Custom Cafe Curtains

Custom cafe curtains cut to your measurement so the hem lands on the meeting rail, glazing bar or sill line of your window — in any cloth from the range and any heading, including the traditional scalloped-and-ring heading almost nobody makes at the mass market any more. Our custom cafe curtains ship in 14 days.

Why proportion, not fit, is the main custom-cafe question

This is the treatment where made-to-measure earns its money fastest, and the reason is proportion rather than fit. A café curtain is a horizontal line drawn across a window, and the eye reads it against the lines the window already has. Land the hem on the meeting rail of a sash, or on a glazing bar, or exactly at the sill, and it looks like part of the joinery. Land it an inch and a half above or below one of those lines and it looks like a curtain that is the wrong length — even to someone who could not tell you why.

Why standard drops usually miss the line

Standard drops of 24, 30 and 36 in. will hit one of those lines on a lucky window and miss on most. Old houses in particular have almost no standard dimensions at all; a Victorian terrace will have three different window heights on one elevation.

How we cut custom cafe curtains

So: measure from where the rod will sit to the line you want the hem to meet, and we cut to that figure. If the window is inside a reveal, we make it to an inside-mount width with a 6 mm clearance each side so the panel does not rub the plaster as it moves. If it is a bay, each facet is made separately and the checks or stripes are aligned across all three.

Every cloth, every heading

Any cloth in the range: 200 gsm cotton, 220 gsm European Flax, 110 gsm semi-sheer, gingham in three check sizes, or the yarn-dyed ticking stripes. Any heading — rod pocket, scalloped with rings, tab top, or a flat panel on clips for the most tailored version.

The scalloped ring-hung heading, and why it disappeared

Scalloped and ring-hung is worth a word, because it is the traditional café heading and almost nobody makes it any more. The top edge is cut into shallow curves between rings, so the curtain hangs from points rather than from a gathered pocket and shows a little more glass at the top. On a small window it is significantly more elegant than a rod pocket and it is a hand operation, which is why it disappeared from the mass market.

Lead time and measurement

14 day lead time. A measuring guide is sent with every order; send us the window height and we will tell you where the line should fall.

Custom cafe curtain options guide

How to care for your custom cafe curtains

• Cold or warm wash to match cloth
• Line dry or tumble low
• Iron warm to preserve the tailored line
• Skip fabric softener — dulls yarn-dyed contrast

Frequently asked questions

How long does a custom cafe curtain order take?

14 days from confirmed measurements. Send window height and we’ll tell you where the line should fall.

What is the scalloped ring-hung heading?

The top edge cut into shallow curves between rings, so the curtain hangs from points rather than from a gathered pocket — the traditional cafe heading.

Can you make custom cafe curtains for a bay window?

Yes — each facet is made separately and pattern-aligned across all three.

Can I return custom cafe curtains?

Made-to-measure cannot be exchanged for a different size. We check figures before cutting.

Complete the window

Match with gingham cafe curtains, linen cafe curtains or plain cotton cafe curtains on adjacent windows.