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Sew a 90-Inch Shower Curtain With Pleated Ruffle Trim

Sew an extra-long shower curtain inspired by Kristi Linauer’s 70-by-90-inch project. This guide covers fabric preparation, 7¼-inch pleated accent strips, the three-layer eyelet header, hemming, shrinkage checks, and separate liner installation.

By ThatPainter Team 18 October 2026

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To recreate Kristi Linauer’s extra-long decorative shower curtain, sew a finished panel about 70 inches wide by 90 inches long, add a 12-inch accent area with narrow pleated rows, and hang a separate waterproof liner behind it. Those are the dimensions of the original bathroom project—not a universal shower standard. Measure your own rod, tub, wall clearances, and liner position before cutting fabric.

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What this project makes

The finished curtain in the original Addicted 2 Decorating project is approximately 70 inches wide and 90 inches long. Its upper 12 inches carry several small pleated accent rows and a reinforced eyelet header. The decorative fabric is not intended to be the water barrier; a separate liner hangs behind it.

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The long drop is useful when a standard curtain leaves an unwanted gap, but a 90-inch length can bunch on the floor, overlap a tub edge, or sit too close to a ceiling-mounted rod if your installation differs. Measure from the actual hanging point to the place where you want the decorative fabric to end. Also measure the rod span, because the 70-inch finished width is specific to the source project.

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Measure before you buy or cut

Record these measurements in your bathroom:

  • Rod width: Measure between the points where the curtain will hang. Decide how much fullness you want instead of assuming the source width will suit your rod.
  • Drop: Measure from the top of the rings or eyelets to the intended bottom edge. Check whether the rod is inside the tub area, above the surround, or mounted near the ceiling.
  • Tub and floor clearance: Mark where the decorative fabric should stop. The liner may need a different length and can sit on a separate rod.
  • Header hardware: Count the rings or eyelets you plan to use and check that your rod can accept them.
  • Liner arrangement: Confirm whether the liner will use its own rod, hooks, or another compatible attachment before you finalize the header.

Use the following numbers as a cutting plan for the original version, then adjust them to your measurements. The source author chose a queen-size flat sheet because ordinary dressmaking fabric is often narrower than a wide shower panel.

Materials and tools

  • A queen-size flat sheet or other fabric wide enough for your main panel.
  • Accent fabric for the pleated rows and upper band.
  • Sewing machine, matching thread, pins, scissors, and an iron.
  • Large eyelets or grommets and a setting kit designed for that size.
  • A separate shower-curtain liner.
  • A compatible rod, second rod, rings, or hooks for your chosen arrangement.

Choose fabric whose care instructions you can follow. Linauer’s companion extra-long-curtain instructions caution that 100% cotton can shrink and advise laundering before final pleating. Treat that as a material-specific precaution, not a guarantee that every sheet or fabric will shrink by the same amount.

Cutting plan for the source dimensions

Part Source-project dimension What it accounts for
Finished curtain 70 inches wide × 90 inches long Overall target of the original project
Main panel cut 74 inches wide × 81 inches long Two-inch side hems, a two-inch bottom hem, and a one-inch top join
Upper accent area 12 inches high Decorative band at the top
Pleated accent strips 7¼ inches wide Strip width before pleating and attachment
Pleats ¼ inch, roughly every 2½ inches Spacing used in the described version
Folded header About 2½ inches high, three fabric layers Reinforced eyelet area

The strip width, pleat spacing, number of rows, and exact placement are design choices. You can make fewer rows, change their spacing, or use a different accent fabric without changing the basic construction sequence.

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Prepare and prewash the fabric

Wash fabric that may shrink

Launder the sheet and accent fabric according to their care labels before you make final pleats or hems. Cotton is especially important to prewash because later shrinkage can shorten the curtain or pull the pleats out of alignment. Dry the fabric in the way you expect to use for future care, then press it smooth.

Remove unreliable factory hems

Do not automatically keep the finished hems on a flat sheet. Linauer notes that factory-stitched sheet hems can be puckered. Cut those sections away and create fresh, straight hems so the long sides and bottom hang evenly.

Square the fabric

Fold the sheet or main fabric and compare the cut edges. If the grain is skewed, true the edges before measuring the 74-by-81-inch panel. A slightly crooked starting edge becomes obvious on a long curtain, particularly next to a vertical tub surround.

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Cut the main panel

  1. Lay the prepared sheet flat on a large clean surface and smooth out wrinkles.
  2. Mark a rectangle 74 inches wide by 81 inches long for the source version. Keep your marks square to the fabric grain.
  3. Cut away the old sheet hems if they fall inside this rectangle or would become part of a new seam.
  4. Label the top edge and bottom edge with pins or removable chalk. The top will join the accent band; the bottom receives the two-inch hem.

