus, clothing is, so their fee may be high and the time it takes them may be longer. A local sewing group: where would the quality control come in? Do you know anyone who wants curtains that are made from hand made & custom dyed fabrics? That is going to be a very small market of clients. You are going to need to associate yourself with interior designers who may have that type of clientele. I also cannot imagine paying upfront, a deposit yes, but total payment NO. Where would the client's leverage be if you don't hold up your end of the contract? Yes most people are good and honest but when it comes to money...… just read a lot of the post on here

Aside from all the other comments here, I just have to say, that if you go through with this please offer curtains in 90" lengths. That is the length that should be THE STANDARD for 8' ceilings, and yet miraculously, that is not a size most makers offer.

Jan Moyer In fairness, we have no idea if the OP has a business plan or where her funding comes from, and she didn't ask for our opinions or advice on that. She just wanted to know if we have any thoughts on who might do the work best. And the "Room in a Box" thing was just an idea I threw out there; it's not something the OP mentioned or agreed to do, so I think it's a tad premature to be grilling her about how she will ship a product she hasn't even suggested she'll be making.

I agree it sounds from what she's said here like there's still some planning to do, but I also think some of you guys here are maybe focused more on "modern" decorating etc., as in, rooms that would generally be featured on Houzz, lol, trendy rooms with high-end finishes and such, but that excludes a HUGE market of people who aren't interested in and/or can't afford that kind of thing. Christiana Manson mentioned how she loves vintage; there is a very large market of people (like myself) who love patterns etc. from the 40s 50s 60s and would love to have items in that style in our homes, but they are next to impossible to find (and when found, they are extremely expensive). For example, I would personally be very interested in some cute 50s-style curtains for my kitchen or living room, but anything remotely like that I can find is either genuine vintage, so it costs an arm and a leg and is fragile due to age, or vintage reproduction, so costs an arm and a leg.

There are a lot of us out there who aren't so much interested in what's trendy and fashionable, and just want something that reflects our personality and style. Curtains with little cherries or skulls or glittery planets or something, I dunno; something *different* from the standard. I'm not saying Christiana has a winning business idea here, because I don't know! I'm just saying we don't know that she doesn't, either, and there IS a market for things off the beaten path--as I said, I'm really surprised and disappointed at how little variety there is out there when it comes to home fabrics.

(And I'm surprised by people who say they wouldn't pay upfront! You do that pretty much every single time you buy something online, so why would this be any different? I bought a set of curtains and a duvet cover online just last week, and paid for them upfront. I can see where maybe a set custom-made to unusual measurements and specifications might be a little different, but I'd assume OP would also offer some standard widths and lengths and maybe a couple of ready-made options like a valance in a set width & height, so why not pay for those at least upfront?)

OP, I definitely agree that you should offer a 90" length, that you should reach out to local designers once you're up and running (and maybe some vintage stores/sites), and that you should learn to sew yourself if this is something you want to do. Depending on others to do that work cuts your profits and raises your prices.

Best of luck to you!

@sidgirlk Yes thats what Im going to do! The whole "room in a box" idea I posted a picture to kinda explain. I'm really into color and fabric I'll be able to offer all color combinations and various fabrics like silk, velvet, linen, cotton etc...I'm just sticking to small items that are easy to store and mail like pillows, vases, candles, picture frames...the biggest thing I'm sell is big picture frames and headboards.

I really want to help people create entire home color palettes and then sell things that will help incorporate those colors around the house.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and the info! You really get my idea! I'm starting with only solid colors since they appeal to more people but after get the business going I'm going to create a line of prints for wallpaper and fabric. :)

Having an awareness of how you can get yourself slaughtered..........is WISE. Ask any trades person what it costs to recover materials and labor when something goes awry. Even designers factor in an OOPSIE in a business plan!

