Working with very full curtains please help!URGENTLY

[traditional curtains]

I would like to know how to cope/deal with making very full curtains for a bay window. T
hey are to be very full, with 5 widths in each curtain. Any ideas, help or suggestions will be more than welcome. I have been asked to make them with plain fabric.

Practical help needed for moving the fabric accross the table and also marking hems!!! Please help Mary

From: Mary

[Pip]

Hi Mary

When making curtains in plain fabrics I always press in the hems and top fold in for each width before joining the fabrics together. Cut your drops and allow them to rest for at least 24 hours. Fabrics should be allowed to recover after being taken off the roll, this is done by resting the drops when cut and be aware, they will shrink up a little! Once rested lay them flat on the table, line the side of the fabric with the edge of the table to get your square,  fold and press the hem in using the corner of the table as a guide. Measure up from the bottom to get your length and fold and press the top. Do this to all drops and then sew together.

make sure your fabrics lengths are laying flat before pressing in

With regards to laying the lining in: If you use a double 3" hem on the curtain fabric and a double 2" hem on the linings you will be able to line the lining up with the hem easier. Lay the curtain fabric out on the table, lay the lining on and interlock the first width and sew in the sides, pin the tops to hold in place.. It's a case of folding as you go through the widths now. Any creases will drop out once hanging.

Hope this helps!

Philip
Decozo

[traditional curtains]

Hi Phillip thats a great idea to press the hem and top of the curtain before joining the seams . I shall do that, however I am not quite sure what you meant about the fabric hem and the lining hem.

Currently I hem the lining as a double fold  - 7cm x2 and the main fabric 7cm not nessarily double hem as some of the fabric I am using are for heavy and bulky fabrics. What do you think?

Also did you mean interlock the lining and the side seam and then continue to work across the fabric doing the other side seam last.

[Pip]

Hi Mary

I use a double 3" hem on curtains, but you are correct with regards single hems on thicker fabrics.

Imagine: The curtain hem is folded up by 3" and laying flat on the table, if you then lay a lining on top with a 2" hem face down on to the curtain fabric, match the top fold lines up and you will have a guide for setting your lining in 1" shorter than the face fabric. I hope I'm making sense here, Mary.

I would strongly recommend that you interlock the linings to the main fabric for a curtain of this size, this will prevent the linings ballooning when the curtains are drawn. Lay your curtain on the table, lining on top and fold back the lining half the width and interlock - Interlocking is always done loosely and from the hem line. Fold back and interlock around 15cm from the leading edge. When you sew the sides down, slip stitch. I am assuming  you are making the curtains by hand and not machine stitching the sides.

Once you have done that width, fold if back on itself and bring more on to the tabole and continue working across the curtains.

Philip

[traditional curtains]

Phillip
 I see what you mean now about the hems that will make it faster and easier.I always interline all the curtains and work across to interlock every half width.

Did you mean sew side seam and the work across the fabric and sew the other side seam last? Yes I always hand sew only the lining is machined.

Occasionally the hem /lining drop any solutions? Also do you overlock the hem/interlining (machine). I have tried this but it doesnt seem to work.

[Pip]

Yes, sew the leading edge and work your way across interlocking and finally to the outside edge.

Buy a metre ruler and use it to flatten your fabrics while on the table. When hemming interlined curtain always fold the interlining in with the hem and herringbone stitch the hems taking care NOT to sew through to the main fabric. I never machine sew my interlinings, I lay them out as I need them and herringbone stitch the joins by hand as I interlock it in place.

Pin the tops are you line the curtain to keep it all together.

A common cause for linings dropping is not ensuring all fabrics are smooth before sewing - Matching the hems as previously covered should help you get them in straight.

Good luck!

[traditional curtains]

Thank you for your help I think that marking the hems and stablising the layers of fabric should solve the problem and yes I do herringbone the hem.

[Pip]

I have done a youtube video showing how to lay in linings and do a mitred corner.

Click here for video