Leno curtains

These curtains have been a long time coming. My goal was to have a pair of lacy panels to hang in my bathroom window, something that would let some light in while obsuring the interior. Those objectives appear to have been met with the leno weave structure, although I should view them from outside after dark, to see just how obsuring they are when the light is on.

Pattern: none
Weave structure: leno
Loom: Ashford 24" rigid heddle
Warp: Valley Yarns Cotton 3/2 (which is mercerized), in 2550 ('Nautical Blue')
Weft: Same as warp
EPI/PPI: 10/10-ish
Ends: 236
Finished size: 41"/44"L (from rod pocket fold to top of hem fringe), 20"W Finishing: Phillipine tie at rod pocket, twisted fringe at hem.

Using a temple to maintain the selvages, I started weaving them in January of 2022, and the first panel came off the loom in February, the second in March. After a long hiatus (until April 2025), I twisted the fringe at the bottom.

This past month, I created the rod pocket by folding the top and tying the fringe onto the main body of the fabric (as opposed to simply sewing the rod pocket), then finished by using the Phillipine Tie to make things look tidier.

Due to uneven beating, the two panels are different lengths. I'm hoping a few steamy showers will relax the fabric a bit so they hang straighter.

They are far from perfect. If I were to redo this project, I would be more careful about length (they are too long to cover half the window, too short to cover the entire window, hence the 3/4 coverage). I would also make more of an attempt to beat evenly, by measuring my progress with more precision. Live and learn.