SOFT FURNISHINGS TEACHYourself - CURTAINS - SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
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TEACHYourself
SOFT FURNISHINGS
CURTAINS – SUPPLEMENTARY
NOTES
SIMPLYFURNISHINGS.COMLTD
Copyright SimplyFurnishings.com Ltd © 2000Curtains – Supplementary Notes
CURTAINS – SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
INTRODUCTION
This supplementary section has been produced for use in junction with the
TEACHYourself Curtains Part 1 & 2. Due to the changing nature of current
design trends and requirements in the marketplace, variations on traditional
curtain heading designs are becoming increasingly popular.
This supplementary section will be modified from time to time to include such
design variations but currently includes instructions on tab headed and eyelet
headed curtains.
• Instructions for tab headings covers various design considerations
that must be born in mind if the curtains are to be successful and
highlights some advantages and disadvantages with this type of
heading.
• Instructions for eyelet headings are broken down into two sections, the
first covers eyelet headings using a purpose made heading tape
manufactured by Rufflette and the second, for installing separate
eyelets into a curtain with a buckram heading.
Before using these supplementary notes, make sure you have a copy of our
Curtains Guide Parts 1 & 2 and have read the instructions fully. It is also
important that you are fully conversant with all the details contained within the
Basic Sewing Equipment and Techniques, that is being issued as a
complementary starter pack and available as a free download from our web
site. You will then have a working knowledge of the stitches you will be
required to use and the sometimes rather confusing terms associated with
making soft furnishings.
These supplementary notes cover the following topics:-
Part 1 - Tab headed curtains
Part 2 - Eyelet headed curtains
2.1 Taped heading
2.2 Buckram heading
1 SimplyFurnishings.com LtdCurtains – Supplementary Notes
1. Part 1 – Tab Headed Curtains
1.1. Understand the definition of a tab heading
Tab headed curtains are different from curtains with a more traditional heading
in that small tabs or loops are stitched to the top of the curtain taking the place
of either a tape that is gathered up using cords or a buckram heading that is
then hand stitched into pleats. The curtain pole is inserted into these tabs and
the curtains are drawn backwards and forwards manually or by using a draw
rod that has been attached to the leading edge.
The curtains can be made with short overlaps in the centre and returns on the
outside edges in the usual way.
1.2. Consider the design
Tab headings are appropriate for both lined and interlined curtains but they do
lend themselves well to a ‘lighter’ more minimalist look, so it is as well to bear
this in mind when considering your design. If you are looking for a very formal
window treatment in which the curtains are required to be functional as well as
decorative and need to be beautifully ‘dressed’, then I would suggest that tab
headed curtains are not the right design option to choose.
There are also certain disadvantages peculiar to tab headed curtains that
should also be considered:-
• The ‘stack back’ allowance will always depend on the number of tabs
chosen and the size of the tab. The tabs sit in a line on the pole and if
there are a large number of tabs, then it is possible that the curtains may
well cut out light from the window as they intrude into the window space.
The way to overcome this is to extend the pole rather more than usual
onto the surrounding walls.
• The siting of the pole is crucial in relation to its position above the
window recess. The tabs must be sufficiently deep enough for the pole to
be inserted easily and also slack enough for the curtains to be drawn
backwards and forwards when in position. The pole therefore must be set
at a height to compensate for these factors. If the pole is too low, then the
tabs may well be visible from outside the window and light can filter into
the room along the top edge.
• Functional tab headed curtains can also show wear as the tabs are
constantly being pulled along the curtain pole and will eventually become
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worn and rather grubby by the friction caused when the curtains are
drawn backwards and forwards.
• The finished drop will need to be calculated very carefully particularly
if you are making full-length curtains. Tab headings on short curtains
are much more forgiving. Consider the depth of the tabs and how this
will affect the overall finished length of the curtains and calculate your
finished curtain length accordingly.
1.3. Consider the type of face fabric chosen
The same considerations regarding choice of fabric in terms of colour or
pattern apply as with other types of curtains but do be wary of choosing a very
heavy weight fabric for tab headed curtains as the weight to be born by the tabs
will be considerable.
Having given due consideration to all the above factors, you are now ready to
proceed with estimating and making up your tab headed curtains.
1.4. Estimating for tab headed curtains
• Face fabric
Proceed exactly as you would for a taped or hand stitched headed curtain
but only allow 1.5 – 2 times fullness at the very most on the width. Any
excess over this will result in too many tabs and too great a stack back.
You will also need to estimate for the amount of fabric required for
constructing the tabs. This will obviously depend on the design you choose
and the number of tabs involved. As a general guideline, I find tabs of a
finished width of 5 cms work particularly well (a cut width of 10 cms + 2 x
1.5 cms seam allowance). In terms of length, you will need the
circumference of the pole plus approx. 8 cms to allow for moving the tabs
backwards and forwards along the pole. Add to this a further 10cms (2 x 5
cms) for the heading seam allowance. These figures may well vary if you
decide that your particular design requires a different finished look.
Circumference of the pole
Fold
8 cms (2 x 4 cms)
5 cms for heading
seam allowances
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• Ancillary materials
Refer to instructions within Curtains Part 1, omitting any tape or buckram
that would normally be required for the curtain heading. You will also not
require any curtain hooks.
If you are using a fairly thin face fabric, it may be worth considering
applying a layer of interfacing to the tabs to give them extra strength and
stability. Estimate accordingly depending on the size and the number of tabs
involved. The interfacing will only be required to cover the centre section of
the tabs.
1.5. Making up
• Proceed with making up your curtains, whether they be lined or interlined,
to the point at which you have measured off the finished drop. If your
curtains are interlined, do not trim back the excess 5 cms interlining in this
instance as you will need to anchor the interlining into the heading
allowance. Failing to do this will mean that the interlining is not attached to
the curtain along the top edge and will sag in time.
• Cut out and make up your tabs to your chosen design and to the required
size:-
Face fabric for tab with 1.5 seam Take your tab strips, fold
allowance each side in half lengthways and
stitch along the seam line
Wrong side tab strip
Fold
Finger press the seam open.
Turn the strip right side out
and position the seam so that
it sits along the centre back.
Reverse side of tab showing the seam Press lightly with a cool iron
positioned along the centre
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• If you are going to put a layer of interfacing into the tabs, then cut the
interfacing to a width that just covers the centre section and iron into
position before seaming up the strip.
Interlining along centre of tab
strip
• Take your tab strips and fold in half widthways, so
that the seams are on the inside. Machine along the
Fold raw ends with a 1.5 cms seam allowance. Forming
your tabs into loops at this stage will make them much
easier to work with.
There are two ways that I know of for attaching the tabs to the curtain. Method
1 involves stitching the lining by hand to cover the tabs on the reverse of the
curtain. Method 2 involves using a fascia to finish off the reverse. Read both
methods through carefully and choose the method that you think most
appropriate for your particular project.
Method 1
• Lay your curtain out, right side facing upwards. Fold back the lining on the
reverse side to allow for the positioning of the tabs along the top edge.
Position your tabs along the top edge using pins, making sure to space them
out equally and according to your chosen design. The raw edges of the tabs
should be flush with the raw edge of the curtain top. If you have decided to
have a small overlap in the centre then the first tab should be set in from the
leading edge to make allowance for this. If you have a return, then similarly
the last tab should be set back slightly from the side edge. The return will
have to be fastened into position by means of a pin hook inserted into the
reverse side of the top edge. The pin hook is then inserted into a screw
eyelet set into the wall or the curtain pole, whichever is appropriate.
• Once you are satisfied with the positioning of the tabs, machine into place
along the top edge using the 5 cms heading allowance. *
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Right side curtain
Line up the tabs
flush with the
raw edge along 5 cm heading seam
the top of the allowance
curtain
5 cms
Raw edge
heading
along top of
allowance
curtain
seam line
Fold back lining before inserting the tabs
Wrong side curtain
• Lay the curtain out again, but this time with the wrong side facing you. Fold
the heading allowance down onto the reverse of the curtain. The tabs should
now be standing up above the top of the curtain.
• Turning the lining back over, turn under a seam at the top so that the fold on
the lining at the top is approx. 1 cm lower than with the top of the curtain.
Slipstich the lining in place along the top edge, mitring the corners top left
and right as you go.
