Period curtain design help needed

[Nigel Watts]

Is that a hand-done pinch pleat in your curtain there?

Everything was hand sewn except the seams joining the widths of fabric together and (I think) attaching the linings to the swags. Needless to say it took for ever to do.

Did you interline? Your curtains and swags look nice and full, so I assume you did. I guess you couldn't have done the swags on the bias because of the patterned lining. I didn't either, but with a plain silk I could, and probably should have done.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Gosh, I didn't even think about doing them on the bias. I guess that would help with the fall, it does with dress-making. I interlined the swags and tails with a heavy bump as I wanted the tails to stick right out and show off the contrast lining on a side view, but I've yet to interline the curtains, which are just ready-mades from Laura Ashley, and they don't really do luxury (cheap though!)

I'm dreading interlining the curtains, you say in your blog that you fused the interlining to the silk and then to the linings, owwww.

 

[Feltwell]

Now I know why Mrs F Senior (who long ago made curtains professionally - and to make it even worse even further back was a qualified colour matcher in the paint industry) looks at her son with total contempt when she generously offers to make curtains for him, starts going all technical on him with interlining and pleats and header tape wotsits and all the other options as above, and gets a reply along the lines of "erm, they need to open and close, fit the window at least vaguely, keep some of the light out and the warm in, not too fancy and look nice. Thanks Mum!"

I do admire those of you who have the patience and eye for all this interior design stuff. If it's to my personal taste or not is irrelevant - just having the ability to picture how things can go together in an overall co-ordinated scheme is a very worthy skill to have. I dread to think what my house would look like if I was a bachelor!

 

[Nigel Watts]

you say in your blog that you fused the interlining to the silk and then to the linings

I lock stitched the layers together, rather than fused them. My stitches were about 4 inches apart but I have since read that you can leave more space in between than that. The rows of lock stitches should be about 18 inches apart I believe.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Unfortunately I read lion 'knickers' instead of knockers.

Change of subject , careful how I word this, Bedford, just 8 miles from here, has a wealth of shops selling crushed velvets and sari silks, erhm.. awfully good value too and simply divine colours. My sister in law once made some fantastic crushed velvet drapes, full length and fully lined for weight, with sari silk swags and tails in a contrasting colour. They were gorgeous.

 

[CatherineB]

I think Penners missed the lion knockers, not to mention Nigel's rings...

OK, I'll get my coat. But baby, it's cold outside

 

[Penners]

If you think Penners is following the minutiae of a thread on the subject of curtain-making.... :|

 

[LadyArowana]

If you think Penners is following the minutiae of a thread on the subject of curtain-making.... :|

....... obviously we would be right :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: As Mr P is so obviously keen on haberdashery gossip, a little update. Inspired by Joss' tales of Indian bargains and Biff's pleas not to destroy the planet with wanton consumerism I went to my local junk shop and bought 2 sets of these for £150. The spare set can be used for the swags and tails as in the illustation I posted. Still on the lookout for lion knockers. These are "before" pics.

They're old Fench chenille - not quite as dark as they've come out in the photos. I think they're old theatre curtains. I'm trying to decide if I can risk dry-cleaning one and seeing how it goes. Having taken on board Lady A's excellent advice in the Other Place, it might be better just to beat them repeatedly on the line on a sunny day. They do smell awful though, even after a day on the line.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

GOOD GIRL Joce, upcycling in style!! They are lovely and would have cost you a fortune new. I think we should start an upcycling thread!!

Alos that is a good advert for your local junk shop-- I feel the need to rummage----- maybe in the new year

 

[Penners]

I think we should start an upcycling thread

I don't like the sound of that. It smacks of physical exertion.

 

[LadyArowana]

I think we should start an upcycling thread

I don't like the sound of that. It smacks of physical exertion.

Probably wouldn't be good for your back.

 

[Penners]

Yer Ladyship's thoughtfulness never ceases to touch me deeply.

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: And thanks Joss. xxx

 

[JoceAndChris]

UPDATE

Some of you have already had probably too large a helping of this in The Other Place, but for those that haven't, on P 2 of this thread I posted a couple of before pics of my junk shop curtains, and here are the afters!

I went on a couple of courses and was persuaded to give up the idea of Sheraton pelmets, lion knockers etc. I think they're probably fancy enough for the cottage, and the best best thing is they only cost £250 - £150 for the original 4 curtains and £100 on interlinings, weights, buckrams, threads and fixings. I know if I'd paid for this professionally it would have been in the £1500 region. Very tricky, fiddly and time consuming, but the warmth factor, cosy feel and framing of the view is just what we wanted.

 

[Feltwell]

Very posh Joce! Well done - and what a view.

(I'm jealous - I've always wanted, and have never had, a house with a good view. Still, once the kids have grown up and we can downsize, who knows.......)

 

[JoceAndChris]

Along with a view though, go the whistling winds, snowdrifts, and isolation. It isn't for everyone. :lol: I'm thinking of a few alpacas to soften the view and provide some lovely wool for me.

 

[Penners]

Along with a view though, go the whistling winds, snowdrifts, and isolation

I agree - and every one of them greatly treasured!

Sitting in the conservatory with the wind whistling outside, trying desperately hard but failing to chill you; crunching knee-deep or more through rapidly drifting snow; sitting in the garden and hearing not one single man-made sound - these are all precious privileges.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I completely agree.

 

[Feltwell]

Along with a view though, go the whistling winds, snowdrifts, and isolation. It isn't for everyone. :lol:

It would be right for me. My favourite holiday cottage is one in Wales that we've stayed at that is in it's own valley - you cannot see another dwelling or man-made structure from it bar some dry stone walls, no lights are visible at night, and the only road in the valley is the single track one that leads to the cottage and a few tracks going to the fields. Bliss. I'd happily live there on a permanent basis.

Mrs F, on the other hand, is not as anti-social as me! :lol: