This curtain is made from nine strands of open lace hanging side by side. Each strand is a chain of six teardrop motifs. Every motif has a mesh of chain arches at the top, a wide double crochet fan across the lower middle, small arches under the fan, and narrowing rows that end in a soft point.
The strands alternate between warm mustard gold and natural cream. You get five cream strands and four mustard strands, with cream on both outer edges. In a sunny window the lace casts patterned light, and it suits boho, farmhouse, and cottage rooms.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Each motif measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide by 8 in (20.3 cm) long. A finished strand hangs 60.5 in (153.7 cm) from the rod, counting the top loop and the tassel. Spaced on the rod, the curtain covers 40 in (101.6 cm).
Each strand is worked in one continuous piece. You crochet a motif top-down in turned rows, chain a short stem, make a new ring, and start the next motif right away. When a strand is done, you add a hanging loop at the top and a tassel at the bottom.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished curtain: 40 in (101.6 cm) wide on the rod × 60.5 in (153.7 cm) drop
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton
- Hook: 4 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 9 strands of 6 motifs each (54 motifs in total)
- Layout: 9 strands side by side, colors alternating, strand centers 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart
- Motif size: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × 8 in (20.3 cm) long
- Size before finishing: 51.75 in (131.4 cm) strand body plus a 0.75 in (1.9 cm) bottom stem
- Finishing depth: 3 in (7.6 cm) hanging loop at the top, 5 in (12.7 cm) tassel at the bottom
Materials
Pick a smooth, mercerized DK cotton. It shows the arches clearly, doesn’t stretch much while hanging, and stands up to sunlight. Acrylic and wool blends tend to grow lengthwise under their own weight, so skip them here. The amounts below assume about 115 m per 50 g (about 2.3 m per gram).
- Color A, Cream: 300 g / 690 m (5 strands, 30 motifs, 5 tassels)
- Color B, Mustard: 250 g / 575 m (4 strands, 24 motifs, 4 tassels)
One motif takes about 7 g (16 m) including its stem, and one tassel takes about 8 g (18 m). Both totals include a margin of roughly 15% for a test motif, the top loops, and yarn tails.
Tools:
- 4 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle and scissors
- Stiff card 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall for the tassels
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
- Spray bottle and measuring tape
- Curtain rod at least 44 in (111.8 cm) long
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- sk – skip
- tch – turning chain
- RS – right side
Arch: a ch-3, ch-4 or ch-5 loop anchored at each end by a sc. “Sc in next arch” means you work the sc into the chain space.
Fan: 11 dc worked into the same arch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete test motif before you start a strand. Lightly steam it, pin it flat, and then measure it.
- Base gauge: 20 sc and 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- After Row 3: width 2 in (5.1 cm)
- After Row 6: width 4 in (10.2 cm), length from top of ring 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- After Row 9: length 5.25 in (13.3 cm)
- After Row 16: length 8 in (20.3 cm). Rows 10–16 add 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
If the motif is too big: go down to a 3.5 mm hook, and check that each arch has exactly the stated number of chains.
If the motif is too small: go up to a 4.5 mm hook and let the chains relax.
A difference of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per motif adds up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) over a strand, so fix the gauge now.
Motif Pattern
Work the motif top-down in turned rows. Turn at the end of every row.
Foundation: Ch 6, sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Row 1 (RS): Ch 3 (counts as dc), (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ring. Turn. (6 dc, 1 ch-2 sp)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first dc, ch 3, (sc, ch 3, sc) in ch-2 sp, ch 3, sc in top of tch. Turn. (4 sc, 3 ch-3 arches)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next arch) 3 times, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (5 sc, 4 ch-4 arches)
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next arch) 4 times, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (6 sc, 5 arches)
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next arch) 5 times, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (7 sc, 6 arches)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next arch) 6 times, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (8 sc, 7 arches)
In Rows 3–6, each row adds one arch because you anchor it at both edge sc and in every arch between them. This gives the teardrop its widening top.
Row 7 (fan row): Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next arch) twice, ch 3, sk next arch, 11 dc in next arch (the 4th of 7, at the center), ch 3, sk next arch, (sc in next arch, ch 4) twice, sc in last sc. Turn. (6 sc, 4 ch-4 arches, 2 ch-3 sps, 11 dc)
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in first sc, (ch 4, sc in next ch-4 arch) twice, ch 2, sk ch-3 sp, (dc in next dc, ch 1) 10 times, dc in last dc of fan, ch 2, sk ch-3 sp, (sc in next ch-4 arch, ch 4) twice, sc in last sc. Turn. (6 sc, 4 ch-4 arches, 2 ch-2 sps, 11 dc, 10 ch-1 sps)
Row 9 (under-fan arches): Ch 1, sc in first sc, ch 4, sc in next ch-4 arch, ch 4, sk next ch-4 arch and ch-2 sp, sc in first ch-1 sp of fan, (ch 3, sc in next ch-1 sp) 9 times, ch 4, sk ch-2 sp and next ch-4 arch, sc in next ch-4 arch, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (14 sc, 4 ch-4 arches + 9 ch-3 arches = 13 spaces)
Row 10: Sl st in first 2 ch of first arch, ch 1, sc in same arch, (ch 5, sk next sp, sc in next sp) 6 times. Turn. (7 sc, 6 ch-5 arches)
From Row 10 on, every row starts and ends inside an arch, so the edge steps in and each row loses one arch.
