The Meadow Window Curtain is one full-length filet mesh panel in soft cream. Small five-petal flowers in coral, lavender and dusty blue are scattered across it, each with a cream center. Light comes through the open grid, so the flowers look like they are floating against the glass.
The style is cottage and farmhouse. It has a simple square mesh, a solid top band, crocheted tab loops that slide straight onto a wooden rod, and a soft shell edge along the bottom. This pattern uses US crochet terms.
The finished curtain is 43 in (109.2 cm) wide and 64.75 in (164.5 cm) long, measured from the top band to the bottom scallops. The tab loops add about 2.75 in (7.0 cm), so the total hanging length is about 67.5 in (171.5 cm).
You crochet one mesh panel from the bottom up. Then you add a two-round border with a scalloped bottom edge, work a short top band and 13 tabs, and make 72 small flowers. Last, you sew the flowers onto the mesh in a staggered layout.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 43 in x 64.75 in (109.2 cm x 164.5 cm), plus 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tab loops
- Skill level: Easy (advanced beginner)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 mesh panel, plus 72 flower appliqués sewn on
- Layout: 56 meshes wide x 84 rows tall
- Panel size before border: 42 in x 63 in (106.7 cm x 160.0 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on each side, 0.75 in (1.9 cm) at the bottom, 1 in (2.5 cm) at the top
- Flower size: 2 in (5.1 cm) across
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton in worsted weight, either mercerized or matte. Cotton keeps the square mesh crisp and hangs straight. In a sunny window it also fades and pills more slowly than acrylic. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the mesh.
- Cream (main color and flower centers): 400 g, about 760 m
- Coral (petals): 50 g, about 95 m
- Lavender (petals): 50 g, about 95 m
- Dusty blue (petals): 50 g, about 95 m
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins
- Blocking mats, or a large clean towel on the floor
- Curtain rod up to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) in diameter
All yarn amounts include a margin of about 10 to 15 percent for swatching, tails and small gauge differences.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – Mesh: ch 2, sk 2 sts (or 1 ch-2 sp), dc in next dc. One mesh is one open square, 3 sts wide.
Special stitch – Shell: 5 dc in the same st.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Mesh gauge: 4 meshes and 4 rows = 3 in (7.6 cm) square.
Single crochet gauge: 16 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Make a swatch before you start. Ch 27, dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across (25 dc). Work 7 rows of mesh as in the main pattern (8 meshes per row). Block the swatch flat. Across its 8 rows it should measure 6 in (15.2 cm) wide and 6 in (15.2 cm) tall. Also make one test flower, which should be 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
Checkpoints while you work the panel:
- After Row 1: 42 in (106.7 cm) wide
- After Row 12: 9 in (22.9 cm) tall
- After Row 42: 31.5 in (80.0 cm) tall
- After Row 84: 63 in (160.0 cm) tall
If your swatch is too big, go down half a hook size. If it is too small, go up half a hook size. If only the height is off, keep the same hook and pull up a slightly longer or shorter loop on each dc. Square meshes matter more than hitting an exact row count.
Panel
With cream, ch 171.
Row 1 (RS, solid foundation): Dc in 4th ch from hook (the skipped chs count as the first dc) and in each ch across. Turn. (169 dc)
Row 2 (mesh): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), sk next 2 dc, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk next 2 dc, dc in next dc; repeat from * across, working the last dc in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (57 dc and 56 ch-2 sps = 56 meshes, 169 sts)
Rows 3–83: Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), sk first ch-2 sp, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk next ch-2 sp, dc in next dc; repeat from * across, working the last dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch-5. Turn. (56 meshes, 169 sts)
Place a marker in Row 42 to mark your halfway checkpoint.
Row 84 (WS, conversion row, solid top): Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in next ch-2 sp, dc in next dc; repeat from * across, ending with dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Do not fasten off. (57 dc worked into existing dc + 112 dc worked into spaces = 169 dc)
The panel is now 56 meshes wide and 84 rows tall, which is 42 in x 63 in (106.7 cm x 160.0 cm).
Flower Appliqués (Make 72)
Make 24 flowers with coral petals, 24 with lavender and 24 with dusty blue. Every flower has a cream center.
Rnd 1 (center): With cream, make a magic ring. Ch 1, 10 sc in ring, sl st to first sc. Pull the ring tight. Fasten off. (10 sc; the center is about 0.75 in or 1.9 cm across)
Rnd 2 (petals): Join the petal color with a sl st in any sc. (Hdc, 3 dc, hdc) in next sc, sl st in next sc; repeat from * 4 more times, working the last sl st into the joining st. Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing. (5 petals of 5 sts each)
Each petal sits in every second sc, so the five rounded petals are evenly spaced around the cream center with a small dip between them. Weave in the cream tail on the back, and keep the petal tail for sewing the flower on.
Attaching the Flowers
The flowers go in 11 staggered flower rows. On the RS, number the vertical dc bars of the panel from 1 to 57, counting from right to left. Center each flower on the listed dc bar, at the height of the listed panel row.
- Flower Rows A (panel Rows 7, 21, 35, 49, 63, 77): 7 flowers each, centered on bars 5, 13, 21, 29, 37, 45 and 53
- Flower Rows B (panel Rows 14, 28, 42, 56, 70): 6 flowers each, centered on bars 9, 17, 25, 33, 41 and 49
That gives 6 x 7 + 5 x 6 = 72 flowers. Side to side, the flowers are 8 meshes apart, which is 6 in (15.2 cm). The flower rows are 7 panel rows apart, which is 5.25 in (13.3 cm). Bars 5 and 53 mirror each other, and so do bars 9 and 49, so the layout is the same on both sides.
