CURTAINS SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES SIMPLYFURNISHINGS.COMLTD

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1 TEACHYourself SOFT FURNISHINGS CURTAINS SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES SIMPLYFURNISHINGS.COMLTD Copyright 2000

2 CURTAINS SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES INTRODUCTION This supplementary section has been produced for use in junction with the TEACHYourself Curtains Part 1 & 2. Due to the changing nature of current design trends and requirements in the marketplace, variations on traditional curtain heading designs are becoming increasingly popular. This supplementary section will be modified from time to time to include such design variations but currently includes instructions on tab headed and eyelet headed curtains. Instructions for tab headings covers various design considerations that must be born in mind if the curtains are to be successful and highlights some advantages and disadvantages with this type of heading. Instructions for eyelet headings are broken down into two sections, the first covers eyelet headings using a purpose made heading tape manufactured by Rufflette and the second, for installing separate eyelets into a curtain with a buckram heading. Before using these supplementary notes, make sure you have a copy of our Curtains Guide Parts 1 & 2 and have read the instructions fully. It is also important that you are fully conversant with all the details contained within the Basic Sewing Equipment and Techniques, that is being issued as a complementary starter pack and available as a free download from our web site. You will then have a working knowledge of the stitches you will be required to use and the sometimes rather confusing terms associated with making soft furnishings. These supplementary notes cover the following topics:- Part 1 - Part 2 - Tab headed curtains Eyelet headed curtains 2.1 Taped heading 2.2 Buckram heading 1

3 1. Part 1 Tab Headed Curtains 1.1. Understand the definition of a tab heading Tab headed curtains are different from curtains with a more traditional heading in that small tabs or loops are stitched to the top of the curtain taking the place of either a tape that is gathered up using cords or a buckram heading that is then hand stitched into pleats. The curtain pole is inserted into these tabs and the curtains are drawn backwards and forwards manually or by using a draw rod that has been attached to the leading edge. The curtains can be made with short overlaps in the centre and returns on the outside edges in the usual way Consider the design Tab headings are appropriate for both lined and interlined curtains but they do lend themselves well to a lighter more minimalist look, so it is as well to bear this in mind when considering your design. If you are looking for a very formal window treatment in which the curtains are required to be functional as well as decorative and need to be beautifully dressed, then I would suggest that tab headed curtains are not the right design option to choose. There are also certain disadvantages peculiar to tab headed curtains that should also be considered:- The stack back allowance will always depend on the number of tabs chosen and the size of the tab. The tabs sit in a line on the pole and if there are a large number of tabs, then it is possible that the curtains may well cut out light from the window as they intrude into the window space. The way to overcome this is to extend the pole rather more than usual onto the surrounding walls. The siting of the pole is crucial in relation to its position above the window recess. The tabs must be sufficiently deep enough for the pole to be inserted easily and also slack enough for the curtains to be drawn backwards and forwards when in position. The pole therefore must be set at a height to compensate for these factors. If the pole is too low, then the tabs may well be visible from outside the window and light can filter into the room along the top edge. Functional tab headed curtains can also show wear as the tabs are constantly being pulled along the curtain pole and will eventually become 2

4 worn and rather grubby by the friction caused when the curtains are drawn backwards and forwards. The finished drop will need to be calculated very carefully particularly if you are making full-length curtains. Tab headings on short curtains are much more forgiving. Consider the depth of the tabs and how this will affect the overall finished length of the curtains and calculate your finished curtain length accordingly Consider the type of face fabric chosen The same considerations regarding choice of fabric in terms of colour or pattern apply as with other types of curtains but do be wary of choosing a very heavy weight fabric for tab headed curtains as the weight to be born by the tabs will be considerable. Having given due consideration to all the above factors, you are now ready to proceed with estimating and making up your tab headed curtains Estimating for tab headed curtains Face fabric Proceed exactly as you would for a taped or hand stitched headed curtain but only allow times fullness at the very most on the width. Any excess over this will result in too many tabs and too great a stack back. You will also need to estimate for the amount of fabric required for constructing the tabs. This will obviously depend on the design you choose and the number of tabs involved. As a general guideline, I find tabs of a finished width of 5 cms work particularly well (a cut width of 10 cms + 2 x 1.5 cms seam allowance). In terms of length, you will need the circumference of the pole plus approx. 8 cms to allow for moving the tabs backwards and forwards along the pole. Add to this a further 10cms (2 x 5 cms) for the heading seam allowance. These figures may well vary if you decide that your particular design requires a different finished look. Circumference of the pole 8 cms (2 x 4 cms) 5 cms for heading seam allowances Fold 3