You start small.............you make some stuff for friends.You see how long it takes. ow much it cost, and HOW LONG. If someone else is making it? What you must pay to get it done. Or you will be grinding for no income. That is FACT. To not count the smallest of potential details is like forgetting you fill your car with forty bucks worth of gas every Monday. ,,,,,,,,and there goes your budget.

@janmoyer Thank you Jan for your very practical advice! I'm bootstrapping this business as I go I don't have a lot of money but I'm very creative. Customers will measure and install, I'm going to provide very detailed instructions/videos. I'll be making patterns, cutting fabric I just need someone to sew the items together as I have a new baby at home. I just need some help, but I can check quality and I won't hire just anyone. Honestly, I have a business plan I created in 2013, I have my business license, I went to school for business and I have a business degree with concentrations in accounting and entrepreneurship. I've been revising and editing my business plan for 5 years now. My background is in retail and financial sales. I'm not too worried about the logistics or financial stuff it's just small details like whether to hire a seamstress or cut and sew that i wonder about. I'm not good at everything but I believe in asking for help! There are some amazing people out here that know a lot.

Also, I am starting small. Prior to this idea I sold unique pillows on etsy. People were asking me for matching throws and pillows all the time. The thing about product based business is that they are capital intensive but I'm ok with that. Starting a business is a risk I'm willing to take, and this is something I've wanted to do for a long time.

@jck910 i want to hire a seamstress from my local sewing group because these women are comprised of older women that are very wise and talented. I want to learn from them and maybe even be a source of income for these women that are mostly retired seamstresses. I will ask to see work first but I'm comfortable with this group of women. I also sew myself.

Most made to order businesses online will require upfront payments before items go into production, just like on etsy. I'm actually going to start on etsy then move to my own website.

@sidgirl Yes!!! I'm going to sell made to order items alongside ready made popular items and one of a kind items that are made and found! :) I do want to offer patterns...and I will after I'm up and running mostly vintage inspired and art inspired patterns

Wow I must say that you are a long way from starting this business you have not even seen the work from the choices you are considering. BTW scotchguard is now considered a carcinogen and actually is bad for some fabrics. As for what you are planning it could fly but you need a much more cohesive plan before going to the bank and believe me you will need the bank

I'm with Patricia on the WOW. I could throw a bunch of wise adages at you........not the least of which is ............ " those who can, do, and those who can't TEACH." Nothing against business school, but it happens to be true.

Maybe you have someone to float your boat, watch the baby, drive to UPS with the boxes or padded envelopes.

Maybe You have the energy of a kindergarten six year old...you'll pack while the baby naps.

"The thing about product based business is that they are capital intensive but I'm ok with that" ............Holy Moly I Hope So.Because the Bank will Not Be. A baby is adorable, but really lousy collateral.

"Customers will measure and install, I'm going to provide very detailed instructions/videos. " A THOUSAND RED FLAGS!!! In twenty eight years, I have not met ONE client from whom I would accept measurements, nor would I let said client and or her husband install one single thing I had arranged to have custom made for them. NOT ONE. My sewer would come in the van and strangle me. I would strangle the client.

I am not trying to discourage you, but a "unique pillow" on ETSY that you can produce in your leisure time is not the thing you are talking about. Easy to sew, easy to box, lightweight........consumer tosses on couch or bed, bravo and done. This is not that.

Your enthusiasm is to be applauded........ crawl, walk, jog, run. And go on Amazon and order " Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow. Still relevant. Trust me it still is. I know, because I did it. I'm a decades plus overnight success : )

And if you are over 31 I will eat this page.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Love-Money-Will-Follow/dp/B000GKX41Q/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9JRMQZ6G53530G38J8VH

My great-aunt had a successful customer drapery business for decades. She did her own sewing. She did it all - wall to wall sheers, expensive laces, heavy interlined velvet for tall windows, pelmets, every kind of curtain header you could imagine. I still have some drapes she made me as a wedding gift 40 years ago,

Sewing draperies is not really like sewing clothing. The large volume of drapery fabrics is the challenge, which is why my great-aunt had industrial machinery and huge sewing tables so that the fabric did not pool on the floor and require constant manipulation. You can do it "at home" but it's very slow work when you don't have a big space to handle the very large volume of fabric that you get with drapes, and it's easy to get crooked seams when the fabric is falling on the floor and pulling as you stitch. Also, lined draperies need to fall properly, and it's not a skill that home sewers would have.