Wrong side curtain
Mitred
corner Slipstich lining in
place along top edge
Sidelay
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• For extra strength, it is possible to run a line of top stitching by machine
along the top of the curtain just below the tabs. The problem with this final
stitching line is that it is visible from the front of the curtain and looks rather
unsightly. You must decide if you feel that this is acceptable, in view of the
extra strength it gives along this top edge. I have found that this line of
stitching can be omitted if the curtain is not too heavy as the initial row of
stitching holding the tabs in place is quite sufficient on all but the heaviest of
curtains.
Method 2
This second method involves stitching a narrow facing, made of the curtain
fabric, along the top edge over the top of the tabs. This facing is then folded
over onto the reverse of the curtain and held in place by a row of slipstitching.
• Follow the instructions in Method One to the point at which the tabs have
been machined in place along the top edge* but with one exception. Do not
fold back the lining; rather stitch the tabs to the face fabric with the lining
attached.
Facing strip
• Cut out a facing strip in the face fabric,
measuring the same width as the finished Seam
curtain, plus 2 x 5 cms for turnings each end. Line
The strip should be approx. 15 cms deep. Lay
the curtain out right side uppermost and pin
the facing along the top edge, flush with Tabs
the top raw edges of the curtain and the tabs.
Machine in place along the original 5 cms Right side
stitching line. curtain
• Turn the facing to the wrong side of the
curtain, turn in the ends to neaten and
slipstitch in place. To finish off the lower Facing
edge of the facing, turn under a narrow
seam and slipstitch this in place all along
the width of the curtain anchoring it to the
lining. Wrong side
curtain
Turn under a
narrow hem and
slipstitch in place
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1.6. Installing the curtains
When you get to the hanging stage, it is unlikely that you will be able to get the
type of ‘tailored look’ with your tab headed curtains that you should be able to
achieve with a conventional curtain heading. Remove the pole from the wall
and insert it into the tab headings on the curtains. The spaces between the tabs
you can push to the back and you can peg the pleats into position that you will
see forming directly beneath the tabs. Strap up the curtains as normal and
leave the strapping in position for a few days if possible. Your curtains should
then fall into loose pleats when drawn backwards.
I hope you have found this first part of our supplementary notes useful and that
you are satisfied with your tab headed curtains. As with all soft furnishings
projects, you are sure to improve with practice, learning from any mistakes as
you progress.
2. Part 2 – Eyelet Headed Curtains
2.1. Understand the definition of an eyelet headed curtain
A curtain with an eyelet heading is very different from a curtain with a
conventional heading. Metal or plastic eyelets are inserted into the top edge of
the curtain through which a pole is inserted. The curtains are drawn
backwards and forwards by hand or by means of a draw rod that is attached to
the leading edge. They are similar to tab headed curtains in that the fabric
needs to be moved along by hand if you wish the soft pleats formed by the
eyelets to be spaced out equally along the width of the curtain.
This new method of hanging curtains is extremely popular at present
particularly since Rufflette have produced a purpose made eyelet heading tape.
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The taped method will only work for you if you are prepared to accept that two
rows of machine stitching will be visible on the front of the curtains where the
tape has been attached, just as you would find with any other taped headed
curtain. It is also not possible to position the eyelets where you want them as
they are already pre-installed into the tape. You must also be very careful in
making the finished width of the curtain taking into account the positioning of
the rings. If you ignore this then it is possible that you will find an eyelet falls
right at the end of your curtain and may well actually be hanging off the end!
Note the final eyelet
falling in the wrong
place
You will therefore have to make the flat width of the curtain fit the tape, rather
than vice versa.
The flat width of
the curtain has
been extended to
fit in the final
eyelet
If you decide to go with the second method, using hand-stitched buckram
heading you will get a completely different finished look. You can decide where
you position the rings both in relation to how far down from the top of the
curtain they fall, as well as how far apart you space them. The making up is
slightly more complicated but I feel the finished look is well worth the extra
labour time involved. You must decide which method suits your needs.
2.2. Consider the design
Eyelet headed curtains form beautiful pleats when drawn back as the fabric
between the eyelets stands forward of the pole and the stack back allowance is
fairly narrow, as the rings merely ‘but up’ to one another when the curtains are
drawn back. As with tab headed curtains, you will achieve a very informal look.
Choose medium to lightweight fabrics that are not interlined. Certainly you
would be well advised not to interline curtains into which eyelets are going to
be inserted into a buckram heading as the fabric layers would be far too thick to
be inserted into the eyelet rings.