5 Ancillary materials Refer to instructions within Curtains Part 1, omitting any tape or buckram that would normally be required for the curtain heading. You will also not require any curtain hooks. If you are using a fairly thin face fabric, it may be worth considering applying a layer of interfacing to the tabs to give them extra strength and stability. Estimate accordingly depending on the size and the number of tabs involved. The interfacing will only be required to cover the centre section of the tabs Making up Proceed with making up your curtains, whether they be lined or interlined, to the point at which you have measured off the finished drop. If your curtains are interlined, do not trim back the excess 5 cms interlining in this instance as you will need to anchor the interlining into the heading allowance. Failing to do this will mean that the interlining is not attached to the curtain along the top edge and will sag in time. Cut out and make up your tabs to your chosen design and to the required size:- Face fabric for tab with 1.5 seam allowance each side Take your tab strips, fold in half lengthways and stitch along the seam line Fold Wrong side tab strip Reverse side of tab showing the seam positioned along the centre Finger press the seam open. Turn the strip right side out and position the seam so that it sits along the centre back. Press lightly with a cool iron 4

6 If you are going to put a layer of interfacing into the tabs, then cut the interfacing to a width that just covers the centre section and iron into position before seaming up the strip. Interlining along centre of tab strip Fold Take your tab strips and fold in half widthways, so that the seams are on the inside. Machine along the raw ends with a 1.5 cms seam allowance. Forming your tabs into loops at this stage will make them much easier to work with. There are two ways that I know of for attaching the tabs to the curtain. Method 1 involves stitching the lining by hand to cover the tabs on the reverse of the curtain. Method 2 involves using a fascia to finish off the reverse. Read both methods through carefully and choose the method that you think most appropriate for your particular project. Method 1 Lay your curtain out, right side facing upwards. Fold back the lining on the reverse side to allow for the positioning of the tabs along the top edge. Position your tabs along the top edge using pins, making sure to space them out equally and according to your chosen design. The raw edges of the tabs should be flush with the raw edge of the curtain top. If you have decided to have a small overlap in the centre then the first tab should be set in from the leading edge to make allowance for this. If you have a return, then similarly the last tab should be set back slightly from the side edge. The return will have to be fastened into position by means of a pin hook inserted into the reverse side of the top edge. The pin hook is then inserted into a screw eyelet set into the wall or the curtain pole, whichever is appropriate. Once you are satisfied with the positioning of the tabs, machine into place along the top edge using the 5 cms heading allowance. * 5

7 Right side curtain Line up the tabs flush with the raw edge along the top of the curtain 5 cm heading seam allowance Raw edge along top of curtain 5 cms heading allowance seam line Fold back lining before inserting the tabs Wrong side curtain Lay the curtain out again, but this time with the wrong side facing you. Fold the heading allowance down onto the reverse of the curtain. The tabs should now be standing up above the top of the curtain. Turning the lining back over, turn under a seam at the top so that the fold on the lining at the top is approx. 1 cm lower than with the top of the curtain. Slipstich the lining in place along the top edge, mitring the corners top left and right as you go. Wrong side curtain Mitred corner Sidelay Slipstich lining in place along top edge 6

8 For extra strength, it is possible to run a line of top stitching by machine along the top of the curtain just below the tabs. The problem with this final stitching line is that it is visible from the front of the curtain and looks rather unsightly. You must decide if you feel that this is acceptable, in view of the extra strength it gives along this top edge. I have found that this line of stitching can be omitted if the curtain is not too heavy as the initial row of stitching holding the tabs in place is quite sufficient on all but the heaviest of curtains. Method 2 This second method involves stitching a narrow facing, made of the curtain fabric, along the top edge over the top of the tabs. This facing is then folded over onto the reverse of the curtain and held in place by a row of slipstitching. Follow the instructions in Method One to the point at which the tabs have been machined in place along the top edge* but with one exception. Do not fold back the lining; rather stitch the tabs to the face fabric with the lining attached. Facing strip Cut out a facing strip in the face fabric, measuring the same width as the finished curtain, plus 2 x 5 cms for turnings each end. The strip should be approx. 15 cms deep. Lay the curtain out right side uppermost and pin the facing along the top edge, flush with the top raw edges of the curtain and the tabs. Machine in place along the original 5 cms stitching line. Right side curtain Seam Line Tabs Turn the facing to the wrong side of the curtain, turn in the ends to neaten and slipstitch in place. To finish off the lower edge of the facing, turn under a narrow seam and slipstitch this in place all along the width of the curtain anchoring it to the lining. Turn under a narrow hem and slipstitch in place Wrong side curtain Facing 7

9 1.6. Installing the curtains When you get to the hanging stage, it is unlikely that you will be able to get the type of tailored look with your tab headed curtains that you should be able to achieve with a conventional curtain heading. Remove the pole from the wall and insert it into the tab headings on the curtains. The spaces between the tabs you can push to the back and you can peg the pleats into position that you will see forming directly beneath the tabs. Strap up the curtains as normal and leave the strapping in position for a few days if possible. Your curtains should then fall into loose pleats when drawn backwards. I hope you have found this first part of our supplementary notes useful and that you are satisfied with your tab headed curtains. As with all soft furnishings projects, you are sure to improve with practice, learning from any mistakes as you progress. 2. Part 2 Eyelet Headed Curtains 2.1. Understand the definition of an eyelet headed curtain A curtain with an eyelet heading is very different from a curtain with a conventional heading. Metal or plastic eyelets are inserted into the top edge of the curtain through which a pole is inserted. The curtains are drawn backwards and forwards by hand or by means of a draw rod that is attached to the leading edge. They are similar to tab headed curtains in that the fabric needs to be moved along by hand if you wish the soft pleats formed by the eyelets to be spaced out equally along the width of the curtain. This new method of hanging curtains is extremely popular at present particularly since Rufflette have produced a purpose made eyelet heading tape. 8

10 The taped method will only work for you if you are prepared to accept that two rows of machine stitching will be visible on the front of the curtains where the tape has been attached, just as you would find with any other taped headed curtain. It is also not possible to position the eyelets where you want them as they are already pre-installed into the tape. You must also be very careful in making the finished width of the curtain taking into account the positioning of the rings. If you ignore this then it is possible that you will find an eyelet falls right at the end of your curtain and may well actually be hanging off the end! Note the final eyelet falling in the wrong place You will therefore have to make the flat width of the curtain fit the tape, rather than vice versa. The flat width of the curtain has been extended to fit in the final eyelet If you decide to go with the second method, using hand-stitched buckram heading you will get a completely different finished look. You can decide where you position the rings both in relation to how far down from the top of the curtain they fall, as well as how far apart you space them. The making up is slightly more complicated but I feel the finished look is well worth the extra labour time involved. You must decide which method suits your needs Consider the design Eyelet headed curtains form beautiful pleats when drawn back as the fabric between the eyelets stands forward of the pole and the stack back allowance is fairly narrow, as the rings merely but up to one another when the curtains are drawn back. As with tab headed curtains, you will achieve a very informal look. Choose medium to lightweight fabrics that are not interlined. Certainly you would be well advised not to interline curtains into which eyelets are going to be inserted into a buckram heading as the fabric layers would be far too thick to be inserted into the eyelet rings. 9

