3/26 Hi all! I’ve been revising the back window covers for the van a few times and think I came up with a good design. Originally, the covers looked more like curtains, but they were very heavy because there were 3 layers: home dec fabric, black out lining and cotton batting for insulation. I didn’t realize how heavy black out lining was until I attached them to the doors with magnets. The magnets didn’t stay up very long and curtains were super bulky, and I decided to revise them.

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At first, I used the home dec fabric that I bought for $2.99/yard and chose this because the print reminded me of retro fabric, and I love mid-century modern furniture. Then I bought a plain fabric that kind of matched it. This will be used for the large curtain that divides the cab from the living space. When the walls and ceiling were installed, all of the vertical lines became distracting to me and I decided to use the plain fabric for the back covers instead. I will use the home dec print for the cushions and think that it will add a little color to the space. The side window cover is also in the home dec fabric, but I think I will keep it like that for now. Besides, it was a lot of work!

Now the covers are much smaller and were cut to fit the glass, with a 1″ binding all around. I did not cut the binding on the bias, as that would have been a lot of work and I don’t feel like spending too much time on this. The straight binding actually worked out pretty well, and I just pleated the corner curves as I was sewing the seams. I used 1/2″ seam allowance and trimmed the seams down to reduce the bulk.

The corners curved to the inside, and though this was not intentional, this will probably help make the fit more snug against the windows. I’ll do a dry fit and figure out how to attach the magnets. I can either install them to the binding or just leave them exposed. I added extra binding around the curved corners to the second cover and it flattened out pretty well.

I do like the plain fabric a lot and it seems sturdy. One mention though. Home dec fabric can be a little tricky to work with because it can be stiff and not very pliable. It also has to be dry cleaned, but since it’s just me and I made these, if I have to get them cleaned once a year it won’t hurt too much. I don’t expect them to get too dirty and spot cleaning should also help. I think that a heavier fabric will last a bit longer than the cotton covers that I normally see on Pinterest. Not my style! Sorry guys. Maybe I will work with canvas or outdoor fabrics in the future. Please let me know what you think. What kind of fabric do you like?

Stay safe and be well!