She also had a professional installer hang and train her drapes. Otherwise, people are dissatisfied because they think the drapes are not well made, when in reality they were not properly hung and trained in folds.

Be sure that the quality of your work is acceptable to you before making the decision.

Jan where do I start...lol

There are successful business owner that have went to college and there are some who never have. My teachers have nothing to do with whether I am or I'm not successful. That depends on me.

There are women that have started and grown successful business with babies. I have the support of my family and my husband but even if I was alone. The human will is an amazing thing. If you want to do something bad enough you made a way.

I've worked as a financial advisor at a bank and I've help businesses secure financing at a financial technology company I've worked for. These days very few people are approved for bank financing. Especially start ups. But there are other ways of financing your business.

Many people are ok with doing things themselves aka diy. I will walk them through it. But If someone isn't they can hire an installer, if not then this may not be a good route for them to take...Plenty of companies sell custom curtains online without a measured/installer...and are successful.

I understand you've been in business for 28 years. However, your experience is not Everyone's experience.

Whether you are or aren't trying to discourage me doesn't matter, because I am never discouraged and I've never been. By anyone or anything.

Making curtains is not rocket science. Yes I do sew and I do have the tools, I have studio space. I also wheel throw pottery, I woodwork, I paint and draw, I can reupholster furniture. I do many things that aren't rocket science. And curtains are just 1 of the 40 different items I'll be selling.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll look into it. My favorite business book so far is the 40 hour workweek.

And I'm not sure what my age has to do with this

The 3 P

Product

Process

People

A high quality product with product control material & manufacturing of

Process = time effective assembly, reliable, accountable, inventory tracking, etc.

People, highly skilled, reliable, honest, hire the best, give incentives for job well done on time.

To get started, experiment.

Start small to figure out what works.

get 2 - 3 samples from everyone mentioned. Evaluate all the P s along the way.

Find a client who is not in a rush, who is nice & patient, who understands you're getting started, will support you by being flexible and give honest feedback. Set a date with extra time to allow for learning curve or the unexpected. Under promise & over deliver.

Get a contract in writing signed & dated by both.

Get before photos of space, 50% deposit to get materials, & go do the job.

If it goes well, great. Get the remaining 50%, before/after photos for portfolio. Caution try not to leave work behind until paid in full. Paid upon delivery will protect you. No pay, take product.

If job does not go well, then be prepared to give total 50% deposit back & fix everything to what it was beforehand. There's a risk of losing time & $, but you got start somewhere. The lessons learned & experience is priceless.

Start small. Copy what works. Keep a log of all time spent to calculate how much making per hour to decide if it's worth it.

Time is $ in business.

Wishing you lots of success!

I had custom made curtains done for one of my bedrooms and am going to have them done for the big bay window in my den, and for the price that I’m paying for that, I expected the pro to come in and double-check my measurements, estimate the amount of fabric needed, and do the final hang & correct any problems that might have occurred during production. It is to the pro’s advantage, too, so you don’t have unhappy customers who couldn’t follow measuring instructions correctly.

I knew a woman who started sewing curtains herself in the beginning. As demand grew, she turned her shed into a climate controlled sewing business with washer dryer, lots of hanging. 2-3 Commercial sewing macines. She got so busy she ended up hiring 2-3 people to work sewing her designs in there, while she went out to design, measure, etc. Had a strong installer to assist her in hanging. She did quite well. It was the full service that made her in high demand.

If you're going to want to sell a product, you could offer both. Diversify between product & service. The service trade is job security, because it can not be done overseas.

During servicing the product will show what's in high demand, then growth will happen along the way.

