Den Drapes Makeover with Valences and Celtic Applique

What??  ME have a little time on my hands and just enjoy the moment?  Rare!  This was just the dangerous situation I found myself in last week.  After all, there are so many projects at home needing to be done.  For one thing, the drapes in my den have needed a makeover for some time.  They are too long for a recessed area two of the windows are in.  And they let in too much light around the top for this room, which we watch TV in.  And they were hard to open and close because they were gathered on the rod.  I have actually thought about what I wanted to do for a long time, and decided to just take care of it this week.

My solution was to cut off the drapes to the correct length and use the cut off part to make a valence.  I'll just describe this part because I should NEVER be trusted to be the one that takes pictures of everything that needs pictures, and I'm afraid I fell down on the job again this time.

I knew I would have about 13" to cut out.  To preserve the existing hem of the drapes and lining, I took this 13" out at the bottom edge of the rod pocket at the top.  After cutting out the piece and putting it aside, I attached the long bottom piece to the rod pocket heading.  I knew that piecing seam would not be noticeable there.  At the same time, I inserted interlining to give the drape body and add insulating qualities -- this room tends to get cold in the winter.

After attaching the lower drape to the header, I put in pinch pleats so the drape could be opened and closed easily and retain evenly-spaced gathers when closed.  I did not use a header tape because I wanted it to be soft and stay open when opened.  Plus, the pinch pleats themselves will not show under the valence and did not need to be so crisp and perfect.

The drapes finished, I hung them using cafe rings on the same inexpensive sheer rod they were on before.  The cafe rings and sheer rood will not show under the valence.

To make the valences, I planned to hem the strip I removed from each panel and staple it to a 1x4 board, and mount it above the drapes.  But I felt the valence needed some decoration or interesting feature.  I had heard about appliqueing Celtic designs or monograms using bias tape and decided to be my own guinea pig so I would be experienced should a client request this feature. 

I went online and found what is a fairly typical Celtic design.  I printed it out, enlarged it to the size I wanted, and made a pattern.  After completing the valence, I positioned the design in the middle. 

I punched holes in the key turns and used a fabric marker to mark the design and then connect them to form the entire design.

 Next I prepared the bias tape.  I had wanted to take the easy way out and find a packaged bias tape, but could not find one in the color I wanted.  I couldn't find cotton either, which would have been the easiest fabric to make bias tape with.  I did find a really pretty gold heavy satin.  The satin was a beautiful choice for this, but not friendly for making bias tape!!  I eventually figured out a method that worked for me and got busy applying it to my prepared valence.

I used a mini-iron (shown here) because I needed something small to work with this 3/8" wide tape.  The mini-iron I purchased - the Clover Mini Iron II - is really the only choice out there.  And it is a piece of junk!  (Not to put too fine a point on it!)  Within 20 minutes, the metal rod coming out of the handle (inside the plastic guard you see on the left) came loose and wiggled around in the plastic housing!  It was not usable that way.  I discovered the rod does not go all the way down the handle but is "anchored" only about a 1/4" inside it!  After much frustration, I found a way to have it held centered inside the plastic guard and was able to keep working.

The finished design!!  I thought it turned out well after all the frustrating twists and turns.








This picture shows the updated drapes.   By the way, I added blackout lining inside the valences so light wouldn't come through and interfere with the look.  I'm sorry I don't have "before" pictures, because this is a 100% improvement!

I'm starting on a baby nursery for a client this week.  I'll keep you posted!

Living Room/Dining Room Drapes

In this post, I describe the drapes that go with the valences in the previous post.  Same fabric, a beige stripe damask, and accent fabric, a beige satin.  These drapes are 109" long, with the accent fabric forming a band along the center edge.  We chose goblet pleats to give an elegant look, wrapping the bottom of each pleat with the accent fabric.  The drapes are lined and interlined, but do not have blackout lining as the valences did.  There are two 41" windows; we will use one width per panel, 4 panels total.  

 Ok, I'll apologize up front for not having pictures of all the steps - I'll just do my best to describe them!  Starting here--- After cutting the 4 panel lengths out of the main fabric, I cut one length of the accent fabric and divided it into four long strips of about 12" (having used some of the width previously for piping on the valences).  I attached a strip of accent fabric to one edge of each panel.  I had to keep in mind that there are two "left" panels and two "right" panels!  Oh boy, would that have been a disaster to have made four identical panels!!  You can see in the picture to the left the accent band at the far end.

The next step is to turn up a double 6" hem, press, pin, and hand sew.  It wasn't too bad - it's easy to pick up a single thread with this fabric.

After preparing the main panels, I cut and prepared the lining and interlining.  With the band added to the main fabric width, I needed to piece the interlining as well, since I wanted the interlining to back the main fabric completely.  So I cut another length of interlining and divided it into four strips.  I attached the strip and serged it to prevent fraying. On the left is the pieced interlining, showing the 2" double hem pinned, ironed, and ready to sew.

I did not piece the lining, but planned to use a single width.  The band will wrap around to form a nice edge in the center of the window.  In it, as well, I made a 2" double hem.








I wasn't taking any chances the two linings would wrinkle or have pulls, so I laid the pieces down and smoothed it out until it was perfectly positioned.  The lining fabric is face up on the bottom layer, the main fabric is face down on top of it, and the interlining is on the top (no right or wrong side).  The interlining had been pieced, but not made the exact width of the pieced main fabric.  Instead, I lined up the piecing seams for the main fabric and interlining.  I trimmed the excess interlining on the non-banded side, as shown.  There is still some excess on the other side, but I will deal with it later.

To sew the side hems, I decided to match the edges on the banded side, shown here.  I pinned, sewed, and pressed.  You can see here the bottom edge of the panel with the different layers - face-up lining, face down main fabric, and interlining.  The hems are staggered so the lining is above the main fabric and the interlining will be hidden above that.

I serged the side hem seam, trimming the excess interlining at the same time.








The other side hem needed to be sewn so it matched the other side hem exactly.  I kept the panel wrong side out and laid it on the work table with the un-sewn edges of the other side seam lined up.  I worked to smooth all the layers and make sure the band wasn't pulled in any way.  What will be the final band edge for the center of the window has not been pressed - I will do that after this.  So, I pin the other side seam, stitch, and serge.

With both side seams stitched, I turn the panel right side out and determine the exact with of the band to show on the front and press a crease there, then, smoothing all the layers just right, press the other side, which will indent about 2", as shown on the left.

Side seams and hems done, it is time to finish the top of the panels.  Here I am measuring the exact length from the bottom of the hem to the top edge and folding over.  I also tuck in an additional inch or two to make the header section 5" wide, and pin and press.  I will hand sew the bottom edge to the lining.  I am not using any header tape because the fabric is thick enough already here, and leaving out the header will allow the drapes to softly open.  (I will use a stiffener in the goblet pleats as you will see.)





With the header ready for pleating, I put down a piece of masking tape on my work surface and mark pleat and gap spacing.  I will reuse these markings for all four panels.  To mark the panels, I lay the panel down, matching the ends with end markings, and pin every pleat beginning and end.






I stitch each pleat 5" down plus a little more to get just past the folded header edge.








Here are the sewn pleats  I pressed the seam areas but not the folded edge of the pleats, because goblet pleats are rounded at the top.  They look pressed in this picture, but that is just because they were folded there for sewing.













I experimented with different ways of attaching the "choker" to the bottom of the goblets.  This picture shows pre-stitching the choker to one side of the pleat seam.

The lower pleat has been "choked."  I took the pleat, pinched the lower end like a pinch pleat and hand sewed the other end of the choker so the choker holds the pinch.











To make the upper part of the goblet hold its rounded shape, I cut a piece of buckram about 4" long, rolled it into a tube, and inserted it in the top.  In this picture you can see a panel of completed goblets with the buckram giving them shape.

 Last but not last are the standard drapery pins behind each goblet and on the ends.

 To transport these panels with minimal wrinkling, I folded them lengthwise several times and rolled them up.  To keep the goblets from being flattened, I held off on the buckram tubes and inserted them just before hanging.

 A set of panels hung in the living room.

 My client wants the drapes to be just off the floor.  We hung these a little high so that when they stretch out hopefully they will be just right.  If not, I'll move the rods up or down or adjust the drapery pins, as needed.

To close in the outside edges of the drape, I put screw eyes in the wall and hooked through them the drapery pins at the end of the panels.

  In the dining room.

Closed.  We are using 60" clear batons to aid opening and closing the drapes.  The batons are attached to the center-most ring of each panel.

Besides making the drapes feel luxurious, there is an additional benefit to the interlining:  It adds insulation to the windows.  My client plans to keep the drapes open most of the time, but in the winter may want to consider closing them at night to keep out the cold air.

Well, goodbye beige striped fabric!  It's been nice knowing you for these few weeks, but time to move on to a different project!

Bedroom Drapes with Embroidered Blue Flowers

 

Now it's time for the drapes that go over those sheers!  The fabric is a gorgeous blue flower embroidered linen-like fabric.  There are four windows, so eight panels.  Finished length 109".  Each panel will be one fabric width wide.

Here is an overview of the fabric pattern.

 The first task is to turn up the double 6" hem and hand stitch it in place.  What made this project a little more trouble is I decided the lining should back all of the visible fabric.  Otherwise, the embroidered design could show through to the front, and we can't have that!  That means the lining tucks all the way inside the side hems - all the way to the fold - and needs to be in front of the bottom hem folds.  Since I am leaving the lining hem loose at the bottom (to prevent any stretches and pulls), I had to cut a piece of lining and tuck it inside the hem before I sewed it shut.  That is what the picture to the left shows.

 The side seams were going to present a problem because (1) the lining needs to go all the way to the fold, so I can't just match up selvages, (2) the lining has to fit inside the panel -perfectly-, without any tugs or ripples.  The method I used is a lot of trouble, but results in a beautiful lining insertion.  First, I laid my fabric face down on the table and turned in 3" and pressed.  Then tucked 1" under and pressed.  I did this on both sides.  Then I laid the lining down face up and tucked the edges down the side seams all the way in and all the way down.  (The lining was cut so it was exactly the width to fit fold-to-fold.)  I needed a way to pin the fabric and lining so that I could take the panel to the machine and stitch the lining to the main fabric at the inside (1") fold.  As the picture on the left shows (with the main fabric to the left), I put straight pins in the -lining only- about every six inches down the side, where the straight pins are exactly along the fold, but not going through it.  Then I placed a straight pin in the main fabric positioned so it crosses the vertical straight pin where it goes into the lining.

Then (and this is the worst part), I lift up the lining and place it -under- the main fabric, opening up the main fabric outside fold as shown, lining the straight pins on the lining with the inside (1") fold and matching the straight pin on the main fabric to the point the vertical pin enters the lining.  That is shown in the bottom set of pins in the picture.  Then I pull out the vertical pin and use it to attach the main fabric to the lining (center set of pins), then pull out the pin from the main fabric and use it to also attach the fabric to the lining (at the top of the picture).  I made this picture a little bigger so you could see.








Then I open up the seam fold and stitch on the fold line.








Now the lining is in, I tuck under the bottom corners at an angle and hand stitch in place.  I have not talked about the lining, but it is hemmed with a 2" double hem, just a little shorter than the finished panel length.

 For the header:  I measure the true top of the panel and mark with a pin along the width of the fabric.  Then iron on the buckram above the pins, aligning the bottom edge of the buckram with the pins.  With the buckram now on, I tuck under one inch and press, then fold the buckram over as shown on the left and hand-stitch the bottom edge of the header to the lining.

