Lined Pinch-Pleated Curtains – A Follow Up

Final week, I posted maybe the longest and most thorough tutorial I’ve ever posted on my weblog. That two-part tutorial on find out how to make lined, pinch-pleated curtains, had a complete of 107 images in two posts. In the event you missed it, you possibly can see these posts right here:

Click on beneath to view Half 1 and Half 2 of the lined, pinch-pleated curtain tutorial.

I did get some questions that I needed to reply, plus I need to add slightly extra info that I hope will likely be useful.

For instance, the curtains in our sitting room aren’t vast sufficient to cowl all three home windows. Their solely job is to hold there and look fairly by including shade, texture, and visible top to that wall. If we wish privateness or mild management in there, I shut the shades.

If you wish to make operable pinch-pleated curtains, that’s a complete totally different factor. First, it’s a must to determine what number of widths of material to make use of for every panel (the whole width of the curtains is mostly 2.5 to three occasions the width of the window(s)), after which it’s a must to do some precise, actual math to determine what number of pleats to make use of, and the way a lot material can be utilized by the pleats with the intention to have sufficient width left to really cowl the window when the curtains are closed. I imply, it’s not a mission to be tackled by the faint of coronary heart. 😀

Now I’ll say that even in case you’re panels will likely be stationary and ornamental, it’s a lot better to stitch a double-width panel in case your window (or span of home windows) is admittedly vast. In the event you want that on your window, I have this old tutorial for sewing double-width lined drapery panels.

In an ideal world, the curtains for our sitting room home windows (pictured above) ought to have been double-width panels. However I actually needed to make use of that material, which I had bought for one more mission, and I solely had sufficient to do single-width panels. It’s tremendous, but it surely makes it very apparent that they’re solely ornamental. That’s only a matter of non-public choice. Some folks don’t thoughts that. But when I have been to do these over once more, and really buy material particularly for these home windows, I’d be sure I used two widths of material for all sides.

First, I really like the load that it provides to the curtain panels. As a result of blackout lining is thicker and heavier than each different sort of lining (not less than those I’m conversant in), it provides a weightiness to the panels that I believe could be very good. The substantial weight and really feel of a pane lined with blackout lining makes them really feel extra luxurious to me. Plus, I’ve by no means even as soon as had to make use of material weights on any panels I’ve made utilizing blackout lining.

However the primary motive blackout lining is my go-to lining is as a result of I don’t like even the slightest little bit of daylight coming by my material panels, particularly after I’ve used a colourful patterned material. Any mild that comes by the panels can doubtlessly distort the colours, and that bothers me tremendously.

I discover this in our lounge the place I’ve the pink, unlined curtains. As a result of I broke my very own rule in that room and used a stretchy attire material (I couldn’t assist myself as a result of the colour and weight of the material was excellent), I wasn’t capable of make the material work with lining. So that they’re unlined, and anytime mild shines by them (and it doesn’t must be direct daylight), they seem like a special shade of pink.

You possibly can see that on this photograph beneath. These two curtain panes within the nook seem like two totally different colours, and it’s not simply the realm getting direct daylight on the panel on the left that appears totally different. There’s additionally a strip of the far proper panel that may be a totally different shade despite the fact that that by no means will get direct daylight because it’s below the entrance porch.

It’s a private choice, however I don’t like that. Some day sooner or later, I plan to search out some precise decorator material on this pink (even when I’ve to have it printed myself at Spoonflower) in order that I could make new pink curtains for this room, and I can truly line them in order that they’re all the time a constant shade irrespective of how sunny it’s outdoors.

I realized this lesson the onerous means when Matt and I purchased our first home in Albany, Oregon, quickly after we received married. It was my first alternative to brighten a complete home all on my own, and I discovered a fairly (to me on the time) plaid material that had all types of colours in it — purple, yellow, inexperienced, blue. I liked that material, and made some unlined curtains for one of many bedrooms. And as quickly as I hung these curtains, the sunshine coming by that material made them look orange. All the element of the small plaid design was misplaced, and so they simply regarded orange. I used to be so disenchanted, however I realized a priceless lesson that day. So after I later realized about blackout lining, I knew that will be my go-to lining for that very motive.

In order I made the second panel (which I completed final evening!), I took some further footage of this step for additional clarification. I’ll add these to the unique publish, however for many who have been confused, that is the element I used to be lacking in Half 1 of the tutorial displaying find out how to do the blind hem.

After turning up, pinning, and ironing within the double four-inch hem within the backside of the face material, it appears to be like like this…

With a view to sew the blind hem sew, you merely flip the double folded material again below the panel like this…

In order that when it’s mendacity flat, all you see is about 1/4-inch of the highest fold of the hem protruding as a result of the remainder is folded again beneath the panel.

After which you possibly can take that to your machine and stitch utilizing the bind hem sew setting. It’ll do about 4 stitches on that prime fold of the hem, after which about as soon as each 5 stitches, it’ll attain over to the left and put a single sew by the entire layers, after which it’ll return to the proper 4 one other 4 or 5 stitches.

Anyway, I hope that clarifies that step. I’ll get these images added to Half 1 of the tutorial later at present in order that this step will likely be simpler to grasp.

My Solutions For Material Choice

In the event you’ve by no means made lined draperies earlier than, I strongly counsel that you simply select your material very rigorously. In the event you attempt to bounce proper into making lined draperies utilizing a difficult material, you’ll in all probability need to surrender, and also you’ll be cursing me for convincing you that making lined curtains actually isn’t all that tough. 😀

My suggestion is to make use of a cloth that may very simply lie flat in your work floor, gained’t crawl each time you contact it or when it’s sewn, has a little bit of thickness to it (however not an excessive amount of!!), and might simply be “pressed” along with your fingers. This might be 100% cotton materials, cotton/linen blends, and the like. The material I used for the panels in my studio is from Spoonflower, and it’s their linen cotton canvas. I believe this can be a excellent material for a newbie. And all the time, ALWAYS use an precise decorator material.

So what materials must you keep away from? Keep away from any materials which might be skinny and crawly, like skinny polyesters, rayon, silk, skinny linen, and so on. Any material that has a stretch to it must be rued out utterly. Additionally keep away from something too thick, like velvet and most materials supposed for upholstery. Belief me, you do not need your first time making pleats to be on a cloth that’s too thick. Additionally, irrespective of how tempting it’s, DO NOT use an attire material to make curtains. Simply don’t. (Do as I say and never as I do. 😀 ) I’ll say it once more. All the time ensure you’re utilizing an precise decorator material on your curtains. And don’t wash the material first. You’ll break it.

I believe that’s it for now, but when I consider some other useful info, I’ll add it to this publish. And naturally, if in case you have any extra questions, simply let me know!

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.