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2.3. Estimating for eyelet headed curtains
• Face fabric
Proceed exactly as you would for a taped or hand stitched headed curtain
but allow only 2 times fullness on the width for eyelets to be inserted into a
buckram heading, or 2 – 2.25 if you are going to use the Rufflette eyelet
tape.
• Ancillary materials
Refer to the instructions contained within Curtains Part 1 but omit any
curtain hooks.
Taped headings
Allow for the appropriate amount of eyelet headed tape. Rufflette sell the
tape by the metre in the usual way, with various ring finishes. You have to
purchase the backing rings separately for attaching later.
Buckram headings
If you are using a buckram heading, you will need a number of eyelet rings
in the finish you require. They are currently available with a brass, nickel
effect or matt black finish, but I am sure that the ranges available will be
extended in time as the demand increases. The size of the rings is standard
for use with a pole of a maximum diameter of 30mm. Allow approx. 8 rings
for each full width of fabric involved. This amount can be altered depending
on the look you want to achieve. Increasing the number of rings will give
narrower finished pleats and decreasing the number will give wider spaces
in between the rings and therefore wider pleats. Beware of making the
spaces too wide however or the pleats will sag in between the rings.
2.4. Making up eyelet headed curtains using the taped method
• Make up the curtains in exactly the same way as for any other taped headed
curtains to the point at which you have measured off the finished drop.
You must remember to adjust the finished width of the flat curtain to
correspond with the rings on the tape.
• Attach the tape following closely the instructions provided by the
manufacturer. A trip to the Rufflette web site at www.rufflette.co.uk would
be advisable. Cut out the holes in the fabric for attaching the backing
rings. Clip on the rings securely.
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2.5. Making up eyelet headed curtains using a buckram heading.
• Make up the curtains in exactly the same way as for any other hand stitched
headed curtain to the point at which you have measured off the final drop.
• It is essential that with this type of heading you have a heading allowance
of no more than 2.5 cms to turn down onto the buckram. If you have any
more than this then the excess fabric will interfere with the eyelet rings and
make cutting out the circles for inserting the eyelets much more difficult.
The less bulk at the points where the eyelet are to be inserted the better.
Cut back any excess to this 2.5 cm point if necessary.
• Attach the buckram in the usual way and secure the lining as usual.
• Decide where you want the rings to be and mark with pins where the centre
of the holes will fall. The rings should be at least 2.5 cms down from the
top edge. Take care to be very accurate, as the rings must be spaced out
perfectly evenly along the width of the curtain. I find positioning the first
ring with its centre falling 10 cms in from the leading edge works well, with
8 rings per full width of fabric involved. You can afford to be a little
flexible if the need arises. The best effect is achieved if you use an even
number of rings rather than an odd number, as the pole is then inserted
forming full pleats rather than ending up with half a pleat on the outside
edge. If you find you have an odd number of rings, then consider either
spacing the rings out more or reducing the spaces to end up with an even
number.
Full pleats
Half pleat forming on outside edge. This half pleat
will tend to kick forward
• Using very sharp scissors, cut out the fabric just slightly less than the
outside circumference of the ring. I find it useful to practice on a scrap of
material first until you get the hole exactly the right size. If the hole is too
small then the backing ring will not clip on and if it is too large then the
curtain really is ruined, as the ring will not attach without leaving raw
edges showing. Once you are happy that you have got things right, cut out
a piece of cardboard to the exact size of the hole and use it as a template
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for drawing round. You can then cut out all the holes confident in the
knowledge that you will not make any errors. Attach the eyelets by putting
the front ring into position and then clipping on the reverse piece. Check
that all the rings are fastened securely.
2.6. Installing the curtains
Remove the pole from the wall and insert it into the eyelet rings on the curtains.
The spaces between the rings you pull forward and push backwards alternately.
You can peg the pleats into position that have formed where the fabric has
pulled forward. Strap up the curtains as normal and leave the strapping in
position for a few days if possible. Your curtains should then fall into perfect
pleats when drawn backwards.
I hope you have found this second part of our supplementary notes useful and
that you are satisfied with your eyelet headed curtains. As with all soft
furnishings projects, you are sure to improve with practice, learning from any
mistakes as you progress.
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