Comments on: How to make pinch-pleat draperies? http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/ A place for your postwar 40s 50s 60s and 70s style kitchens, bathrooms and mid century modern home aesthetic. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:50:23 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Angela http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-43370 Angela Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:06:52 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-43370 I have a picture window in my living room that is 11 foot wide by 7 feet tall. We purchased this 1956 ranch 4 years ago, and I believe the drapes hanging up are the original pinch pleated draperies. The slides in the traverse rods are breaking, so the drapes are "falling down" in places. The are very heavy drapes and lined, too. I don't really care for the color and was thinking that if I could somehow replace the sliders and cords on the traverse rod I could just keep the draperies. My friend said I should just dye them the color I want, but they are HUGE and how would I do that without dying the lining. Do you think my local cleaners could handle a dye job of this size or would I be better off making new pinch pleated draperies. The only place I know that sells them premade is JC Penney and they do not have the size I need or the color I want. Help! I have a picture window in my living room that is 11 foot wide by 7 feet tall. We purchased this 1956 ranch 4 years ago, and I believe the drapes hanging up are the original pinch pleated draperies. The slides in the traverse rods are breaking, so the drapes are “falling down” in places. The are very heavy drapes and lined, too. I don’t really care for the color and was thinking that if I could somehow replace the sliders and cords on the traverse rod I could just keep the draperies. My friend said I should just dye them the color I want, but they are HUGE and how would I do that without dying the lining. Do you think my local cleaners could handle a dye job of this size or would I be better off making new pinch pleated draperies. The only place I know that sells them premade is JC Penney and they do not have the size I need or the color I want. Help!

]]> By: Jan http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-42287 Jan Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:47:11 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-42287 I found the tape and the hooks at Joann Fabrics last weekend, at least in my area. The tape was under $1 per yard. The hooks were a little more expensive at about $4 for a bag of 10 hooks and 4 end hooks. I remember those end hooks - poked my finger a few times on the sharp point when I used to have that job during my grandma's spring cleaning (no child safety issues back then!). I found the tape and the hooks at Joann Fabrics last weekend, at least in my area. The tape was under $1 per yard. The hooks were a little more expensive at about $4 for a bag of 10 hooks and 4 end hooks. I remember those end hooks – poked my finger a few times on the sharp point when I used to have that job during my grandma’s spring cleaning (no child safety issues back then!).

]]> By: pam kueber http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-38041 pam kueber Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:20:20 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-38041 srweezy, you are wonderful daughter(i presume)-in-law! srweezy, you are wonderful daughter(i presume)-in-law!

]]> By: srweezy http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-38039 srweezy Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:47:09 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-38039 I am making pinch pleat drapes for my mother-in-laws room. She is bed ridden and has nothing to do each day but look at 4 walls, so I want these to turn out pretty and professional looking. I bought pleater tape and pleater hooks at Hancocks fabric. I have used these before. I always take a couple quick stitches by hand to hold the pleats together after I put in the hooks. This gives them that stitched look. When I take them down to launder, I clip the stitches, giving me flat panels to wash and press. It may take extra time, but it isn't that hard. I am making pinch pleat drapes for my mother-in-laws room. She is bed ridden and has nothing to do each day but look at 4 walls, so I want these to turn out pretty and professional looking. I bought pleater tape and pleater hooks at Hancocks fabric. I have used these before. I always take a couple quick stitches by hand to hold the pleats together after I put in the hooks. This gives them that stitched look. When I take them down to launder, I clip the stitches, giving me flat panels to wash and press. It may take extra time, but it isn’t that hard.

]]> By: Femme1 http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-37217 Femme1 Tue, 05 May 2009 13:23:52 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-37217 Wow, Jane, you are inspiring me. I'm an experienced seamstress but I've been putting off doing my own pinch pleats, just because of the sheer size of the project. I just love it when people jump in and do something like you did! Wow, Jane, you are inspiring me. I’m an experienced seamstress but I’ve been putting off doing my own pinch pleats, just because of the sheer size of the project.

I just love it when people jump in and do something like you did!

