Replacement curtain fabric?

Hi all

The original curtains in my Trident are sadly coming to the end of their lives and need replacing. 

I'm looking to make them myself (well ok, my mum's doing it as she's a whizz on the sewing machine) and need to know what kind of material to buy as the originals look like they have rubber backing or something, I'm guessing to prevent mould.

I've done a bit of googling but haven't really found much useful information. Does anyone know which sort of material is best, and possibly where to source it? I will need the special tape too if anyone knows where to buy this?

Hi 
Welcome to the forum from Bridlington 
Boaby

Curtain fabric with a blackout coating on the reverse is easy to find. Look on Ebay or wander down to Dunelm Mill. I bought some upholstery fabric from an EBay seller based in Shipley a few weeks ago. Excellent quality and a really good price.

Try Silent Gliss for the curtain tape and sliders if you need extra sliders. Any curtain material you like can be used with blackout/thermal lining material.  Measure the existing curtains carefully as I found that I had too much fabric.

Thank you all, I wasn't sure if it was a material specifically made for campers. But as it's just blackout material that gives me a wide choice! Cheers also for the tip re sliders - I collected them all but may need a few extra that I found were missing.

Any tips on measuring the curtains I have a few missing of the original set so need to measure from the sliders to below the window... Thanks for tips on obtaining the sliders and fabric

Mrs SDA ran up new curtains for our van last year. Sourcing a dark blackout lining fabric proved difficult, so we ended up with an off white instead. At first I didn't like that the pale lining showed through the windows, but now I think it's quite a feature. The original curtains were plain grey and had faded badly in places exposed to the sun. Whilst the new fabric is more blue/grey, like the upholstery, it also has a design in it that echoes a motif in the van upholstery too.

The original curtains were used as templates, with adjustments where experience told us they were too long or too short, or needed more fullness to close together better. 

Rather than make new completely tie backs, we covered the existing ones in the new fabric, leaving the press studs exposed. That worked very well.

HTH

Mister SDA 
Thanks for really helpful tip. I will take the plunge and make measurements based on what I can work out. Love the tip on the tie backs as can see that being a job hard to complete as those studs have been in the van for a long time.  Over the weekend will order the length of fabric and get the sliders have seen some useful links here. Will let you know. More than ever love the van as it is independent and airy. Even been having socially distanced chat with my friends across the van, with the door open. Makes a lovely picnic. The curtains would make it even more inviting. Keep you posted thanks

I was very lazy and merely bought some cotton fabric and sewed it on top of the old curtains. Worked a treat both on the eye and for insulation.

New studs are easy to do. Kits are available in the press stud section of fabric shops. I made new tie backs by sewing 3cm wide strips and then using buttons and buttonholes to fasten them but that is more difficult than using a kit of no sew press studs. Will try and get a picture later.

The studs weren't the problem, it was just a lot easier to use the existing construction as a back layer.

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That is really lovely Doris. Right am inspired. I really have left it too long. And I have my lovely auntie on standby to make the curtains... So this weekend I start the project. Will keep you posted

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Above - the old faded plain grey curtains

Below - the replacements with blue/grey with motif
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