The 74-inch width leaves two inches on each side for the source project’s side hems, producing a 70-inch finished width. The 81-inch panel length includes the allowances described by the author for the bottom hem and the one-inch join at the top. Because the decorative band contributes to the overall curtain, do not add or subtract from these figures without checking your desired finished drop.

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Make the narrow pleated accent rows

Mark the pleat rhythm

Cut accent strips 7¼ inches wide. The tutorial’s version forms ¼-inch pleats placed roughly every 2½ inches. Use a ruler and removable fabric marker to mark the repeated positions along each strip. The spacing is approximate; consistent visual rhythm matters more than forcing a final pleat into an awkward partial interval.

Press each pleat

  1. At each mark, fold the fabric to create a ¼-inch pleat in the same direction as the preceding pleat.
  2. Press the fold firmly with an iron. Pin or clip the pleat temporarily if the fabric wants to spring open.
  3. Continue across the strip, checking that the pleats remain parallel and that the strip has not drifted off grain.
  4. Repeat for every accent strip, keeping the finished strips in order so their spacing remains even on the curtain.

Sew one row at a time

Linauer recommends stitching one row at a time and orienting the pleats so you sew with them rather than against their folds. Begin at one end, secure the seam, and guide the pleated edge steadily under the presser foot. Avoid stretching the strip; stretching can make neighboring rows appear to have different spacing.

Before sewing the next row, lay the curtain flat and compare the gap to the previous row. The number of rows and their exact placement are stylistic decisions from the source project, not fixed construction requirements. Arrange them to fill the 12-inch accent area without crowding the future header fold.

Build the 12-inch upper accent band

Join accent pieces when necessary

A single piece of accent fabric may not span the full curtain width. When it does not, join two pieces with a straight seam, press the seam allowance, and position the seam where it will be least distracting. Match the grain and pattern before cutting so the join does not twist the band.

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Attach the band to the main panel

  1. Place the accent band and main panel right sides together along the top join.
  2. Pin across the width, matching the center and then working toward the sides. This distributes any small difference in width instead of creating a pucker at one edge.
  3. Sew the join with a straight stitch and press the seam toward the band or as directed by your fabric’s bulk.
  4. Check the curtain on a flat surface. The band should lie straight before you fold the header.

Fold the three-layer header

The source construction folds the upper area into a three-layer header about 2½ inches high. This extra fabric gives the eyelets a stronger place to grip than a single layer of lightweight sheet material.

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  1. Fold the top section according to the 2½-inch finished header height, keeping the three layers aligned.
  2. Press the folds so the header edge is crisp and parallel to the curtain top.
  3. Pin or baste the layers together before marking eyelet positions. This prevents the layers from shifting while you handle the setting tool.
  4. Stitch the lower edge of the header if your fabric benefits from stabilization, taking care not to sew across the openings you will punch.

Mark and set the eyelets

Use the liner as a spacing guide

Linauer marks the eyelet positions with a shower liner as a spacing guide. Lay the liner or its header over the decorative curtain, align the top edges, and transfer the hole locations. This keeps the decorative curtain’s hanging points compatible with the liner arrangement you intend to use. If your liner has different spacing, use the hardware that will actually hang in your bathroom rather than copying a generic interval.

Punch and reinforce each opening

  1. Mark every eyelet center on the folded header, checking that the first and last openings have balanced side margins.
  2. Confirm that all three header layers are still aligned.
  3. Use the punch supplied with your eyelet or grommet kit to make each opening. Cut only the opening size specified for that hardware.
  4. Insert the eyelet components through the layers and set them with the compatible tool on a firm, protected surface.
  5. Inspect the front and back of every eyelet. A properly set eyelet should hold the layers without sharp edges, loose flanges, or fabric pulled into a wrinkle.

Large eyelets are the hanging method in the original project. Another compatible ring or hook system can work if it suits your rod, but changing hardware may require a different header width or reinforcement method. Test one eyelet or attachment on a fabric scrap before committing to the curtain.

Finish the side and bottom hems

Make the side hems

Fold each side edge in two one-inch folds, pressing after the first fold and again after the second. The two-fold finish encloses the raw edge and produces the source project’s two-inch side allowance. Stitch close to the inner folded edge, keeping the seam straight from top to bottom.

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Make the bottom hem

Use a two-inch bottom hem allowance from the source cutting plan. Press the first fold to hide the raw edge, fold again to create the finished depth, and stitch evenly across the width. Hang or lay the curtain flat before trimming any stray threads; a long hem can reveal a slight angle that is hard to see on the cutting table.

Check the finished drop

Hang the decorative curtain temporarily and measure from the eyelet or ring line to the bottom edge. If you prewashed cotton, this is the point to verify that the actual drop still suits your tub and rod. The related extra-long-curtain instructions also recommend hanging and test-fitting the panel before final hemming, which gives you a chance to correct a length problem before the hem is permanent.