]]> By: Sweet Lady Jane http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-37181 Sweet Lady Jane Mon, 04 May 2009 19:11:45 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-37181 forgot to add one measurement: 2" return at each end of the panel and 4" between pleats, 6 spaces, 5 pleats with 6.25" being the full pleat size before pinching. based on a finished panel of 22.5" wide by 98" long. Each panel started out with 3 yards or 108" fto get the finished length of 98" including the 2" puddle. The book Sew a Beautiful Window" by Sally Cowan, also has instructions for unlined or lined pleated curtains and one on with pleater tape or without. (pgs 110-120). FYI: If you don't have the time to spare or the temprement to experiment without getting frustrated, you may want to pay someone to do it for you. As with anything new, there will mistakes that have to be reworked and it's all part of the learning process. My neighbor had hers made by an upholsterer even though she is quite a good seamstress and said they were quite reasonable and they hung them for her and put up the rods, etc. Maybe that's why they call it "seam-stress". forgot to add one measurement:
2″ return at each end of the panel and 4″ between pleats, 6 spaces, 5 pleats with 6.25″ being the full pleat size before pinching. based on a finished panel of 22.5″ wide by 98″ long. Each panel started out with 3 yards or 108″ fto get the finished length of 98″ including the 2″ puddle.
The book Sew a Beautiful Window” by Sally Cowan, also has instructions for unlined or lined pleated curtains and one on with pleater tape or without. (pgs 110-120).
FYI: If you don’t have the time to spare or the temprement to experiment without getting frustrated, you may want to pay someone to do it for you. As with anything new, there will mistakes that have to be reworked and it’s all part of the learning process. My neighbor had hers made by an upholsterer even though she is quite a good seamstress and said they were quite reasonable and they hung them for her and put up the rods, etc.
Maybe that’s why they call it “seam-stress”.

