Sewing your own vertical drapes can be challenging, partly due to the amount and weight of fabric you'll be handling. Drapes should be lined and have pleats along the top. Stitching the pleats may have to be done by hand if you do not have a machine capable of sewing through their thickness. While you can have a single or double pleat, a triple pleat will look nicest. In calculating the required width for your drapes, remember that the pleats will add to the overall measurement. Roughly figure each single pleat to add another inch and a half. So one triple pleat will add 4 1/2 inches. Figure this for however many pleats you intend to add.
Instructions
1. Cut the drapery fabric and lining fabric to fit your window. Your lining can be a little shorter than the drapery fabric as the drapes will have a hem which folds back over the lining. Include a couple of inches for the drapes' hem when calculating their length. Their width is determined by the size of your window, plus the allowances for pleats.
2. Pin the fabric right sides together and sew around three sides, leaving the bottom side open.
3. Clip the corners and turn the drapes inside out. Now the right sides are out and the seams are neatly tucked inside. Iron the drapes to make the seams flat and smooth.
4. Make the pleats across the top. Approximately 3 inches from the edge, pinch together the first pleat. Pinch about 1 1/2 inches by folding them together. For a single pleat, simple tack these together. For a double or triple pleat, pinch together the next 1 1/2 inches until you have the desired pleat. Then tack it in place.
5. Continue making pleats across the top. Skip approximately 3 inches and make the next pleats. You may have to adjust the actual spacing to make the pleats fit evenly across the top of your drapes. Adjust according to the actual width of your curtain.
6. Permanently sew the pleats into place once they are evenly spaced. Either hand sew them firmly in place or machine sew if your machine can handle the thickness.
7. Insert curtain hooks into the back side of each pleat. Sew hooks into place on either edge of the drapes.
8. Hang the drapes. With them hanging, pin the hem for the bottom. If you wish to use curtain weights, insert them into the hem. Once the hem looks even, take the curtains down and finish the hem by hand properly. Rehang the finished drapes.
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