Reader Brenny wants to know if anyone has good instructions on how to make pinch-pleat draperies. Drats, I do – somewhere. But I cannot find them! Help! Maybe while you’re tidying up for guests… you’ll uncover your instructions?
One tip I have immediately: You can spray paint your traverse rod to match your wall or wall covering. I did this (barkcloth pinch pleats in my dining room, above) and it turned out great.
Hello,
I wonder if it would be possible to pry some good pinch pleat drapery instructions from you. I have searched the net on how to make them, but all the instructions seem to be a bit vague. Do you have any that you could share? I have some barkcloth that is the atomic bomb and would love to get my sew on.
Thanks!
Brenny
Femme1 says
Pam,
Way back when you first posted about pinch-pleats, someone wrote a comment about instructions to make them using hand-pleats instead of the the pleater tape. I have looked and looked for that post, but haven’t been able to find it. I think the commenter must have posted it under a different post than the original pinch-pleat post of yours. I’d love to get those instructions if you can find them.
I’m going to do pinch-pleats for my living room soon; because I’ve always made all my own curtains and drapes, I know I can do it. It’s just time-consuming. I’ll have to send a photo of the roman shades I made using vintage atomic barkcloth I found at a yard sale.
Mid Mod Pam says
Femme 1, I don’t remember that one. Let me snoop around online and see what I can find out for makers of pinch pleat draperies….
sumacsue says
Pretty room. A parakeet in a cage was frequently seen in the old days, I believe. A cheerful touch.
Anita says
I had considered using the self-pleating hooks as that is what my mother always used. I used to have bags of them in the closet. But when I went to look in the stores for the hooks I couldn’t find them, and the folks in the stores had no idea what I was talking about. So I was on my own. If you end up not finding the tape and pleating hooks and you have to make the pleats on your own once you play with a piece of scrap fabric for a bit you will see that it’s not so scarey. The pleating uses a lot more fabric than you think so you have to have quite a lot of width to accomplish the mission. Good luck! (I’m hoping you can find the self-pleating hooks!)
Moira says
I am going to go home and scan the instructions I have in a sewing book for you if you can hold on for a bit.
retroppo says
Hi Brenny,
you can buy the pleat tape from any fabric store, & you just sew it along the top of your sewed curtains, then buy the prong hooks seperately & then you insert them into the tape (they have little holes inbulit in them) to get the look you desire. Or you can sew on the tape with the strings you pull to get that gathered look. Goodluck, it’s quite easy once you get your head around it, trust me, I’m self taught. Just ask at the store for help. x
Brenny says
Thank you everyone for your replies! I guess I need a beginners course or something because I don’t even know what you call the metal hook things. And fuggadabout the the whole system with the strings and all. I need some serious help…lol But I am determined to do this. The effect is what I am determined to have. I will not do without it! I have some barkcloth that is just to die for and I am desperate to use it. I am not an expert sewer either. Do ya’ll think it would just be easier for me to pay someone to do this? Is the stringing of the pleats (for opening and closing the drapes) complicated?
I am sorry for so many questions, I really am. I also have a TON of other decorating questions that I have for ya’ll, but I don’t want to be the hog today.
Thanks!
Brenny
Mid Mod Pam says
Tip: Be sure to stretch the traverse rod to the exact right width before you spray….you don’t want to be adjusting it too much after or the paint will scratch…Good luck!
Palm Springs Stephan says
Spray painting the traverse rod to match the wall color … what a fantastic idea!!!! I never would have thought of that. I’m off to the store to by paint! Thank you!!!!
Anita says
I recently made pinch pleat barkcloth drapes for my kitchen and also did a search online to find nothing of help. I ended up doing lots of math trying to figure out “if I start with 60″ wide and need it to end up 28″ wide when it’s pleated, how many pleats can I do using how much fabric per pleat?” It took me some time being that I have virtually no recollection of any algebra etc…. I ended up taking a piece of old scrap fabric, cut it the same width as my barkcloth and started folding pleats into it beginning in the center, and moving them around until it was evenly spaced. Once I had accomplished that I took a pen and marked them, then unpinned it and marked my barkcloth fabric to match. They came out great! Sewing the pleats is the easy part, it’s the math that will get you! Good luck! Anita
vacationbarbie says
I found this on YouTube. It’s a product that helps you make pinch pleats, along with a ‘how to’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r59NpDLhyWg
I love the idea of painting the rod to match, what a great idea!