11 2.3. Estimating for eyelet headed curtains Face fabric Proceed exactly as you would for a taped or hand stitched headed curtain but allow only 2 times fullness on the width for eyelets to be inserted into a buckram heading, or if you are going to use the Rufflette eyelet tape. Ancillary materials Refer to the instructions contained within Curtains Part 1 but omit any curtain hooks. Taped headings Allow for the appropriate amount of eyelet headed tape. Rufflette sell the tape by the metre in the usual way, with various ring finishes. You have to purchase the backing rings separately for attaching later. Buckram headings If you are using a buckram heading, you will need a number of eyelet rings in the finish you require. They are currently available with a brass, nickel effect or matt black finish, but I am sure that the ranges available will be extended in time as the demand increases. The size of the rings is standard for use with a pole of a maximum diameter of 30mm. Allow approx. 8 rings for each full width of fabric involved. This amount can be altered depending on the look you want to achieve. Increasing the number of rings will give narrower finished pleats and decreasing the number will give wider spaces in between the rings and therefore wider pleats. Beware of making the spaces too wide however or the pleats will sag in between the rings Making up eyelet headed curtains using the taped method Make up the curtains in exactly the same way as for any other taped headed curtains to the point at which you have measured off the finished drop. You must remember to adjust the finished width of the flat curtain to correspond with the rings on the tape. Attach the tape following closely the instructions provided by the manufacturer. A trip to the Rufflette web site at would be advisable. Cut out the holes in the fabric for attaching the backing rings. Clip on the rings securely. 10

12 2.5. Making up eyelet headed curtains using a buckram heading. Make up the curtains in exactly the same way as for any other hand stitched headed curtain to the point at which you have measured off the final drop. It is essential that with this type of heading you have a heading allowance of no more than 2.5 cms to turn down onto the buckram. If you have any more than this then the excess fabric will interfere with the eyelet rings and make cutting out the circles for inserting the eyelets much more difficult. The less bulk at the points where the eyelet are to be inserted the better. Cut back any excess to this 2.5 cm point if necessary. Attach the buckram in the usual way and secure the lining as usual. Decide where you want the rings to be and mark with pins where the centre of the holes will fall. The rings should be at least 2.5 cms down from the top edge. Take care to be very accurate, as the rings must be spaced out perfectly evenly along the width of the curtain. I find positioning the first ring with its centre falling 10 cms in from the leading edge works well, with 8 rings per full width of fabric involved. You can afford to be a little flexible if the need arises. The best effect is achieved if you use an even number of rings rather than an odd number, as the pole is then inserted forming full pleats rather than ending up with half a pleat on the outside edge. If you find you have an odd number of rings, then consider either spacing the rings out more or reducing the spaces to end up with an even number. Full pleats Half pleat forming on outside edge. This half pleat will tend to kick forward Using very sharp scissors, cut out the fabric just slightly less than the outside circumference of the ring. I find it useful to practice on a scrap of material first until you get the hole exactly the right size. If the hole is too small then the backing ring will not clip on and if it is too large then the curtain really is ruined, as the ring will not attach without leaving raw edges showing. Once you are happy that you have got things right, cut out a piece of cardboard to the exact size of the hole and use it as a template 11

13 for drawing round. You can then cut out all the holes confident in the knowledge that you will not make any errors. Attach the eyelets by putting the front ring into position and then clipping on the reverse piece. Check that all the rings are fastened securely Installing the curtains Remove the pole from the wall and insert it into the eyelet rings on the curtains. The spaces between the rings you pull forward and push backwards alternately. You can peg the pleats into position that have formed where the fabric has pulled forward. Strap up the curtains as normal and leave the strapping in position for a few days if possible. Your curtains should then fall into perfect pleats when drawn backwards. I hope you have found this second part of our supplementary notes useful and that you are satisfied with your eyelet headed curtains. As with all soft furnishings projects, you are sure to improve with practice, learning from any mistakes as you progress. 12