Christiana, I think you are getting some discouraging responses because starting and running a business, especially a manufacturing business is really tough. Not only is there the manufacturing, but the marketing and bookkeeping, as I'm sure you know. It sounds as if you have a good background in business and I wish you the very best. I'll suggest that for the sewing aspect that you hire the most experienced and professional of the options available, which should minimize issues with quality control.

You guys are awesome! Thank you @artstsharonva @louishunnicutt @sonni1 and everyone else that has responded. I don't have anyone to get feedback about what I'm doing, because none of my family or friends have businesses or this type of business. I've realized a few things

1. I'm going to make sure I hire a professional seamstress.

2. I'm still going to sell ready made standard sized curtain panels

3. for custom curtains and romans I will sell them locally and offer a measuring service and installation

4 im going to offer a service where I go to people's home and help arrange and set up the items they purchased locally.

5. I'm also going to consult with someone running a similar business just so that I can get an understanding of best practices.

I LOVE business and particularly small businesses. You have received excellent advice from the interior design professional. If you are in the US, as business professional, I would like to recommend that you take your business plan to a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or to SCORE for free help.

Good plan, Christana!

Thank you for the thank yous.

By starting off with the servicing, you'll be gaining customer feedback of what products are popular & make $ at same time.

When I had my t-shirt business years ago, that's what I did. I started with work for hire projects. That helped me find trends. I was surprised with some of the things clients wanted, but I was successful by making what they were buying.

That's the beauty of being SELF employed(unless you happen to bake wedding cakes...LOL...notsomuch). You only have to take business from those that fit into your schedule already on the books. You don't HAVE to take all orders. You can start with those who need one room only, maybe an Home Office, maybe a Guest room?, maybe a Mother inlaw Suite?, maybe only Bed n' Breakfasts eventually... everyone learns to crawl typically, before they RUN. Sounds challenging, and also very creative!! You have more varied experiences in life than most. WE hope you can make them gel and soon we will see you on HQTV magazine cover? ;) {which btw, isn't that an uplifting publication of cheerful colors and ideas}

Yes I love the magazine, the channel and anything that has to do with interior design and COLOR. If this post stays around (not sure if they automatically delete after some time) I will keep you all posted. I purchased All of my materials, and I'm renting studio space. The items im selling include:

Hard goods: Wood Picture frames, artwork, candles, lamps, hanging planters and flower holders, vases, cylinders, trays, bowls, mirrors.

Soft goods: duvets, curtains, pillows, shams, headboards, throws, romans, lampshades, table runners, napkins.

I purchased Beautiful Linen, Silk and Cotton Velvet, Cotton Sateen, Sheer and Flannel fabrics.

Everything will be handmade and hand dyed. I took a bunch of classes in woodworking, pottery, sewing, painting/drawing because I thought I would be making everything myself. But now I have the HELP of a potter, a painter, a fabric dyer, a woodworker and soon a seamstress.

I have an entire plan I won't bore you with. But thank you for listening! Once my samples are made I'm planning to launch by the end of the summer.

How exciting Christiana. I for one will be so interested in hearing of your progress. Good luck!

HI

I think in every financial business growth we should need a progress report of our business in which case we should need a bookkeeper which gives us monthly report of our business

So, here we are where this post has been given new life.

How did that all work out for you?

When I saw your original post, all kinds of red flags went up. I used to do this on a small business basis, so I do know a few things about it.

Someone who sews clothing is not set up for sewing curtains. Curtains or drapes require very exact measuring , almost as does carpentry. Angles and straight grain and exact finishing are essential. You need a place to lay out and deal with very long lengths of fabrics, for one. You will need an industrial machine to sew all of those long panels, and never, ever trust the measurements taken by the clients!

Also, you seem to have disregarded the profit and pay for the one doing the sewing. That is not cheap labor.

I agree with Jan. She is a clear voice of reason.

So, how did that work out for you after these last four years?

Yeah, sign us all CURIOUS.