OT- Tia Mary - sewing help!

I went to Calico Corners last night and took my panel with me. They showed
me some drapes that they had hanging that were heavier than mine that did
not have a header, just the rings sewn securely to the fabric. So they
suggested different rings than what I had (a big part of the problem!) and
also more of them, 15 to the panel instead of 10. They also had the pointy
hook that came with them, so I will use both that hook and securely sewing
them on (using DMC, of course!).

Now that you say pleater tape, that was in book I am using, top-sewn onto
the back of the panel, but because I was not using the kind of hooks they
did, I didn't add it, although I could since I haven't added the rings yet.

I just don't do enough sewing to know all the correct terms and techniques.
I made curtains (not lined) about 11 years ago using a header (buckram or
something like that?) and have made pillows, quilts, Halloween costumes and
the sort and figured I could handle this. I tend to be a
jump-in-and-learn-by-doing sort of person. I still have to make matching
small drapes for the side lights to the door in that room (but will use a
rod pocket and a swing-arm rod) and have different fabric to make curtains
for the kitchen, but I may take a break after these drapes are done! ;-)

Thanks for your help. I'll probably start the second panel this afternoon
while debating the pleater tape issue. Hopefully this time next week, they
will be hanging up and those awful-looking puke-pink blinds gone forever!!
lol

Carolyn
"Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply " wrote in
message ...
From: "Carolyn Wagner"

...... I've bitten off more than I can chew. ;-) I'm going back to the
fabric
store today (an hour away) and will ask them about the pointed hooks and
also about adding a header in. ........

NAHHHH -- you'll do OK :-))). I will tell you that I absolutely HATE
to
make draperies -- all that fabric and the weight of them -- YUCK!!!
Now about those hooks. The pointy ended ones aren't the only ones
available. There are some that have the regular hook on the top (the part
that
goes through the little metal ring on your wooden rings) and the bottom is
also
a hook but a pretty long one that isn't pointy. You use a special type of
header, often refered to as pleater tape, that is woven with little
pockets in
it for these hooks to fit into.
This might be JUST the thing to use since you don't have any header in
the
draperies already. Of course, you would have to open up your stitching to
insert the header inside the top hem. You would also need to be sure to
leave
an opening in your stitching (to insert the hook into the header) when
you sew
the header and the top hem back down again. The other option would be to
just
lay the header on top of the folded over hem part and top stitch it down.
Let us know what you finally end up doing OK? There are many others
here
who are making stuff like this all the time. Knowing the problems others
have
run into AND the solutions used helps a lot :-))! CiaoMeow ^;;^
.


PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

From: "Carolyn Wagner"

........ Hopefully this time next week, they
will be hanging up and those awful-looking puke-pink blinds gone forever!!
..........

SEE!!!! Knew you could get a handle on the problem :-). One thought to
keep at the back of your head for similar situations is "Home Ded Thread".
This is a **really** heavy thread -- not always available in colors -- that is
made specifically for heavy use situations. I have used it to sew stuff onto
something else that would have a to carry a lot of weight. I have a big spool
of it in white and have been known to color it with fabric paint so that it
would match the article! NOT the easiest thing to do -- trust me -- LOLOL!
Keep us posted on how the draperies come along. It's always nice to know
when a troublesome endeavour has been successfully completed :-). CiaoMeow
^;;^
..
PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

It's probably 'bump', which my books from the library referred to as a sort of
brushed cotton. Well, flannel is probably close enough. Most of the books I had
out were British, so I was wondering if it was a country of origin discrepancy.

My window faces south as well, but at this time, I am trying to get all the
heat I can take. I've taken to casseroles and oven cooked stews, just so I can
leave the oven door open when they are done. It's OK during the day, but I can
feel the chill from the glass 6 feet away at night. I've also got a bedroom
window facing north to cover. I think I'm going to do an insulated blind with a
swag on that one.

Dora

"Carolyn Wagner"

I am using an off-white material that is kind of like flannel, only sturdier
and more thickly woven. Calico Corners, where I bought it, just calls it
interlining. JoAnn Fabrics had a heat-and-light-blocking, insulating fabric
with almost a foil type material on one side that was much, much thicker,
which I thought would be too bulky for my suede material. (Sorry, I don't
sew enough to know the proper fabric names!) I also hope this drapery helps
with heat blocking in the summer. It will be covering a large, east-facing
window that lets in lots of sun.

Carolyn
"Bungadora" wrote in message
...
My sympathies. I've had library books on curtain/blind making out for the
past
2 months and still haven't got it straight. For a process which involves,
basically, stitching 3 big pieces of cloth together and hanging them,
there is
a lot of variability in terminology and methodology, although the
essentials
usually remain the same. I suspect curtain/drapery books tend to be
written by
interior designers, not seamstresses because they tend to be a bit heavy
on the
design advice, and sketchy on practical matters.

I'm planning to interline a flowered cotton print (which I picked up at
50%
off), mostly to reduce heat loss. Local fabric stores only sell white
flannel
as an interlining. What type of interlining are you using?

Dora

"Carolyn Wagner"


You're right, I do have replies! But they weren't there when I had
checked
before asking you. ;-)

Anyhow, I had followed a Caroline Wrey book, which didn't say anything
about
a header for plain draperies, so no, I don't have a header or facing. And
the top is folded over and then slip-stitched to the lining, so there
isn't
a seam on the very top.

I knew I should have taken everything to someone else to do this!! I
think
I've bitten off more than I can chew. ;-) I'm going back to the fabric
store today (an hour away) and will ask them about the pointed hooks and
also about adding a header in. Looks like I'm going to be frogging seams
tomorrow instead of starting the second panel. :-( Oh well, best to get
it
right than have ruined draperies in a few months.

Thanks for your suggestions.
Carolyn