Here are the eight panels ready to pleat.  Notice that the pattern of the panels on the left do not line up perfectly as the five on the right do.  They start out the same on the other end, then gradually get out of line.  This must be a result of the embroidery process, which is done on top of the woven base fabric. I take this into account when matching panels to windows.

 These pictures illustrate marking and stitching the pleats.  On the right are stitched pleat folds.

   

 As I pinched the pleats I experimented with tacking, and decide they look cleaner when I enter the pleat from behind, make stitches back and forth, then exit to the back and fasten off.

 Here are the standard drapery pins we will use to attach the drapes to rings.  This thick embroidered fabric, together with the buckram and lining, is very stiff and difficult to pin!  It helped to use needle-nose pliers to hold the pins.








The finished drapes are shown below - finished except for being "trained" to hang correctly.  After installing them, we arranged the drapes and loosely tied them together with scrap strips of cloth.  After several days, the strips were removed but I wasn't on hand to take additional pictures!   Note:  I used screw eyes  to attach the ends of the drapes to the wall to provide a finished outside edge.

Isn't this fabric beautiful in this room?

Pinch-pleated Valence for Breakfast Nook

Wow, I have really gotten behind on my posts!  All I can say is, you  have to make hay while the sun shines, and the sun has been shining, as you will see as I catch up my blog!

Here is a project for a pinch-pleat valence in a breakfast nook with 3 angled windows.  We decided to hang the valence fairly high and make the finished length 21".

 

The cut length of the valence is 21" + 3"*2 for hem + 4"+1" for header = 32".  The pattern is Bosporus.  After determining where I wanted the pattern to fall on the finished valence, I pulled a thread to mark the top and bottom cuts.

    

The finished with of the valence is 152", so before pleating and including the seams for the multiple widths, I needed 292" of width.  This took about 6 widths of fabric!  The repeat on this fabric is 24", so as I cut each of the widths starting in the exact same place in the pattern there was about 16" of waste between each one.  Nothing to be done about that.

Next step is to sew all the main fabric widths together and repeat the cutting and sewing widths together with the lining (below).

I chose to sew the side hems next, bringing the main fabric in 2" on the edges.  I sewed each side hem by matching the raw edges of the lining and main fabric, right sides together, and sewing a 0.5" seam allowance. Once the side seams were completed, I stretched out the fabric and lining to press the sides in so that the lining was completely flat against the fabric from end to end.  Now I turned up a double 3" hem, pinned, and hand-stitched all the way across.  Did this take time with about 12' of hem?  Yes!  Looking back, I think I could have saved some work by machine stitching the top of the hem to the lining (without showing on the front), then hand-stitching the sides, which were so short.

After the hem, I placed the bottom of the iron-on buckram exactly 21" above the bottom of the hem and ironed it in place.  Then turned down the 1" tuck allowance, then turned all that over again and pressed to result in a 21" total length.  I stitched along the bottom of the header edge to give it a neat appearance from the back.

I also at this time hand-stitched the folded edges and bottom corners so everything would lie flat.




Now for the pleats!  There will be 30.  The first step is to mark the gaps and pleat widths all along the header and check to be sure there is the correct amount of gap on each end (4").  I made a marking pattern on a piece of paper and used it to place pins at each pleat and gap.  For each pleat, I folded the valence wrong sides together, matching the beginning and ending pleat pins, and sewed down 4" through the fabric, lining, and buckram.  The picture at the right shows the panel with pleat spaces sewed and pressed.

  

To make the pinch pleats, I went through the stack and pinched each pleat into 3 folds, securing the lower edge.  On the right is the finished valence, with the fabric design falling just as I planned.

 

The valence was installed using simple pleat hooks hung over three sheer rods butted up against each other to make a continuous valence.  They look nice, I think!