The Garden Arch Curtain is a lace window hanging made from horseshoe-shaped motifs. The motifs hang in vertical strands like beaded door strings. Each arch fans outward from a smooth inner edge through radiating stitches, an open V-stitch band and plump shells, and finishes with picot-tipped scallops. Light passes through every layer, so the curtain throws soft patterned shadows on a sunny day.
This version alternates two warm earth tones, chocolate brown and brick red, across six strands. Every strand ends in a matching tassel, which gives the curtain a relaxed boho, Mediterranean-courtyard look.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures about 44.5 in (113.0 cm) wide and 49.5 in (125.7 cm) long, counting the hanging loops and tassels. Each blocked motif measures 7 in (17.8 cm) wide by 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall.
Each motif is worked in rows on a foundation chain. Increases curve the work into a horseshoe, and a scalloped border finishes the outer edge. A chain bridge closes the bottom of each arch. The motifs are then linked into strands with crown loops worked join-as-you-go, and tassels go on last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished curtain: 44.5 in (113.0 cm) wide × 49.5 in (125.7 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm
- Number of pieces: 36 motifs plus 6 tassels
- Layout: 6 strands × 6 motifs, with strands spaced 7.5 in (19.1 cm) apart center to center
- Motif size (blocked): 7 in (17.8 cm) wide × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall
- Motif size before border: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide × 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tall
- Border depth: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized cotton. It gives crisp stitch definition, holds the picots open and doesn’t stretch much when it hangs. Avoid fuzzy or very soft yarns, because the scallops and openwork will blur.
- Color A, chocolate brown: 200 g (about 600 m / 656 yd)
- Color B, brick red: 200 g (about 600 m / 656 yd)
Each color covers 18 motifs, 3 tassels, the bridges and the link loops. These quantities include a margin of about 15% for gauge differences and tassel trimming.
Tools:
- 3.0 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Stiff card 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, for the tassels
- Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
- Spray bottle
- Curtain rod with 6 rings or hooks
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitches:
- V-st: Work (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch.
- Shell: Work 5 dc in the same space.
- Picot: Ch 3, then sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 24 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) in a flat strip.
Make one complete motif in either color before starting the others. Use these checkpoints as you go:
- After Row 1: The straight strip of 30 sc measures 5 in (12.7 cm).
- After Row 2: The piece curls into a horseshoe about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across.
- After Row 4: The motif measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide × 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tall, and the inner opening is about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- After Row 6, blocked: The motif measures 7 in (17.8 cm) wide × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall.
If your motif is too big, go down to a 2.75 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 3.25 mm hook. If Row 4 ruffles, your shells are too loose for the curve, so go down one hook size for Rows 3–4 only. If Row 4 cups, go up a size for those two rows.
Motif Body (Rows 1–4)
Make the body with either color. Turn at the end of every row.
Foundation: Ch 31.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (30 sc)
This row becomes the smooth inner edge of the arch.
Row 2 (growth row): Ch 3 (counts as dc) in the first st. 2 dc in the next st, dc in the next st; repeat from * 14 times. Work 2 dc in the last st. Turn. (45 dc)
The count is 1 + (14 × 3) + 2 = 45. Increasing in every other stitch bends the strip into its horseshoe curve.
Row 3 (openwork band): Ch 3 (counts as dc), skip the next st, V-st in the next st. Skip 2 sts, V-st in the next st; repeat from * 12 times. Skip 2 sts, dc in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (14 V-sts plus 2 end dc = 30 dc and 14 ch-1 sps)
The V-sts land in stitches 3, 6, 9 and so on up to 42. The end dc goes in stitch 45.
Row 4 (shell band): Ch 3 (counts as dc), shell in each ch-1 sp across, dc in the top of the turning ch. (14 shells, 72 dc total)
The count is 1 + (14 × 5) + 1 = 72. The shells fan out and form the widest solid part of the motif.
Don’t fasten off. Go straight on to the border rows, which are written out in full in the Border section below.
Bridge
After the border is finished, close the bottom of the arch.
- With RS facing, join the same color with a sl st into the free loop of the first foundation ch at one inner leg tip.
- Ch 10, then sl st into the free loop of the last foundation ch at the other leg tip.
- Turn. Work 12 sc over the ch-10.
- Sl st into the first foundation ch and fasten off.
The bridge closes the bottom of the opening into a soft loop. It also gives the next motif in the strand something to hang from.
Make All Pieces
Every motif is complete through Row 6 (the border) and has its bridge before you join anything.
- Color A (brown): 18 motifs and 3 tassels
- Color B (red): 18 motifs and 3 tassels
Strands alternate colors from left to right. Each strand uses one color only.
Strand: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Row 1: A B A B A B
Row 2: A B A B A B
Row 3: A B A B A B
Row 4: A B A B A B
Row 5: A B A B A B
Row 6: A B A B A B
Tassel: A B A B A B
Weave in all ends now, before joining. Hide them inside the Row 1 sc and the Row 4 shells, where they won’t show against the light.
Joining
Each strand is joined from the top down, using crown loops worked join-as-you-go.
Top motif (hanging loop): Find the center scallop of Row 6. It is scallop 7 of 13. Join the matching color with a sl st into its picot. Ch 14, then sl st into the same picot. Fasten off. The loop hangs about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) above the motif.
