This floor-length lace curtain is made from leaves strung along slim chain stems. Each leaf has a raised center spine, ribbed veins on both sides and a crisp outline. Open chain loops connect the leaf columns, so light passes through the diamond-shaped gaps between them.
The panel is worked in one natural cream cotton, which keeps the look soft and airy. The leaves in neighboring strips sit half a leaf apart, so the leaf pattern zigzags gently across the panel. The style is cottage boho, and it suits a sunny window.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. One finished panel measures 31.1 in (79.0 cm) wide and 84.25 in (214.0 cm) long. Make two panels for a pair like the one in the photo.
You crochet nine separate leaf strips and finish each one with an edging round that turns it into a neat rectangle of loops. From the second strip on, each strip is joined to the one before it while you work that edging round. A short band goes across the top, a scalloped band across the bottom, and one row of single crochet runs down each side.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 31.1 x 84.25 in (79.0 x 214.0 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK / light (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 9 strips per panel (5 Strip A, 4 Strip B)
- Layout: 9 strips side by side, 1 strip tall
- Piece size: 3.4 x 81.0 in (8.6 x 205.7 cm) per strip, blocked
- Size before border: 30.6 x 81.0 in (77.7 x 205.7 cm)
- Border depth: top 1.5 in (3.8 cm), bottom 1.75 in (4.4 cm), each side 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds its shape when it hangs and shows the leaf texture clearly. Stay away from fuzzy or very stretchy fibers, because a curtain this long will grow under its own weight.
- Natural cream: 300 g, about 650 m (711 yd), per panel
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- 11 curtain rings with clips, or sew-on rings, about 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- Locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle and scissors
- Blocking mats or a large clean sheet, rust-proof pins, spray bottle
- Measuring tape
The yarn amount includes a margin of about 15%. Buy all your yarn from one dye lot.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Loop join: Work the first half of the chains in the loop. Insert your hook from front to back around the center of the matching loop on the neighboring strip, sl st, then work the rest of the chains. The sl st is not counted as a stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). A chain of 20 measures about 4 in (10.2 cm).
Before you make a whole strip, make a test piece: a 12-ch stem and one leaf.
- Checkpoint 1: After leaf Round 2 and light blocking, the leaf measures 3.6 in (9.1 cm) long and 2.0 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- Checkpoint 2: One leaf plus one stem (a single repeat) measures 6.0 in (15.2 cm) long.
- Checkpoint 3: After its edging round and blocking, a finished strip measures 3.4 x 81.0 in (8.6 x 205.7 cm).
- Checkpoint 4: After joining, the panel measures 30.6 x 81.0 in (77.7 x 205.7 cm).
If the leaf is too big, go down 0.25 mm in hook size. If it is too small, go up 0.25 mm. Keep your chains even and slightly loose, because stem length controls the length of the whole curtain. If your repeat is off by 0.2 in (0.5 cm), the strip will be off by about 2.4 in (6.1 cm).
Leaf (Worked Into Each Strip)
Each leaf is worked around its own foundation chain. That chain also forms part of the stem.
Round 1: Ch 17. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, tr in next 8 ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch (16 sts). Ch 1. Rotate the work and continue along the other side of the foundation chain: sc in the first ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, tr in next 8 ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch (16 sts). Ch 1, sl st in first sc. (32 sts and 2 ch-1 sps)
The tr posts slant away from the chain spine and make the ribbed veins.
Round 2: Ch 1. Sc in each of the next 16 sts, 3 sc in ch-1 sp, sc in each of the next 16 sts, 3 sc in ch-1 sp. Sl st in first sc. (38 sc)
This round makes the firm outline. For the edging, the 16 outline sc along each long side are numbered from the top of the leaf down: st 1 to st 16.
Strips
Work each strip from the top down as one continuous piece. Do not fasten off between leaves.
Strip A (make 5)
- Ch 6 (top stem).
- Work the Leaf, Rounds 1–2.
- Ch 12 (stem), work the Leaf, Rounds 1–2. Repeat from * 11 more times. (13 leaves, 12 stems)*
- Ch 21 (bottom stem).
