Tips needed on hanging curtains please

Whitewavemark2

Curtain lady phoned?. Coming to have a look in a weeks time.

And relax??.

Good idea!

Whitewavemark2

Calistemon

The way to shorten curtains with header tape is from the top, not the hem.

Yes, of course, as recommended to me by the experts.

I keep forgetting that, SpringyChicken because I've not had occasion do it since learning that tip!

Bloody hell - make it more complicated why don’t you!!

Apparently it's easier to get them straight and the hems are probably professionally finished too.

I was given the tip by experts after I'd already chopped the bottoms off the curtain!

The way I shorten curtains is, by necessity, different. This (old) house has uneven ceilings, walls and floors. I hang the curtains, close them, then pin up the lower edges, just a few millimetres from the (wonky) floor (requires crawling skills).

Next, I get my ironing board close to the window and iron the hem creases. Then, I put a chair between curtain and window - to hand sew the hems, placing coin weights in the corners. (Now, you'll understand why I just left the bedroom ones!)

In case anyone is interested, I saw a tip about getting evenly spaced folds on eyelet curtains when the curtains are pushed open.

Save some kitchen or loo roll cardboard inners and cut them to the widths required. Slip them on the rail between the folds. They’ll be completely invisible and you’ll have perfect folds every time.

Curtain lady phoned?. Coming to have a look in a weeks time.

And relax??.

I have long curtains that drape on the floor, I love the way they look and it saves worrying about getting the length right, I used rope tie backs and they look lovely, well I think so and that is all that matters!

I’m going to phone my curtain lady

Calistemon

^The way to shorten curtains with header tape is from the top, not the hem^.

Yes, of course, as recommended to me by the experts.

I keep forgetting that, SpringyChicken because I've not had occasion do it since learning that tip!

Bloody hell - make it more complicated why don’t you!!

Yes although they aren’t right yet - won’t be tackled until I have more eyes, I have decided that they won’t hang right unless I take them up, so that is a job to be done after they are gathered and pleated to my satisfaction.

Believe me if I can make a job cackhanded I will. The only practical thing I’m any good at is gardening really, and even my garden will be much more “wild” than most people like.

The way to shorten curtains with header tape is from the top, not the hem.

Yes, of course, as recommended to me by the experts.

I keep forgetting that, SpringyChicken because I've not had occasion do it since learning that tip!

Sister in law moved house to small bungalow recently.
We bought eyelet curtains and eyelet black out linings-SO easy compared to former tapes!
Although I did tack up the hems (to wait for drop after hanging and before carpets laid) to discover track dipped at one side! Grrr so had to I do tacking and retack at a slope!
They look good but haven’t yet properly finished them off!

The way to shorten curtains with header tape is from the top, not the hem.

First decide how much too long they are. I've done this before by hanging the curtain, (just a few hooks at each end) and measuring the excess at the bottom on both sides. Hopefully the excess is the same on both sides of the curtain.

For this example, let's assume the curtains are 3 inches too long.

So, with right side facing you, place a line of pins about six to twelve inches down from the top edge, all along the curtain. This is to keep the lining and fabric together and prevent the lining slipping out of alignment.

Right side facing, measure 3 inches down from from the top of the curtain all the way along, marking with a pencil. Join all the marks into a straight line. This is NOT the cutting line, it will be the new top edge of the curtain. The pencil will not show.

Next unpick the header tape and iron it flat.

Fold over the curtain along the pencil line. Pin the tape along the top of the curtain. Start by pinning both ends and then work towards the middle.

Sew the tape along the top edge. The pencil line runs along the very top.

Cut off the excess fabric - the new raw edge will be hidden by the tape. Shop bought curtains often have a skimpy turn over at the top. You can leave a bigger turnover - as long as the lower edge of the tape hides it.

Sew the lower edge of the curtain tape in place. Always stitch the tape in the same direction as the top edge to prevent puckering.

Sew down the sides of the the tape too for extra hold.

When you have gathered the curtain to the required width and inserted the hooks at regular intervals, place the curtain over one shoulder with the top edge in front. This frees up both hands to attach the curtain to the rail without having to support the weight .

Whitewave good luck
I really dislike hanging curtains and getting the hems right!

Yes, I agree with Curlywhirly
I tie a double bow in the strings (easy enough to undo).

The ribbon is to train the curtains so they they remember how to fall in the right folds in future.
Puddling stops them doing that. I know it has been fashionable but I always think that someone hasn't got round to turning up the hems and they never hang right.

I probably put a hook every 3 spaces. Perhaps I don't need to.

I agree with everything @Curlywhirly has said, apart from the bit at the end about ribbon.

I only have invisible dust so there's no curtain problem!

I have never had ready made curtains; up until the past couple of years I have made my own; but the last 2 pairs I have had made, as I can no longer be bothered to roam on the floor cutting out the material! I am unsure as to what the difficulty is Whitewavemark2 with you hanging the curtains. In my experience, you just gather the rufflette to the required curtain rail width (so if curtain rail is 6 foot wide and you have 2 curtains, gather ruflette to just under 3 foot for each curtain) tie the strings (in a huge bow, enabling you to easily untie them so you could ungather the curtains when you wash/dry clean them). Insert hooks (one every 4/5 loops is sufficient). Then hang the curtains (the ends where the strings have been knotted/tied in a bow, should not be in the middle of the curtain track, but at each end). I also concertina the curtains by hand once they are up, then tie them with a ribbon; leave them like this for a few hours, and when you remove the ribbon the curtains will naturally fall in attractive folds (so hard to explain this without a demonstration!). Personally, I am not keen on curtains that puddle, they stop the curtain folds draping, and are a nuisance as they gather dust from the floor/carpet.

MaizieD

I think we'll need a picture when you've finished, Wwmk2

They look a complete mess at the moment if I’m honest, but I haven’t given up yet.

Sat here thinking. I’m going to do one at a time. Until it’s completely right.

Eyes due Wednesday.

If all else fails I’m going to pop in and see my curtain lady.

I don't like curtains on poles - so had them replaced with ceiling tracks and side returns. I don't want any light showing at the curtain edges at all.

Puddled

Autocorrect again

It depends how tightly they are drawn up, if double the width then every 3rd slot should be fine, I think.

Puddles curtains annoy me but it's not my room.
?

I think we'll need a picture when you've finished, Wwmk2

Whitewavemark2, you can have shutters and curtains too - I have.

Amberone, my bedroom ones were 'puddled' as I just couldn't be bothered to take them up.

Yes, they did get dusty and needed a vacuum when I did the floor. Still, when I washed them (being cotton velvet) they shrank a little - so I'm happy.

I like the long looped metal curtain hooks. If the pencil pleats aren't perfect it drives me bonkers - so I pack them with backer rod.