Raspberry Sunburst Medallion Lace Curtain Crochet Pattern

This curtain is a full lace panel made of round sunburst medallions in one deep raspberry red. Each medallion has a small open center, a solid inner ring and several fine mesh rings that spread outward like a spiderweb. The medallions sit in neat rows and columns, joined edge to edge, and little eight-point lace stars fill the gaps where four circles meet. The result looks like old-fashioned lace from a distance and like a field of tiny suns up close. When the light comes through, the red thread glows almost pink.

Every medallion is worked in eight rounds. The first two rounds make the solid center, a ring of double crochet that frames the small hole in the middle. Then a round of chain spaces, a bold round of double crochet groups and three rounds of longer and longer chain loops build the open spiderweb rings. The last round puts a small picot loop in every chain space, sixteen in all. Those loops are where the magic happens, because they are what joins each medallion to its neighbors.

I join the medallions as I go. That means the first medallion is made whole, and every one after it is joined to the ones beside and above it during its last round. You simply replace a picot chain with a slip stitch into the matching loop of the finished medallion next to it. There is no sewing and no seaming at the end. When you finish the last medallion, the panel is done, and only the little stars and the edges are left.

The stars are tiny and quick. Each one starts with a small ring of single crochet, then eight pointed chain arms reach out and slip stitch into the open loops of the four medallions around the gap. They hold the corners together so the panel lies flat, and they add that delicate starry pattern you can see between the circles. Along the top, small crochet tabs slide over the rod, and along the bottom, a short raspberry tassel hangs below each medallion in the last row.

As written, the curtain has 7 columns and 11 rows of medallions, which is 77 medallions and 60 stars. It measures about 98 cm wide and 167 cm long (39 by 66 inches) from the top of the tabs to the tips of the tassels. That fits a standard single window very well. I used a fingering weight mercerized cotton and a 2.5 mm hook, which gives a crisp, light lace that hangs straight and keeps its shape after washing.

The feel of the finished curtain is what makes it so special. It is light and airy, and it moves just a little when the window is open. In the morning, sunlight comes through the open rings and throws round lace shadows on the floor. The raspberry red looks deep and rich in the shade, then turns a warm rose wherever the light hits it. It gives you privacy without blocking the view, so you can still see the garden through the lace.

I rate this pattern Intermediate. You need only chains, slip stitches, single crochet and double crochet, but you must keep your rounds even and follow where each loop joins. It suits someone who has made a few round motifs before and enjoys a long, steady project. Plan on about seventy to eighty-five hours. If you like the rhythm of making the same motif again and again, and you love seeing a big lace piece grow, this one will make you very happy.

I fell in love with this curtain because of the color. I had always made lace curtains in white or cream, and I wanted something bolder for a sunny window. The first time I held one raspberry medallion up to the glass, the light turned it rosy pink, and I knew I had found my project. Red lace feels warm and a little old-fashioned, like something from a grandmother's house, but it also looks fresh and happy in a modern room.

I love how portable the medallions are. Each one fits in the palm of your hand, and a small bag holds a ball of thread, a hook, scissors and a few finished circles. I made many of mine sitting in the garden in the afternoon, and a few more in the car during long drives. Joining as you go does mean you carry the panel with you once it gets big, so I made a stack of single medallions first, then did the joining at home on the sofa.

This curtain also taught me a lot about tension. Thread is less forgiving than yarn, and a tight round shows right away. By the tenth medallion I had learned to relax my hand on the long chain rounds and to count every chain space out loud. I also learned to lay each new medallion over my first one to check the size, a habit that saved me from a lot of ripping back.

Here is what keeps me coming back to this design:

• One color, so there is no color planning at all
• No seaming, because every medallion joins as you go
• Small motifs you can finish in one sitting
• A window that glows warm pink every sunny morning

It makes a beautiful gift, too. I made a short cafe version for my sister's kitchen, and she says it is the first thing she looks at in the morning. A lace curtain feels personal because it lives with someone every day. It is also a gift that lasts for many years if it is washed gently, so all those hours of work keep giving long after you hand it over.

I also love that it uses up thread well. Every medallion uses about the same amount, so you can plan how many balls you need and buy them all at once from the same dye lot. The small leftover ends from each ball go into the stars and the tassels. By the time the curtain was finished, I had almost nothing left, which always feels like a small victory.

Most of all, I love how it changes a room. Before I hung it, my window was just a window. Now it is the prettiest part of the house. When the sun comes through, the whole room turns soft and rosy, and the lace shadows move across the floor as the day goes on. Every time I see it, I remember all the quiet hours that went into it, one little circle at a time.

The easiest change is the color. Raspberry red is warm and bold, but this lace looks lovely in many shades. Classic white is timeless and pairs with any room. Cream with tiny golden details, where you work the solid inner ring in a soft gold thread, looks elegant and a little vintage. Sky blue and white, with blue medallions and white stars, feels fresh and coastal. Soft green with cream stars brings the garden inside, and pale pink with white stars is sweet for a bedroom or a nursery.

You can also change the width to fit your window. Each medallion is about 14 cm (5.5 inches) across, so every column you add or remove changes the width by that much. For a narrow window, make 4 columns and 9 rows, which is 36 medallions and 24 stars, about 56 by 139 cm. Remember that the number of stars is always one less than the columns times one less than the rows. Measure your window first and divide the width by 14 to find your column count.

Length works the same way. Each extra row adds about 14 cm. For a door, keep 7 columns and work 14 rows, which is 98 medallions and 78 stars, about 98 by 209 cm. For a room divider, make 10 columns and 16 rows, which is 160 medallions and 135 stars, about 140 by 237 cm. A divider is a lovely way to split a big room without blocking the light, and from both sides it looks the same.

• Narrow window: 4 columns x 9 rows, 36 medallions, 24 stars, about 56 by 139 cm
• Standard window: 7 columns x 11 rows, 77 medallions, 60 stars, about 98 by 167 cm
• Door: 7 columns x 14 rows, 98 medallions, 78 stars, about 98 by 209 cm
• Room divider: 10 columns x 16 rows, 160 medallions, 135 stars, about 140 by 237 cm

A short cafe curtain is a perfect first version. Keep 7 columns but work only 5 rows, which is 35 medallions and 24 stars, about 98 by 83 cm. It covers the lower half of a kitchen or bathroom window, gives privacy and still lets plenty of light in at the top. It is also a nice way to test your tension and your thread before you commit to a full curtain.

For a doorway curtain that people walk through, join the medallions into separate vertical strips instead of one panel. Make 7 strips of 14 medallions each, joined only top to bottom, and leave out the stars. Hang each strip from its own tabs on the rod, close together. People can slip between the strips, and the curtain falls back into place behind them.

The tassels are easy to change, too. For a tidier look, wrap the thread around a 5 cm piece of cardboard for small tassels. For a more dramatic window, wrap it around a 12 cm piece for long, flowing ones. You can also put a tassel below every bottom star as well as every medallion, or leave the tassels off entirely and let the round edges of the last row form a soft scalloped hem.

Finally, you can change the thread or yarn weight. A finer size 10 cotton thread with a 1.75 mm hook gives medallions about 9 cm across and a very delicate, heirloom lace, but you will need more of them. A sport weight cotton with a 3.5 mm hook gives medallions about 17 cm across, so a window needs fewer of them and the work goes faster. Always make one medallion first and measure it before you plan the rest.