Row 11: Sl st in first 3 ch of first arch, ch 1, sc in same arch, (ch 5, sc in next arch) 5 times. Turn. (6 sc, 5 arches)
Row 12: Work as Row 11, repeating the bracket 4 times. Turn. (5 sc, 4 arches)
Row 13: Work as Row 11, repeating the bracket 3 times. Turn. (4 sc, 3 arches)
Row 14: Work as Row 11, repeating the bracket twice. Turn. (3 sc, 2 arches)
Row 15: Sl st in first 3 ch of first arch, ch 1, sc in same arch, ch 3, sc in next arch. Turn. (2 sc, 1 ch-3 sp)
Row 16 (point): Ch 1, 3 sc in ch-3 sp. (3 sc)
Connector (after motifs 1–5): Ch 4 for the stem, then ch 6 and sl st in the 6th ch from hook to form the next ring. Don’t fasten off. Work Row 1 of the next motif into this ring.
After motif 6: Ch 4 for the bottom stem, ch 6, sl st in the 6th ch from hook to form the tassel ring. Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Make All Pieces
- Color A, Cream: 5 strands × 6 motifs = 30 motifs
- Color B, Mustard: 4 strands × 6 motifs = 24 motifs
- Total: 9 strands, 54 motifs
Layout, viewed from the room side:
Strand: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Color: A B A B A B A B A
Joining
Within a strand, the motifs are joined as you go. Each motif’s 3-sc point leads into a 4-chain stem and then a 6-chain ring, and the next motif’s Row 1 is worked into that ring. There are no seams to sew and no stitches to match.
Tension advice: Work the stem chains at the same tension as your arch chains. A tight stem pulls the motifs together and shortens the strand, and a loose stem makes it sag. Each stem should measure 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
Size checkpoint: After 3 motifs, the strand should measure 3 × 8 in + 2 × 0.75 in = 25.5 in (64.8 cm). A finished strand body measures 6 × 8 in + 5 × 0.75 in = 51.75 in (131.4 cm).
The strands aren’t joined to each other. Each one hangs from its own loop, so the curtain moves freely and is easy to take down for washing.
Border: Top Loops and Tassels
This curtain has no perimeter border because the strands hang free. Instead, each strand gets a corded loop at the top and a tassel at the bottom, in the same color as the strand.
Border gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm) at arch tension.
Top loop, Round 1: Join yarn in the top ring of motif 1, on the side opposite Row 1. Ch 30, sl st in the ring. (30 ch, a 6 in / 15.2 cm loop)
Top loop, Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, sl st in the ring. Fasten off. (30 sc)
Round 2 is a conversion round: 30 sc worked one per existing ch + 0 added = 30. It stiffens the loop into a cord. Folded over the rod, the 6 in (15.2 cm) loop drops 3 in (7.6 cm).
Tassel: Wind yarn 40 times around the 5.5 in (14.0 cm) card. Tie through the top with a 10 in (25.4 cm) length, pass that tie through the tassel ring, and knot it. Cut the bottom loops. Wrap a 12 in (30.5 cm) length 6 times about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top, knot it, and bury the ends. Trim the tassel to 5 in (12.7 cm).
Why the math works: Loop drop 3 in + strand body 51.75 in + bottom stem 0.75 in + tassel 5 in = 60.5 in (153.7 cm). Across the rod, 9 strands with centers 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart cover 8 × 4.5 in = 36 in (91.4 cm) from center to center. Adding half a motif width (2 in, 5.1 cm) at each end gives 40 in (101.6 cm). That leaves a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) gap between neighboring motifs at their widest points.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along chain arches, never across open spaces.
- Wet each strand, roll it in a towel, and press out the water.
- Lay the strand flat, working one section at a time if needed.
- Pin the top ring and the point of each motif along a straight line.
- Pin Row 6 of each motif to 4 in (10.2 cm) wide.
- Spread the fan’s ch-1 spaces evenly into a half circle.
- Pin each motif to 8 in (20.3 cm) long and each stem to 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
- Let it dry completely, unpin it, then comb out the tassel and trim it again to 5 in (12.7 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Every motif is 4 in (10.2 cm) × 8 in (20.3 cm)
- [ ] Every fan has 11 dc with 9 ch-3 arches below it
- [ ] Every stem has 4 ch and measures 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- [ ] Each strand body measures 51.75 in (131.4 cm)
- [ ] Strand colors run A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B-A
- [ ] Each top loop has 30 sc
- [ ] All tassels are 5 in (12.7 cm)
- [ ] No ends are visible in the open spaces
Troubleshooting
The fan cups or ruffles: Your dc are too tall. Tighten your yarn-over, or change the ch-3 spaces in Row 7 to ch-2.
The fan won’t lie flat: The ch-1 spaces in Row 8 are too tight. Loosen them slightly.
The motif leans to one side: Recount the Row 6 arches. The fan has to sit in the 4th of 7 arches.
Strands hang at different lengths: Compare the stems. If needed, remove the tassel and adjust the last stem by 1–2 chains.
The point comes out blunt: In Rows 11–15, make sure you sl st into the arch before the first sc so the edge steps in.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat with the motifs pinned to shape. Rotate the strands now and then so they fade evenly in strong sun.
Final Notes
Every measurement in this curtain builds on the one before it. A motif is 4 in (10.2 cm) by 8 in (20.3 cm). Six motifs and five 0.75 in (1.9 cm) stems make a 51.75 in (131.4 cm) strand. A 3 in (7.6 cm) loop drop, a 0.75 in (1.9 cm) bottom stem, and a 5 in (12.7 cm) tassel bring the drop to 60.5 in (153.7 cm). Nine strands spaced 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart cover 40 in (101.6 cm). If your test motif matches, the rest of the curtain will too.
Happy crocheting!