]]> By: Sweet Lady Jane http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-37180 Sweet Lady Jane Mon, 04 May 2009 18:35:09 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-37180 I just made pinch pleated drapes for the first time WITHOUT PLEAT TAPE, and not being and spent so much time researching how to and made dozens of trips to Joanne's Fabrics to buy everything "on sale". The book I used after looking through many was "Sew a Beautiful Window by Sally Cowan.(pgs 118-120) There was another in the sewing store that also had good instruction but I still needed to see some videos on Youtube to get the visual. The measurements I used came from the book formulas. The fabric I used was a bronze silk look alike (Joann Fabric brand) with emroidered scroll design which I found out after making the first panel the light came through the embrodery even with a lining. Back to the sewing store to buy "interlining" which is supposed to help the pleats look better and provide insulation. If I had it to do over, I would have bought the blackout lining instead as the cost would have been less but maybe not hung as well? My fabric is 58" wide and linings 54" which worked out perfect as my finished panels are 22.5" with one hanging on each side of the window. Using the formula from the book: Each panel has 5 pleats and 6 spaces with 2" on each edge. Each pleat part measured 6.25" and then I made the triple pleat and sewed across the bottom of each pleat. For the header of the drapes, the book said to use "Buckram" but Jo-Ann Fabric calls it 3" drapery header .99 yd in the store or cheaper by the roll online at $26.99 for 50 yds. This is substantially less than pleater tape and Sally Cowan's book said: "Professional decorators rarely or never use pleater tapes because they are trained and skilled at making their own pleats." This gave me the courage to try doing it myself. I got confused with the all the different instructions for attaching drapery hooks and rings, etc. and returned the original ring/hooks. For whatever reason, it must be that I sewed my pleats shut, I cannot insert the drapery hooks so I used wooden rings with clips hanging down. I think there may have been a way for me to have left part of the pleat open for a drapery hook to install but if I wanted to, I could use the pin style hooks and then attach them to the eye hooks on the wooden rings. These I found half price at Bed Bath & Beyond 7 for 9.99. The cheaper hooks are all metal and because the clip is directly attached to the ring instead of an eye hook and then the clip, they wouldn't hang right. Another thing that made my drapes easier was the finished length is 2" longer for a small puddle effect. The really expensive silk drapes can sometimes have a 5" puddle. I love the look of the drapes puddling on the fllor and then there is no stress about having the hem perfect. Another note for those of you afraid to try this at home. Once I got the first panel done, the rest went twice as fast, and I could have hired someone to do it for me but I saved $500-$2000. for 8 panels by doing it myself depending on what the drapery experts charge. My sewing machine is 20 yrs old and reverse stich is broken. I don't have, nor could I get a blind hem foot for it so I did the blind stitch without one and just sewed slower so I could guide the fabric by hand. Oh yes! I didn't even know that I could do a blind stitch with my machine as I have never sewed one but Youtube had a video clip that showed me in 1 minute how easy it was. I almost did the blind stitching by hand since I had never done it on the machine before, then I read my old singer manual. So I am a total novice sewer who only uses my machine for very simple things like recovering pillows or tie on seat cushions (no zippers or buttons :-) YOU CAN DO IT! I just made pinch pleated drapes for the first time WITHOUT PLEAT TAPE, and not being and spent so much time researching how to and made dozens of trips to Joanne’s Fabrics to buy everything “on sale”.
The book I used after looking through many was “Sew a Beautiful Window by Sally Cowan.(pgs 118-120) There was another in the sewing store that also had good instruction but I still needed to see some videos on Youtube to get the visual. The measurements I used came from the book formulas. The fabric I used was a bronze silk look alike (Joann Fabric brand) with emroidered scroll design which I found out after making the first panel the light came through the embrodery even with a lining. Back to the sewing store to buy “interlining” which is supposed to help the pleats look better and provide insulation. If I had it to do over, I would have bought the blackout lining instead as the cost would have been less but maybe not hung as well?
My fabric is 58″ wide and linings 54″ which worked out perfect as my finished panels are 22.5″ with one hanging on each side of the window. Using the formula from the book: Each panel has 5 pleats and 6 spaces with 2″ on each edge. Each pleat part measured 6.25″ and then I made the triple pleat and sewed across the bottom of each pleat.
For the header of the drapes, the book said to use “Buckram” but Jo-Ann Fabric calls it 3″ drapery header .99 yd in the store or cheaper by the roll online at $26.99 for 50 yds. This is substantially less than pleater tape and Sally Cowan’s book said: “Professional decorators rarely or never use pleater tapes because they are trained and skilled at making their own pleats.”
This gave me the courage to try doing it myself.
I got confused with the all the different instructions for attaching drapery hooks and rings, etc. and returned the original ring/hooks. For whatever reason, it must be that I sewed my pleats shut, I cannot insert the drapery hooks so I used wooden rings with clips hanging down. I think there may have been a way for me to have left part of the pleat open for a drapery hook to install but if I wanted to, I could use the pin style hooks and then attach them to the eye hooks on the wooden rings. These I found half price at Bed Bath & Beyond 7 for 9.99. The cheaper hooks are all metal and because the clip is directly attached to the ring instead of an eye hook and then the clip, they wouldn’t hang right.
Another thing that made my drapes easier was the finished length is 2″ longer for a small puddle effect. The really expensive silk drapes can sometimes have a 5″ puddle. I love the look of the drapes puddling on the fllor and then there is no stress about having the hem perfect.
Another note for those of you afraid to try this at home. Once I got the first panel done, the rest went twice as fast, and I could have hired someone to do it for me but I saved $500-$2000. for 8 panels by doing it myself depending on what the drapery experts charge. My sewing machine is 20 yrs old and reverse stich is broken. I don’t have, nor could I get a blind hem foot for it so I did the blind stitch without one and just sewed slower so I could guide the fabric by hand. Oh yes! I didn’t even know that I could do a blind stitch with my machine as I have never sewed one but Youtube had a video clip that showed me in 1 minute how easy it was. I almost did the blind stitching by hand since I had never done it on the machine before, then I read my old singer manual. So I am a total novice sewer who only uses my machine for very simple things like recovering pillows or tie on seat cushions (no zippers or buttons :-)
YOU CAN DO IT!

]]> By: pam kane http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-35761 pam kane Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:40:56 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-35761 I tried to bring up the pdf of the pinch pleat drapes by that site now under construction. Is there anyway that you can send them to me. I have the Drapes all made and used the pinch pleat tape for the hooks. However, the fabric I used is really heavy and does not look good with the 4 pronged hooks. I would like to sew in the pleats. Thanks. I tried to bring up the pdf of the pinch pleat drapes by that site now under construction. Is there anyway that you can send them to me. I have the Drapes all made and used the pinch pleat tape for the hooks. However, the fabric I used is really heavy and does not look good with the 4 pronged hooks. I would like to sew in the pleats. Thanks.

]]> By: Pam Kueber http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-35387 Pam Kueber Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:53:10 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-35387 Way to go, Barb. Send pic of course! Way to go, Barb. Send pic of course!

]]> By: Barb Scott http://retrorenovation.com/2008/12/23/how-to-make-pinch-pleat-draperies/comment-page-1/#comment-35386 Barb Scott Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:59:20 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=7697#comment-35386 Found a set of beautiful pinch pleate drapes at a thrift store today for $6.00! They are going in our den....in need of a good ironing, but otherwise in great shape! Found a set of beautiful pinch pleate drapes at a thrift store today for $6.00! They are going in our den….in need of a good ironing, but otherwise in great shape!

]]>