Strip B (make 4)
Work like Strip A, but start with ch 21 (top stem) and end with ch 6 (bottom stem). These swapped stem lengths move every leaf down by 15 ch, or 3.0 in (7.6 cm), which is half a repeat.
Strip length (both types):
- End stems: 1.2 in + 4.2 in = 5.4 in
- 13 leaves x 3.6 in = 46.8 in
- 12 stems x 2.4 in = 28.8 in
- Total: 81.0 in (205.7 cm) when blocked
Strip Edging Round
This round frames the stem in loops: a straight bar across each end and a rail of loops down each long side.
Stem anchors: On a 12-ch stem, sc around the 6th ch. On the 21-ch stem, sc around the 7th and the 14th ch, counted from the nearest leaf. The 6-ch stem has no anchors.
Start at the bottom end of the stem. Ch 1, sc in 2nd ch from hook (bottom center sc).
Bottom bar and Side 2 (working up):
– Strip A: Ch 8 (bar). Ch 11, sc around the 14th ch. Ch 11, sc around the 7th ch. Ch 11, sc in st 15 of the last leaf.
– Strip B: Ch 8 (bar). Ch 13 (short loop), sc in st 15 of the last leaf.
– Leaf section: Ch 9, sc in st 8. Ch 9, sc in st 2.
– Stem section: Ch 13, sc around the stem anchor. Ch 13, sc in st 15 of the next leaf up.
– Repeat the leaf and stem sections up to st 2 of the top leaf.
– Strip A: Ch 13 to the top corner.
– Strip B: Ch 11, sc around the 7th ch. Ch 11, sc around the 14th ch. Ch 11 to the top corner.
Top bar: Ch 8, sc in the first ch of the top stem, ch 8.
Side 1 (working down): Mirror Side 2. Use the same loop lengths in reverse order, and sc into the outline sts on this side. At the bottom corner, ch 8 (bar) and sl st in the first sc. Fasten off.
Edging count: Each long side has 54 loops and 53 anchors:
– 26 leaf loops (ch 9)
– 24 stem loops (ch 13)
– 3 long-end loops (ch 11)
– 1 short-end loop (ch 13)
Each end bar is ch 8 + 1 sc + ch 8 = 17 sts.
Make All Pieces
Each panel needs 9 strips, all in natural cream:
- Strip A: 5
- Strip B: 4
Layout, from left to right:
| A | B | A | B | A | B | A | B | A |
Both outer strips are Strip A, so the panel is symmetrical.
Joining
Join each strip to the one before it as you work its edging round. Work the edging for Strip 1 (A) as written. For each strip after that, work Side 2 as written, and use loop joins along Side 1:
- Ch 9 loop: ch 4, loop join, ch 5.
- Ch 11 loop: ch 5, loop join, ch 6.
- Ch 13 loop: ch 6, loop join, ch 7.
- Corners: On the long chain that turns each corner, sl st into the neighbor’s corner ch exactly where the side loop meets the bar.
Every strip has 54 loops on each side, so the loops pair up one to one from top to bottom: loop 1 to loop 1, and so on through loop 54. Because the leaves are offset, a leaf loop often meets a stem loop. This is correct, and it is what makes the diamond lattice.
Tension: A loop join should only touch the neighboring loop, never pull it. If the rails pucker, rip back and loosen the chains on both sides of the join.
Size checkpoint: The joined panel measures 30.6 x 81.0 in (77.7 x 205.7 cm). Check this before you start the border.
Border
Border gauge: 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), the same as the main gauge. Each top bar and each bottom bar takes 17 sc, for 9 x 17 = 153 sts across, which equals 30.6 in (77.7 cm). Seams add no extra stitches, because the corner chains of neighboring strips are joined to each other with a sl st.
Top Band
With the right side facing, join yarn at the top right corner.
- Row 1: Ch 1. Across each strip, sc in each of the 8 bar ch, sc in the center sc, and sc in each of the 8 bar ch. (153 sc) Turn.
- Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1). Sk 1, dc in next st. Ch 1, sk 1, dc in next st. Repeat from * across. (77 dc + 76 ch = 153 sts)* Turn.
- Row 3: Repeat Row 2. (153 sts) Turn.
- Row 4: Ch 1. Sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across. (153 sc) Fasten off.
Bottom Band
Join yarn at a bottom corner and work across the bottom bars.
- Rows 1–3: Work like Top Band Rows 1–3. (153 sts each row)
- Row 4 (scallops): Ch 1, sc in first st. Sk 1, 5 dc in next st, sk 1, sc in next st. Repeat from * 37 more times. (38 scallops: 39 sc + 190 dc)* Fasten off.
Each scallop uses 4 sts, plus 1 sc to start: 1 + (4 x 38) = 153. The mesh rows need an odd count, and 153 is odd, so both bands line up exactly.
Side Edging
Work one row of sc down each long side, with the right side facing.
- Top band: 1 sc in each sc row end and 3 sc in each dc row end. (8 sc)
- Rail: 6 sc in each ch-9 loop, 9 sc in each ch-13 loop and 8 sc in each ch-11 loop.
- Rail count: (26 x 6) + (24 x 9) + (3 x 8) + (1 x 9) = 156 + 216 + 24 + 9 = 405 sc, or 81.0 in (205.7 cm). This matches the strip length.
- Bottom band: Work the row ends like the top band. (8 sc)
- Total: 8 + 405 + 8 = 421 sc per side
Final size: 30.6 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 31.1 in (79.0 cm) wide. 81.0 + 1.5 + 1.75 = 84.25 in (214.0 cm) long.
Rings
Mark sts 2, 17, 32, 47, 62, 77, 92, 107, 122, 137 and 152 on Top Band Row 4. That makes 11 rings spaced 15 sts, or 3.0 in (7.6 cm), apart. Clip or sew one ring at each marker.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along stems or outline rounds, where they won’t show.
- Wet the panel completely in cool water and gently press the water out. Do not wring it.
- Lay it flat on mats or a sheet that covers at least 32 x 86 in (81.3 x 218.4 cm).
- Pin the two long sides straight to 84.25 in (214.0 cm), 31.1 in (79.0 cm) apart.
- Pin the top band in a straight line. Pin out each scallop.
- Open each leaf to 2.0 in (5.1 cm) wide and line up the stems with your tape.
- Let the panel dry completely, then unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each strip has 13 leaves with 38 outline sc each.
- Strips go A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B-A, and the B leaves sit half a leaf lower.
- All 54 loop joins per seam are worked, with no skipped loops.
- The top band has 153 sts, and the bottom band has 38 scallops.
- Each side edging has 421 sc.
- The panel measures 31.1 x 84.25 in (79.0 x 214.0 cm).
- The rings are evenly spaced 3.0 in (7.6 cm) apart.
Troubleshooting
- Leaves cup: Your tr stitches are too tight. Loosen them or go up a hook size.
- Strip too long: Your chains are loose. Block the strip flat and let it dry before you measure. If it is still too long, go down a hook size for the stem chains only.
- Loop counts don’t match: Count the anchors. Each side should have 53 sc anchors between its two corners.
- Band ruffles: Check that Row 1 has exactly 17 sts per strip.
- Scallops flare: Work 4 dc instead of 5 in each scallop.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash on a delicate cycle inside a large mesh bag. Lay flat or rehang the panel to dry while it is still damp.
Final Notes
Every measurement in this pattern builds on the one before it. A leaf of 3.6 in (9.1 cm) plus a 12-ch stem gives a 6.0 in (15.2 cm) repeat. Thirteen leaves give an 81.0 in (205.7 cm) strip. Nine 3.4 in (8.6 cm) strips make 30.6 in (77.7 cm), or 153 border stitches. The bands and side edging then bring the panel to 31.1 x 84.25 in (79.0 x 214.0 cm). Check each link in that chain and your curtain will hang straight.
Happy crocheting!