Help with pleated drapes

[rockymtngirl]

Hi all - i bought some drapes at thrift store - they are lined and the pleats have been taken out. Triple pleat and i can see where they were sewn. question is will a standard machine be able to get through that much fabric plus the drapery tape/fabric? The thread that was used i can tell was almost like a fine fishing line.
Also, these are hung with the old drape hooks? Am just wondering if the pleats were ripped out because they were done wrong?

Appreciate any advice!

RMG

[NCLee]

RMG, it's hard to tell without seeing them. :sad:

I've made pinch pleated drapes and the machine handled the task. However, I didn't use heavy weight material and used the drapery tape that sold sold in a fabric store for home sewing.

That "fishing line" thread is what many factories use since it's almost invisible. They don't have to change thread when the fabric changes. Personally, I don't like the stuff.

My best suggestion is to pin a pleat back into place. Very gently try it with your machine. (Don't stitch over the pins, even if your manual says its OK.) If you can, turn the wheel manually for a stitch or two, to see if your machine can handle it. If it can, next try a sitch or 2 under power. Go as slowly as you can. Oh, and use a small needle. You may break it, but that's better than putting the stress of a larger needle on your machine, before you know if it can handle it.

If your machine can't handle it, just stitch in the pleats by hand. Pinch pleats don't take many stitches per pleat to hold them.

And, to the last part of your question. There are two styles of hooks that I'm aware of for older pinch pleated drapes. One style uses simple drapery pins to hook over the rod. The other style has fingers that slip into pockets in the backer/header. These fingers actually form the pleats. Now I'm wondering if that's what you actually have. ???

What I suspect that probably happened is that someone ripped out the pleats to use the fabric for some other purpose. If you like the clip on rings that are fashionable right now, you may be able to use those, rather than restoring the pinch pleats. In fact that may have been what happened to yours -- someone changed the "style".

Hope this helps, a bit, since it is hard to advise without seeing how they were done and the weight of the fabrics involved.

Lee

[sher]

i would consider making them a rod pocket curtain instead of having the pleats if they will be long enough- or like the post before me sugested, using the round clips that attach at the top of the curtain and slide down the rod-kinda like a shower curtain- they are usually brass color and like very nice.

[johnny]

Just make sure that you slacken the tension on the feed to the thickness of your material and it should work just fine.
I mean the 'foot' pressure--okay?
If you have used it to monogram then you are well aware of how to do it. If not then any sewing maching store will advise and the best thing--the price--FREE!!!!!

[rockymtngirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I may try to iron out the pleats and just fold over the header and sew for a rod pocket since I have some extra drapery rods anyway - then i don't have to buy any additional hardware for hanging. Plus I'm not real experienced in sewing - I've sewn straight rod pocket drapes from old tableclothes before so I'm comfortable with doing that. Maybe will post pics when I'm done!!

[NCLee]

Since they are lined, you might not have to do anything except sew 2 seams across the top. First one maybe 1 1/2" down from the top. The next one far enough below the first to accomodate your rod. You may have to open the side seams on each side (depends on how they are lined.) to insert the rods. Doing this way will be less bulky at the top.

Just food for thought.
Lee

[Iowa_Homesteader]

Are you sure the pleats were taken out, or could it be that pleating tape is sewn across the top? If it's pleating tape, you can just buy the 4 prong hooks originally used to hang the drapes. They create the pleats for you. You could also buy the pleating tape at JoAnn's or some other good fabric store and sew it across the top. Be sure and buy the correct hooks for the tape that you purchase. Hope this helps!