I like the smocking - days of my youth!

Honestly, though, one panel makes me think of a tube top dress stretched because it is too small for the wearer. :-)

If you are concerned about the smocking being too gathered, why not extend your rods out past the windows on either side, so that you can spread the two panels more easily.

I would also raise the rods a couple of inches.

I think you will benefit from more fabric on the windows, to balance the weight of the dark furniture and the lovely wallpaper.

FWIW, voile is not the content of the curtain material - the ones from Country Curtains were polyester voile,and they sell some that are cotton voile. Voile is the weave and style of the fabric itself, and one of my favorites!

les I am laughing so hard about your reference to a tube top stretched too tight!!! Thanks for your advice... and agree that raising the rods a few inches would be nice. I like the idea of re-mounting the rods further out from the windows but I don't have that much room to play with. For example, in the window shown in the pics above, there is only about 16 inches between the outside edge of the window to wear the corner of the wall meets and I do have to take into account the finials as well; I don't want the finials of the rods jammed up against the corner wall.

Extending even an inch or 2 will help, though. Pretty curtains! I vote to use two per window.

Thx Loribee - I just placed an order for 5 more panels...so there will be 2 for each window. :) I am going to hang them higher and as far over on the side of each window as is possible.

I love those panels!!!

yayagal - I LOVE THEM TOO!!! I had it in my head that I wanted smocked panels... I was searching all over for them, the ones I found were either the wrong kind of color, wrong kind of fabric, etc. These are perfect!! 100% cotton organdy.

My suggestion in addition to raising the rod some and moving them out some...even 2" will matter, would be to use 2 panels per window and stitch (or carefully pin) them together at the top, just where the smocking is. Then let the panels fall separate after that. Mount a curtain holdback on each side...one that coordinates with your finials, so when you want them open, you slip them over the holdback and you get a lovely swagged effect while still seeing the beautiful smocking at the top. Just slip them off the holdback at night when you want to cover the window completely. You can get very different looks too, depending on where you mount the holdback.

I'm late here, but I think the whole point of the smocking is to show it off, not hide it by bunching it with two panels. I think the first pic is soft and lovely, showing off the smocking and the fullness of the curtain to its loveliest, not stretched in the least. I would tack the bottom sides of the smocking to the sides of the window frames so it hangs straighter, and raise the rods if you like, but I wouldn't make the rods longer. Your curtain looks lovely to me.

Hi nutmegxo! Since we are both posting about the same thing and you were kind enough to post on my dilemma, I wanted to add my 2 cents.
I also think you should use two panels on each window and extend the rods as far as you can without hitting the wall with the finials, or letting the finials touch each other. Even if it's only a few inches.
I would also place the curtain rod higher on the wall. After I got everyone's opinions on my windows, I decided that I am going to place a curtain rod near the ceiling and use 2 panels.
I am a slow mover, though, so not sure when I will get that done! Please post pics of whatever you decide to do!

I have never seen that style curtain - love it!! So romantic looking. Also agree, you need two panels per window. Can you show us the bedding and accessories you are using with it.

I agree with Sherrmann . . .I adore smocked curtains and the point is to show them off. So, I think you could use one panel just fine. However (sorry, sorry, sorry!) I think the blinds detract from them. I feel like my eye wants to see the lovely curtain but sees the blinds behind them instead . . .kind of like a lovely dress but you can see the underwear underneath. Raising the rod will look fantastic.

Would yoU mind sharing where you found those panels. They are lovely.

I too am not loving the smocked curtains with the blinds that you have on your windows. Sorry. I like them individually, but together, not so much. If the smocked curtains weren't see through I think it would work better.

Thanks for the input everyone!

anele & andreadeg - I do agree that the blinds detract from the look but they are there to stay. We had blinds custom made for the windows when we moved into the house. And the curtains are semi-sheer so do not provide full privacy or light control.

tuesday - I have not ordered bedding yet. I plan on getting a duvet that is a gingery kind of color and layer it with ivory/cream colored coverlet

shermann and anele - well I already jumped the gun and ordered more panels, I guess I could always return the extra ones if I ultimately decide that 1 panel would be okay...it certainly would be more affordable LOL The other hesitation is that if I had only one panel on the two smaller windows, would it look unbalanced to have two panels on the bigger window...the bigger window would HAVE to have two panels on it.