Sewing wide drapery panels
Louise54
18 years ago
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hoerlel
18 years agoLouise54
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Attempting to Sew Triple Pleated Drapes
Comments (10)Update! Today during lunch I went to Hancock Fabrics and boy was the lady there, MaryJo helpful. I took my roll of fabric with me because I wanted to know how much yardage I had and prayed they had this material still in stock or had not been discontinued. She measured and I only had 5 yards and she checked the store and they had it but only two yards so she ordered me 6.75 yards which will be arrive in the next 10 days. The repeat of the fabric is every 18 inches because of the pattern. This is what she calculated based on my window measurements I gave her: my window width: 73" the fabric is 54 inches wide I will need 3 - 3 yards of each 54 width where I will divide one and sew each half to each of the two 54 width; this will give my two panel a length of 108 inches (3 yds times 36 is 108) This will also allow for my 8 inches on top and 8 inches on the bottom giving me the final length I want at 86. The width across for each panel will be 81 (54 plus 27 (1/2 of 54) equals 81. My window is 73 inches wide so 73 divided by 2 equals 36.5 or 37¡Kthis is the magic number when I start to pleat. When I pleat them I will have to ensure the finished width will be 36.5 or 37 I also went to Borders and brought a sewing book called ¡§The Complete Photo Guide To Sewing¡¨ which has 1100 Full-Color How-To Photos and on page 226 ¡V Pinch Pleated Draperies are fully illustrated with all the instructions. The book is by Singer and I only paid $3.00 for it because it is used but in good condition. So what do you all think? Does all this information sounds like MaryJo has put me on the right track? Can I do this? MaryJo said I could º She told me to just take my time¡Kif I get frustrated just walk away and come back. When I finish I will take pictures. This book is awesome¡Kit has so much info on how to make just about anything for the home especially cornice boards which I truly love. So if anyone needs to know anything just let me know and I will look it up, make copies and provide º God gave me the gift of sewing and I need to use it!...See MoreDrapery/sewing experts please help
Comments (7)roseabbey, there are just too many fabrics to mention to say what is heavy and what is not, but if you want a rich full look then velvet, brocade, damask might be some of the names to look for. Some cottons are heavy and some are light; some synthetics are light and some are heavy: it depends on the weave. You really only need to understand fabric weight if you are ordering them sight unseen and have to rely on the description, but if you are in the store buying panels or picking out fabric then just see how it feels in the hand. You want a fabric that is soft enough to drape (not stiff) but densely woven enough to feel substantial and not be floaty. So if you are buying panels open up the package and see how they feel or check the samples if they are hanging nearby. You want them to feel about the weight of a suit or light coat material. If you are in a fabric store like Joanne's fabrics you definitely want to go to the section of upholstery fabrics and avoid the dressmaking ones (the latter will be too light for curtains unless you buy suiting material). But having said that if you find a print you love that is say a light cotton, then do as chloe suggests and line it or interline as well to give it more heft. If you want a more traditional look then Country Curtains (catalogue and website) has some reasonably priced options. For more modern prints Ikea has some good choices. If the description says the curtains are lined then you know they'll have the weight you need....See MoreBlackout Drapery Lining - Sewing Together 2 Widths
Comments (10)shadylady2u - Thank you for helping me out! I will make sure to use a press cloth if any ironing is necessary. I think I've seen the thick "Bump" blanket type of interlining you described in my local JoAnn Fabric store. Is that used more for living room drapery or for other applications? I assume since it's an interlining, then another piece of "regular" fabric lining needs to be sewn on the back so you end up with three layers of fabric for the drape. I appreciate the link you posted for the blackout lining you prefer. After viewing that link, I went to Hanes' site and saw that it's also offered in ivory (which I am glad about). I ordered a sample and am curious to feel it and compare it to the Roc Lon Budget. I noticed the Hanes lining you linked to is 100%cotton and the Roc Lon Budget is a cotton/poly blend. The small window drape I made and lined with RocLon Budget is for a child's bedroom (see pic below). This current Toile drape I will attempt is also for a child's bedroom. Keeping outside noises to a minimum and keeping the room dark in the day is very helpful during mid day nap times : ) After this bedroom toile drape is complete, I will move on to another bedroom which needs a new drape. If I like the feel of the Hanes blackout lining, then I'll give it a go. It's fun to learn about and try new things. Thanks again! Laurie Back side of small BR window drape using RocLon Budget Blackout lining....See MoreSewing blackout lining for draperies
Comments (2)I made a blackout liner for our family room drapes last October or so. We were having a heck of a time with sunlight and shadows on the television screen. Since this needed to be a panel more than 100 inches wide and 80 inches long, I had to sew a seam down the center. I believe I used a 16 needle. Then I went all the way around all 4 sides with my serger, but those had 14 needles in them. BTW, my blackout liner is white on both sides. I didn't bother to hook mine to the drapery panels. Instead, I sewed buttonholes near the top of the liner, and hooked it over the drapery hooks. DonnaR/CA...See Morehoerlel
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