Thanks, everyone. I will put some weights on and clip the eats in a few days myself. Beyond that I am clueless about what to do beside call the seamstress.

Drapery weights--this link goes to the index, not the page.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drapery Weights

Every custom drapery I've ever had made has been lined and weighted. I can't imagine a seamstress not knowing to do this. It is the correct way to make curtains. I would certainly not sew the weights in myself since she was supposed to do it.

These are lined in blackout fabric.

I will mention the weights to her.

I need to take them down anyway because Kirsch put a long sticker on the rod and, when the installer put them up today, he pulled the sticker off, but the sticky part remained . It looks pretty bad when the drapes are open.

And, the chair seen here turns into library steps to gain access to the taller shelves on the opposing wall.

I remember my mom sewing washers at the corners of a stubborn set of drapes. Is this a family tartan? Love the look.

Agree with those who've suggested weights in the corners. And your workroom/fabricator should use covered drapery weights, not the raw lead ones.
I can't tell from your picture, but it looks as if the tartan is a nice lightweight hard-finish woven fabric. Is it cotton or wool?
If you had wool flannel tartan or a heavy velvet it might also be appropriate to use leaded weight tape (sausage weights) across the length of your hem and double weights on the corners.

Typically, in the "old days", after installation draperies would be opened, the stackback hand manipulated to get the folds even and right, then tied with a ribbon for 5-7 days to train the folds. Often times this would happen on a rod in the workroom prior to installation so you wouldn't even see the training of the folds.

There is now a school of thought that wants the folds organic and not trained - being promoted by designers and bloggers such as Cote de Texas. It started with the puddling, then when puddling went out, they went to making the length just an inch or two long so that the hem breaks on the floor. IMO it's just a lazy way to get out of having to hem them properly. In fact I read in one publication that it's easier to hem them an inch long then let them break on the floor rather than get the hem even so that it's just skimming the floor. Well, duh. With that trend towards the extra length and soft untrained folds even high end workrooms are leaving off the weights. And now lazy has become fashionable and trendy. Sorry, my rant.

Your draperies are beautiful, and look to be well made. They just need weights and training. You say seamstress, so maybe you've found a seamstress who is making draperies, but isn't trained in a workroom? She's done a great job, your plaid lines are straight and square. Unless you paid full workroom pricing, You shouldn't be unhappy because she didn't weight your corners, or instruct the installer to tie the folds and instruct you to leave them open a week. Just get it done now.

I
Don't know her training or what else to call her. She works independently.

Yes, this is my family tartan :) I really love it.

3 apples I remember when you first posted about using your family tartan for your library drapery. I think you wanted to know what wight to use. Where did you finally find the fabric?

The drapes look great - the color is deep and rich. We recently had custom drapes installed in our library and family room and they are weighted at the corners. The ones in the study are panels so they're stationary and they're still weighted. We left the drapes fully open and loosely tied for a week to help set the folds.

When your drapes are closed check your traverse rod to make sure there is enough space to allow for one drape to overlap the other. The installer had to bend one of ours back a little to accommodate for the thickness of the fabric and lining.

I had them made of 100% heavyweight wool at a mill in Edinburgh.

Fabulous fabric! Start with double weights in the corners of the bottom hems of each panel.

Thank you :)

I am not much help with the hanging issue but I LOVE your drapes and your room. :) Gorgeous. Will you share more of it?

I love the drapes! Beautiful tartan. Place the weights and give them a few days. I always placed weights (washers) in the draperies I made. Yes, the men in our family had family tartan kilts. Kirnking of the tartan. :-)

"IMO it's just a lazy way to get out of having to hem them properly."

Agree completely with this. And don't get me started on puddling :-) Talk about lazy becoming fashionable!

I failed to say how much I love your draperies and I too would love to see more of your room. It looks like a cozy pub! Fabulous fabric!

And mlweaving described 'training the folds' much better than I did. Totally agree with what the others have said about the whole 'too lazy to hem properly' discussion.

Sure, I'll take, and post, more photos of this room this evening. Thanks for all the help and compliments.

There is nothing more beautiful and timeless than a wool tartan, 3apples, and those curtains will probably outlast you! I did not mean to cast aspersions on your seamstress, as it sounded above, just did not think you should have to DIY when you have already paid someone else to do the work. I would also like to see more pictures of this room. Is it the room with the blue leather chair that was damaged when delivered?

No problem at all

This post was edited by three3apples on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 12:10

edited

This post was edited by three3apples on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 12:11

I agree with mariecate-check the traverse rod overlap. Perhaps, show a picture of the traverse hooks showing the fabric off and on. One of the experts here will be able to explain the best way to install. Beautiful drapes!

Here you go:

And another

Love the drapes and that portrait of your grandmother is lovely! Such a neat room, could you take a picture of the window wall from afar?

edited

This post was edited by three3apples on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 12:12

Oh my threeapples your home is swoon worthy. That library is absolutely luscious. It would take a crow bar to get me out of that room!

Wow! The paneling turned out perfect and the brass with the tartan looks so good, all comes together nicely.

Thanks so much for the kind remarks! I love this room and hope it comes together soon. Any suggestions for other furniture to put in here?

Rods are great--- brass is still my personal favorite, antiqued brass especially.

Re your original question, the leading edges of your curtains do look like they need pressing or possibly even interlining. They should not be "floppy" unless you requested them to be soft edged.

The room is beautiful!

It reminds me of the Ralph Lauren Manor house style, rich and masculine. Green velvet would look so good, as would a bunch of oil paintings in brass frames or you could do antique matted engravings in groups.

Her are some images:

Here is a link that might be useful: a pinterest board of interest

This is similar to how I would set up a library- the leather chairs coupled up with lamps and a small table for reading and a central round table for projects or puzzles.

Your tartan drapes are the perfect icing on the "cake" that is your library! Perfection!

Thank you for the link and photos. We happen to love RL style and implemented it as a point of reference for our basement as well. When that area is more finished I will post pictures.

In regard to your original question, if you want them to overlap, you needed a traverse rod without rings. Using a rod with rings, they should instead be butting up to each other, because you need a ring at each leading edge top, to hold it up. Pressing won't help.
Perhaps adding a strip of stiff interfacing down the leading edge may help, but the side hems would need to be opened up in order to add it.

I don't really care if they overlap or not, I just want the leading edges to lay nicer. Do I need to add a ring to each panel for that to happen or just press them with an iron?

Yes, add a ring at each panel, about 1/2" in. This should help quite a bit.
You can also press it. If you don't have a steamer, just get an oven mitt, then you can steam with your iron while holding the mitt at the back. You might want to also put a piece of cloth over the front since it's wool. Test a small section first, if you can.
The installer should have known all this and steamed them for you, too. I'd be inclined to call him back and have him do it.

I am confused, I thought you had a traverse rod. That would mean the leading edge would not have a ring above it, but instead attached to the extension that underlalps/overlaps the 3 1/2" (typically) leading edge. It is common for this area to turn inward if they have been fan folded for a time----it doesn't want to flatten out and go under and over as they should. Steaming that area would appear to help. Are the hems double folded? That also gives some weight to the panels. Blackout lining can be so heavy already, maybe she doesn't have it doubled inside them hem to reduce bulk.

Yes, steaming with the oven mitt in the appropriate area might help. My installer is expert at installing, but I always accompany him to "fuss" over the drapery, but that's because I "sold" the job. Not all installers are experts on dressing, but expert on other aspects of hardware and carpentry.

These are Kirsch designer metal traverse rods that have rings. I'll call the woman who made them. Or should I call the installer?

Are there little metal carriers on the rod? I can't tell from looking at your pics, but I don't see any.
Are you sure they sent you the correct rod?
If there are metal carriers, a drapery pin should be at each edge, hooked into the carrier. If not, then a ring should be there.
Either way, the installer should have known and said something.

Yes, there are metal parts that the hooks on the back of the panels are attached to.

This is what I have:

Here is a link that might be useful: Rod

Are there hooks and carriers at the leading edges? They look like they're just hanging loose.
If there are, then they probably just need to be adjusted.

ETA: there should be what looks like a piece of metal with a hole in it, that's not hanging from a ring. A pin at the leading edge of the panel should be there and it would be hooked into this piece of metal.

This post was edited by shadylady2u on Fri, May 30, 14 at 8:52

Appears that the leading edges are connected to a bracket that hooks onto the hook on the corner of that fabric. I'll also include a photo of the ring.

Ring:

I think we're back where we started, lol! Looking thru your pics, but without being able to see in person, maybe the sewing if off, maybe the fabric was off grain, maybe it just needs a good pressing and better dressing.
Did the person that made these, send the installer, too?
I think I would start by contacting the person that made them first. If you paid someone to make them and install them, then one or the other (or both) should come back and fix them. Why should this be your problem to fix?
That's my 2 cents. :)

I think your drapes look wonderful! I love the fabric. The cut out portion is cleaver & looks excellent with the same fabric used on the bench seat.

I agree with others who have said the person sewing this should have incorporated some sort of drapery weight in each of the bottom corners. Most of the time it's done in a way that you can not see the weight after the hems are sewn.

Over time (weeks/months), the weight of these drapes alone (the fabric & the blackout lining) while hanging will help somewhat with the folds.
But, in the meantime, you could help them out, like others have already suggested.

I think the overall look of your drapes is really nice and I hope this issue that bothers you will be solved.

It is good that you have blackout lining to protect the drapery fabric & all of the nice things inside the room.

The portrait of your grandmother is very special.

So verrry, verrry proper, said in my best English accent! Love the plaid!!

I found weights sewn I to the corners of all the panels.

The blackout fabric will help, but part of the inner seams of the tartan faces the window so that will get bleached, right? Is it supposed to be like that? I'll take a photo of what faces the outside to get your opinion.

This is what you see from the exterior? Should this much not be visible so as not to bleach/fade? And, what about how the panels overlap? When open that flat overlapping part looks odd, especially at the top.

That's a typical amount of fabric turned to the back. Yes, it will fade faster than the rest of the drapery.