Curtains that open and close with ease !!!

I recently put up a wooden curtain pole with wooden rings for the
curtains. When I put the curtain up I found it difficult to shut and
open the curtains with ease ?I didn't use a heavy fabric either.
Anybody else have this problem ? I want curtains that will open and
shut with ease aswel as being decorative. So, I next made tab curtains
for this wooden curtain pole. They're easier to move than wooden rings
but I feel it's only a matter of time before the fabric on the tabs
begins to wear thin. I'm thinking that eyelet headed curtains might
solve all my problems. Anybody got these ? Anybody made these ? Are
they easier to pull together and open ?Any advice greatly received

Josepea

Josepea, maybe your problem isn't with the curtains, but with the pole! Before
you do anything else, why don't you take some good furniture polish, or even
beeswax, and give that pole a good rub to make it slippery. Then see if your
tab curtains slide easier. I'm betting they will.

Hope this helps!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Or even rub the rod with waxed paper, which is even easier!!

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized
LC in Sunny So Cal
Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)

ospam (LC aka Fiddy) wrote in message ...
Or even rub the rod with waxed paper, which is even easier!!

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized
LC in Sunny So Cal
Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)


You can also try adding *poles* for pulling the curtains, like the
stiff rods on mini blinds (these can be bought anywhere mini blind
parts are sold) so you pull level with the rod. It will reduce wear
on the tabs, and with waxing the pole, help those stubborn curtains to
slide right along.

On 29 Dec 2003 02:09:45 -0800, josepea wrote:

I recently put up a wooden curtain pole with wooden rings for the
curtains. When I put the curtain up I found it difficult to shut and
open the curtains with ease snip


As the others suggest, wax the pole. Also consider switching to plastic
rings, which slide along more easily than wooden ones.

Trish

"josepea" wrote in message
om...
I recently put up a wooden curtain pole with wooden rings for the
curtains. When I put the curtain up I found it difficult to shut and
open the curtains with ease ?I didn't use a heavy fabric either.
Anybody else have this problem ?

You need to reduce the friction. I ran into this problem when I made fabric
tab curtains on a brass pole. I cut up a plastic plumbing pipe, drilled
holes in the half circles I created with them... and then sewed them on the
bottom of the tabs....

Then I found these online:
http://www.homespunfabrics.com/accessories.htm



I want curtains that will open and
shut with ease aswel as being decorative. So, I next made tab curtains
for this wooden curtain pole. They're easier to move than wooden rings
but I feel it's only a matter of time before the fabric on the tabs
begins to wear thin. I'm thinking that eyelet headed curtains might
solve all my problems. Anybody got these ? Anybody made these ? Are
they easier to pull together and open ?Any advice greatly received


and they also have the grommets you thought about:
http://www.homespunfabrics.com/grommets.htm


Otherwise... you may want to replace the wooden rings with brass rings... or
just polish with good wax the pole and the rings.



Josepea

Curtains that open and close with ease !!!

(josepea)
I recently put up a wooden curtain pole with wooden rings for the
curtains. When I put the curtain up I found it difficult to shut and
open the curtains with ease ?I didn't use a heavy fabric either. Anybody
else have this problem ? I want curtains that will open and shut with
ease aswel as being decorative. So, I next made tab curtains for this
wooden curtain pole. They're easier to move than wooden rings but I feel
it's only a matter of time before the fabric on the tabs begins to wear
thin. I'm thinking that eyelet headed curtains might solve all my
problems. Anybody got these ? Anybody made these ? Are they easier to
pull together and open ?Any advice greatly received.
---
To address some of your questions, as well as piggy-back on the
drapery-making issue:
I'm working through a similar problem, having promised to make
velvet drapes for DM. These will be quite long, ending in a great puddle
on the floor.
We've discussed what type of rod she plans to use, as it will
influence what type of header I sew. She plans to use a large, very
ornate wooden rod with fancy finials, hung high on the walls, just
beneath the ceiling, so I've decided to make tab-top loops. The panels
will be tied back most of the time, rarely closed.
Since the velvet will be weighty, I plan to reinforce the top edge of
the drape panels before sewing the loops on, (probably using drapery
pleater tape for stability, unless I discover something better. The
pleater tape may be too stiff...hmm...maybe I'll just use a firmly woven
cotton strip for a hidden header.), and I think I might sew a
color-co-ordinated red lining under the tab loops, so that velvet isn't
rubbing on the wooden pole. Cotton might slide more easily.
I figured I need 8 inch long tabs, for pole diam. + ease of movement. I
think longer tabs also ease opening/closing issues, (as long as they
don't cause the drape to hang below the window frame.)
She wants simple and quick, no drape lining, but I am concerned about
the weight of the velvet, and I think the panels should be lined, even
though they will never receive direct sunlight; fading/rot isn't an
issue. I simply feel that the pliable velvet needs some support to
prevent stress damage.
I am also interested in experienced opinions/results. Trish? Kate?
Anyone else sewn long velvet drapes?
Cea

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 15:05:36 -0500 (EST), wrote:


I'm working through a similar problem, having promised to make
velvet drapes for DM. These will be quite long, ending in a great puddle
on the floor.
snip

I would definitely interline the top edge of the panels, and the tabs, to
keep the heading crisp - you do need the same kind of weight as you'd get
on the Rufflette-type tape, so you could just use that and not draw up the
strings, at least on the panels. Otherwise, very stiff interfacing or scrim
might do the trick.

The idea of lining the tabs is also a good one - you can end up dragging on
velvet and it's a PITA when the pole is high above your head (and I've
never found a pole for pulling drapes that could cope with really heavy
fabric, though they're good for lightweight ones). I'd go for a slippy
rayon rather than cotton, unless it's got a finish, like chintz.

Yep - I'd still line the curtains, even if you don't need to for sunlight.
They kind of seem cheap otherwise, like not lining a good jacket. Anyway,
you never know when you might use them for something else and the reverse
side will be visible (my old bay window drapes are now dividing my living
room, and the lining is on full view). If you can attach the lining
separately, it will save a lot of money when the curtains need cleaning.

If the drapes are going to hang on the floor, they will suffer a bit of
wear and tear there - and pets love to sit on them. Last year I had to
replace curtain poles ripped off the beam by the dog, who decided to dry
himself in the velvet drapes by twisting round and round

Lastly, if your mother changes her mind and finds she is opening and
closing the curtains after all, sewing a thick velvet pull loop to each
curtain helps prevent soiling from your hands.

Trish

A good, old fashioned paste wax like Johnson's. It will make a tremensous
difference.
"SewStorm" wrote in message
...
Josepea, maybe your problem isn't with the curtains, but with the pole!
Before
you do anything else, why don't you take some good furniture polish, or
even
beeswax, and give that pole a good rub to make it slippery. Then see if
your
tab curtains slide easier. I'm betting they will.

Hope this helps!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Yep - I'd still line the curtains, even if you don't need to for sunlight.
They kind of seem cheap otherwise, like not lining a good jacket. Anyway,
you never know when you might use them for something else and the reverse
side will be visible (my old bay window drapes are now dividing my living
room, and the lining is on full view). If you can attach the lining
separately, it will save a lot of money when the curtains need cleaning.


I'd line them too.. They won't fade out so quickly.. Also, as you say,
they are so much dressier than unlined drapes....

Also, I wonder about the wooden rail problem - what would happen if you
waxed the wooden? rings and rail whether this would go away??

Mavis