Drapery Making-Part Two.........My Way....Not Necessarily the Only Way

In "Part One" I showed you how to make the components for the "Swag" top treatment.  Remember that only the parts are made at this point......not assembled.

The next step is to make the "Underdrapery" and the "Overdrapery".  For that I like to use a "Pretty Pleater" by D. Anne Ruff.  http://www.danneruff.com/   I have read elsewhere that others don't like this device because it makes panels that look like a "wasboard".  True, it does create that look but you don't have to leave them that way.  How you finish and install your treatment will determine washboard or not.  This is a great tool for pleating.

To start your panels you need to determine how many folds you want, and what length you are going to make the finished panels.  I could give you all sorts of measurements but the best way to detemine this is to put a piece of fabric in the pleater, press into the channels, and when you have the desired number of folds add 1/2" to the overal width of the piece for side hems.  Add 1" to the desired finished length for top and bottom hem.  I do those first and use "Stitch Witchery" a fuseable web for hemming, found worldwide in sewing shops.   Follow directions on the package.

Stitch Witchery Iron on Fuseable



To start, I held my iron above the pleater and burst some steam into it.  This helps hold the fabric in the channels.   I put the fabric face down and pushed the fabric into the channels with my fingertips.  You can use a credit card if you like or a ruler.  Your goal is to evenly distribute the fabric.  Once you have as many folds as you want, hold your iron above the fabric and burst the steam onto it.  Let it dry and cool.  Practice will make you a pro at this.

I am showing you in this picture how the panels look in the pleater.

  Next I prepared the overdrapery fabric the same way, measure, cut, hem, pleat, steam.......... (I did make the left and right "returns" 3/8" wide so that they would cover the sides of the wood frame)  When this one was cool and dry I removed it from the pleater and pinned it to a piece of 1/2" foam core board.  I pushed the pleats together at the top and securely pinned, then I determined where I wanted to tie them back. I pinned the folds at the bottom outer corners pulling them fairly taught.  Next I carefully pulled up and shaped a graceful sort of curve at the tieback point and pinned this to the foam core board.  When I was happy with both panels I steamed them again and misted them with "White Rain" hairspray.  When dry, they will retain this shape.  When you install your Treatment in your house or room it may be necessary to glue and pin the folds at the floor level to keep them looking straight and natural. 

Shaping the Tiedback panels

At this point I glued the underdrape into the frame I built in Part-One.  These ecru panels fit entirely inside the frame.  Next I glued the stripe overdrapery in front of the ecru panels.  The stripe panels will cover the outside of the frame.  I used the "Sequin Pins" mentioned in Part-one to secure the panels at the top and at the tieback point.

I finished the treatment by glueing the swags in place centered and folded the raw edge over the top of the frame. Next I glued the jabots on to the left and right sides leaving 1/2" for the side returns. "Returns" refers to the flap of fabric folded around the sides of the drapery to finish the swag.

 

Finished Treatment



For the tassels I used embroidery floss in raspberry and ecru.  I wanted to see the colors boldly so I did not seperate the strands.  Next I inserted pins at an anle in a piece of foam core board.   I knotted on end of my thread and pinned it securely to the left of the angled pins. I simply wound the thread strands in a zig-zag manner around the pins until there were 8 strands on each pin.  Four pins will create four tassels.  At this point I inserted a double thickness of  the raspbery thread around the strands where the pins are located and tied a square knot.     (Boy Scouts 101........right over left then left over right.......will not come untied.)  Then cut the tassels midway between the upper and lower rows of pins.

Tassel Making

 Pierced Earring backs, Flower Head Pins

I used a pierced earring back for the decorative part of the tassel.  You can easily remove the cap part of the earring back and the rubber inner membrane to create this part.  I simply inserted the tassel into the earring back and tied them together.   They can be trimmed to length and brushed with a toothbrush if you want to seperate the strands a bit.  With a "Thread Winder", I twisted some embroidery thread for the tiebcack and secured a loop around the panels.  Then I tied on the tassels and glued them and snipped off the end threads. The decorative holder on the side is a "Flower Head Pin".  It is all about illusion!

So I am out of room again in this post and you are probably sooooooooo bored now.    Hope I offered something with these two posts that may inspire you to try Drapery making.

Remember...this is "My Way" not the only way. 

      

Ciao for now!

Ray