Motifs 2–6 (link loops):
- Join yarn with a sl st into the center picot (scallop 7) of the new motif.
- Ch 5.
- Pass the hook from front to back under the bridge of the motif above. Yarn over and sl st around the bridge.
- Ch 5, then sl st back into the same center picot. Fasten off.
Stitch logic: The link always starts and ends in the same picot, and it always wraps the middle of the 12-sc bridge. That way every motif hangs on the strand’s center line. Because the link is a closed loop around the bridge, it holds no stitches of the motif above and leaves no seam.
Tension: Keep the chains even and moderately firm. Loose links stretch under the weight of the motifs below and make the strand grow too long.
Size checkpoint: After all six motifs are linked, a strand measures 44 in (111.8 cm) without the hanging loop and tassel. That is 6 × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) of motif plus 5 links of 1 in (2.5 cm) each.
Border: Scalloped Edge (Rows 5–6)
Work these rows on every motif, straight after Row 4 and before the bridge.
Border gauge: Each finished scallop covers about 0.9 in (2.3 cm) of the outer arc.
Row 5 (WS, loop row): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, ch 3, sc in the center (3rd) dc of the first shell. Ch 6, sc in the center dc of the next shell; repeat from * 13 times. Ch 3, sc in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (16 sc, 13 ch-6 loops and 2 ch-3 loops)
Counts per side:
- Left leg end: 1 ch-3 loop
- Outer arc: 13 ch-6 loops
- Right leg end: 1 ch-3 loop
Row 6 (RS, scallop row): Ch 1, sc in the first sc, 3 sc in the ch-3 loop. In each ch-6 loop, work one scallop of (sc, hdc, 2 dc, picot, 2 dc, hdc, sc). After the last scallop, work 3 sc in the last ch-3 loop and sc in the last sc. Fasten off. (112 sts plus 13 picots)
Counts per side:
- Left leg end: 4 sc
- Outer arc: 13 scallops × 8 sts = 104 sts, plus 13 picots
- Right leg end: 4 sc
The total is 4 + 104 + 4 = 112.
Why the math works:
- Row 4 has 14 shells, so there are exactly 13 gaps between shell centers, which gives 13 ch-6 loops and 13 scallops.
- An odd number of scallops puts scallop 7 exactly at the crown. That is where the crown loop sits, so each motif hangs straight.
- The leg ends get the small ch-3 loops packed with sc. This keeps the leg tips neat instead of flaring.
- The 0.75 in (1.9 cm) border on each side turns the 5.5 in (14.0 cm) body into a 7 in (17.8 cm) motif.
Tassels (Strand Finishing)
- Wrap yarn 25 times around the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) card.
- Slide a 10 in (25.4 cm) strand under the wraps at the top edge and tie it tightly.
- Cut the wraps at the bottom edge.
- Wrap a separate strand around the tassel 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top tie and knot it. Bury the ends inside the tassel.
- Trim the tassel to 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Use the top-tie tails to fasten the tassel around the center of the bottom motif’s bridge.
Final Blocking
- Lay each strand flat on the blocking mat, motifs face up.
- Pin each motif to 7 in (17.8 cm) wide × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tall.
- Pin the center of every picot so the 13 scallops fan out evenly.
- Pin the inner opening into a smooth arch about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- Mist until damp, but not soaked.
- Let the strand dry completely, which usually takes 6–8 hours.
- Unpin the strand. Steam the tassel lightly and comb it straight.
- Hang the strand for 24 hours before measuring the final length.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] All 36 motifs measure 7 in (17.8 cm) × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- [ ] Every motif has 13 scallops with 13 open picots.
- [ ] Every crown loop comes from the center picot (scallop 7).
- [ ] Every bridge has 12 sc and is firmly anchored at both leg tips.
- [ ] The strands alternate A, B, A, B, A, B, with no mixed colors inside a strand.
- [ ] Each strand measures 49.5 in (125.7 cm), counting the hanging loop and tassel.
- [ ] All ends are woven in and invisible against the light.
- [ ] All tassels are trimmed evenly to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Troubleshooting
The motif won’t curve and stays nearly straight. Row 2 is missing increases. Recount it to 45 dc.
The shells ruffle. Go down a hook size for Row 4, or check that you made exactly 14 V-sts in Row 3.
There are only 12 scallops. One shell center was skipped in Row 5. Count 14 shells before you start the border row.
The motif hangs tilted. The crown loop is off center. Re-attach it to the picot of scallop 7.
One strand is longer than the others. Its links are loose. Redo them with firmer chains, or remove 1 ch from each side of every link.
The picots close up. Pin each picot open during blocking and let it dry fully.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and press out the water without wringing. Dry each strand flat, re-pinning the scallops if needed, then hang it again.
Final Notes
The whole curtain depends on one measurement chain:
- Row 1 = 5 in (12.7 cm).
- Row 4 body = 5.5 in (14.0 cm) × 5.75 in (14.6 cm).
- Border adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm) per side, giving a 7 in (17.8 cm) × 6.5 in (16.5 cm) motif.
- Six motifs plus five 1 in (2.5 cm) links make a 44 in (111.8 cm) strand.
- The hanging loop and tassel bring each strand to 49.5 in (125.7 cm).
- Six strands spaced 7.5 in (19.1 cm) apart make the curtain 44.5 in (113.0 cm) wide.
Check your first motif against every checkpoint and the other 35 will follow. Happy crocheting!