Install the separate liner

The decorative curtain and liner serve different jobs. The original tutorial places the liner on a second rod behind the decorative curtain. A related extra-long installation also puts a liner behind decorative panels and test-fits the panels while hung.

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  1. Install or confirm the rods before final placement. Make sure the liner rod sits behind the decorative curtain from the room’s viewpoint.
  2. Hang the liner and check that its bottom edge reaches the water-containment area without dragging on the floor or catching on the tub.
  3. Hang the decorative curtain on the front rod, using the eyelets, rings, or hooks that match your hardware.
  4. Open and close the curtain several times. Watch for the liner pulling the decorative panel, eyelets rubbing the rod, or the bottom edges landing at different points than planned.
  5. Adjust the rod height, liner attachment, or curtain length before making additional alterations to the sewn panel.

The sources do not establish a universal 90-inch liner size. A liner’s required length depends on your rod height, tub or shower geometry, and the way it attaches. Measure that installed path rather than assuming a liner sold as “extra long” will fit.

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Practical construction choices

Queen sheet versus yardage

A queen flat sheet is a width solution for this particular 70-inch curtain. It reduces the need to join narrow fabric lengths across the main panel. Yardage may be preferable when you need a specific fiber, print, or weight, but verify that the fabric width covers your panel plus hems; otherwise you will need a planned seam.

Eyelets versus rings or hooks

Eyelets create the reinforced openings used in the source project and can give the header a tailored appearance. Rings or hooks may be easier to remove for washing or may match an existing rod, but they need a sewn channel, loops, or another attachment designed for their shape. Do not punch eyelet holes until you have the actual hardware and have tested the setting process on scrap.

One rod versus a dedicated liner rod

A single rod can force the liner and decorative curtain to share the same hanging plane. The source arrangement uses a second rod so the liner remains behind the decorative fabric. Choose the arrangement that preserves the clearance you measured and allows the liner to sit where splashing is controlled.

Shorter versus extra-long liner

Select liner length from the installed geometry, not from the decorative curtain’s 90-inch target alone. A liner that is too short may leave an opening below it; one that is too long may pool or interfere with the tub. Test fit it with the rods in their final positions.

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Troubleshooting common problems

The curtain is shorter after washing

Further shrinkage is most likely with cotton. Launder fabric before pleating and hemming, then test-fit the hung panel. If the finished drop is already too short, adding a new lower band is less disruptive than trying to stretch the fabric back to its former size.

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The side edges wave

Wavy edges usually come from an off-grain cut, stretched fabric during sewing, or uneven pressing. Recheck the grain, press each fold before stitching, and support the panel on a large surface so its weight does not pull against the presser foot.

Pleats look uneven

Compare the ¼-inch folds with a ruler and press them before stitching. Work one row at a time, sew in the direction of the pleats, and avoid pulling the strip. If a row is visibly wrong before the next row is attached, remove that row rather than letting its error set the spacing for the rest.

Eyelets loosen or distort the header

Check that all three header layers were aligned and that the punch matched the eyelet kit. A hole that is too large cannot grip the fabric securely. Practice on a scrap with the same number of layers, and replace a damaged opening with a fresh reinforcement rather than forcing the hardware tighter.

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The liner interferes with the decorative curtain

Verify which rod is in front, whether the liner is facing the correct direction, and whether the eyelet or ring spacing matches the liner attachment points. Rehang both pieces and test their movement before changing the sewn header.

Care and future adjustments

Follow the care labels for the sheet and accent fabric. Linauer describes a preference for woven polyester liners and washing them, but that is her personal choice rather than a general performance guarantee for every liner. Remove the decorative curtain and liner according to their care instructions, inspect the eyelets and seams after washing, and press the accent area before rehanging if the pleats have softened.

Keep a record of your final rod height, finished drop, and eyelet spacing. If you move the curtain to another bathroom, those measurements will tell you whether the 90-inch design can be reused or needs a new hem and liner arrangement.

Final installation checklist

  • The rod width and desired drop were measured in the actual bathroom.
  • The main fabric and accent fabric were prewashed when their fiber content made shrinkage possible.
  • Factory sheet hems that were puckered or unsuitable were removed.
  • The main panel was cut with allowances for the two-inch side hems, two-inch bottom hem, and one-inch top join used in the source plan.
  • Pleated strips were cut 7¼ inches wide, pressed into approximately ¼-inch pleats, and sewn row by row.
  • The upper accent area was assembled and folded into a three-layer header about 2½ inches high.
  • Eyelet positions were checked against the actual liner or hanging hardware before punching.
  • The liner’s length, rod, attachment points, and clearance were tested independently of the decorative curtain.

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