Color order: Start with the bottom-right flower. Read each flower row from right to left, then move up to the next row. Use coral, lavender, then dusty blue, and keep repeating that order. Because 72 divides evenly by 3, you use exactly 24 flowers of each color. The rows have different flower counts, so each row starts on a different color and the colors don’t line up in columns.
Pin all the flowers in place before you sew. Hang the panel for a moment to check the balance. Sew each flower with its petal tail: take a small stitch at the tip of each petal and at the base of each dip, catching the dc bars and chains behind it. Keep the stitches snug but not tight so the mesh does not pucker. Weave the tails into the back of the flower only.
Border
Border gauge: 4 sc per in (2.5 cm) across the width. Along the sides, work 3 sc in each dc row end, which matches the 0.75 in (1.9 cm) row height. Each sc round adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Border Rnd 1: With the yarn still attached from Row 84, ch 1 and turn so the RS faces you. Working across the top, sc in each st across (169 sc). Ch 1 for the corner. Working down the side, 3 sc in each row end (252 sc). Ch 1 for the corner. Working into the bottom of the foundation chain, sc in each st (169 sc). Ch 1 for the corner. Work 3 sc in each row end up the second side (252 sc). Ch 1, sl st to first sc. (Top 169, sides 252 each, bottom 169 = 842 sc plus 4 corner ch-1 sps)
Border Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc in each sc across the top (169 sc). Work the corner as (sc, ch 1, sc) in the corner sp. Sc in each sc down the side (252 sc). Work the next corner the same way. Bottom scallops: sc in first sc, sk 1 sc, shell in next sc, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc; repeat from * across (42 shells and 43 sc). Work the corner. Sc in each sc up the second side (252 sc). Work the last corner, then sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
In this round, the per-side counts do not include the corner groups. Each corner group adds its own 2 sc and ch-1.
Why the math works: The top and bottom both have 169 sts, which is 3 sts x 56 meshes + 1. The scallop repeat is 4 sts, and 4 x 42 + 1 = 169, so the bottom edge starts and ends with a sc. Each side has 84 rows x 3 sc = 252 sc. At 4 sc per in, 169 sts span the 42 in (106.7 cm) width and 252 sts span the 63 in (160.0 cm) height, so the border lies flat.
Top Band Row 1: With RS facing, join cream in the first sc of the top edge of Rnd 2, just past the corner group. Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (169 sc)
Top Band Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. Fasten off. (169 sc)
Tabs (make 13): Count the 169 sts of Top Band Row 2. Each tab is 7 sts wide. Leave 3 sts free at each end and 6 sts free between tabs. Tab 1 uses sts 4–10 and Tab 2 uses sts 17–23. Each tab starts 13 sts after the one before, so Tab 13 uses sts 160–166. Check: 3 + 13 x 7 + 12 x 6 + 3 = 169.
Row 1: With RS facing, join cream in the first st of the tab. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the next 6 sts. Turn. (7 sc)
Rows 2–24: Ch 1, sc in each sc. Turn. (7 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. Each tab is 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide and 6 in (15.2 cm) long. Fold the tab to the WS and sew Row 24 across the back of Border Rnd 1. This makes a loop that stands about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) above the top edge. The 1.5 in (3.8 cm) gaps between tabs let the curtain gather softly on the rod.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends through solid stitches, not across the open mesh.
- Soak the curtain for 15 minutes in cool water with a little gentle fabric wash.
- Press out the water gently and roll the curtain in towels. Do not wring it.
- Lay it flat on mats or towels, RS up.
- Pin the corners first, to 43 in x 64.75 in (109.2 cm x 164.5 cm).
- Pin along each edge every 3 in (7.6 cm), straightening the dc bars into true vertical lines.
- Open each bottom shell by placing a pin at its center.
- Smooth each flower flat and lift the petals slightly with your fingers.
- Let it dry completely, then hang it. Cotton may stretch a little in length over the first few days of hanging.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The panel is 56 meshes wide and 84 rows tall.
- Rows 1 and 84 each have 169 dc.
- Border Rnd 1 has 169 / 252 / 169 / 252 sc.
- The bottom edge has 42 shells.
- There are 13 tabs, each 7 sts wide and evenly spaced.
- There are 72 flowers: 24 coral, 24 lavender and 24 dusty blue.
- Flower rows alternate between 7 and 6 flowers and are symmetrical.
- The curtain measures 43 in x 64.75 in (109.2 cm x 164.5 cm), not counting the tabs.
- The mesh does not pucker behind any flower.
Troubleshooting
Meshes are rectangles, not squares. Change your dc height. Pull up a taller loop if your rows are too short, or a shorter one if they are too tall.
The panel is getting narrower. You are probably missing the last dc in the turning ch. Count 57 dc in every mesh row.
The sides ripple. Your row ends are shorter than expected. Work 5 sc for every 2 row ends instead of 3 sc per row end, and keep the count the same on both sides.
The sides pull in. Use a hook half a size larger for the border only.
The flowers cup. Either the center ring was pulled too tight or the flowers were sewn too firmly. Steam them lightly and re-sew more loosely.
The tabs twist. Fold every tab to the same side and sew straight across without rolling the edges.
Care
Hand wash, or machine wash on a gentle cool cycle inside a mesh laundry bag. Lay flat to dry and reshape; hanging the curtain while wet can stretch it.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. Four meshes equal 3 in (7.6 cm), so 56 meshes make 42 in (106.7 cm) and 84 rows make 63 in (160.0 cm). The border and top band bring the curtain to 43 in x 64.75 in (109.2 cm x 164.5 cm), and the tab loops add 2.75 in (7.0 cm), for a hanging length of about 67.5 in (171.5 cm). Check your gauge early and count 169 sts on every solid row, and the flowers will line up exactly where they should.
Happy crocheting!