Interlining

[Jules]

When you all interline curtains how do you do your lock-stitches. Do you knot each one off by wrapping the thread round the needle of just pass it through once? I seem to be using the wrapping method but it does take longer.

Different places seem to advocate different methods. What does everyone else do?

I don't think the stitch actually matters Jules. Mine is a funny stitch with just a stitch top and bottom and a loop behing the thread making sure that each stitch has about an inch slack in it. The real issue is the pattern.

You should be interlocking Half quarter and eighth on the leading edge. That means your vertical rows are about 2 feet apart. if your stitch spacing running vertically up the curtain is about 18 ins apart then you can imagine an 18inch by 2 foot grid being formed throughout the curtain. The face fabric to interlining stitches and your interlining to lining stitches should be in corresponding locations so that the maximum that the three panels can float apart is 2 inches overall, one inch between each layer at the same point.

No need to interlock closer to the top than 2 feet and the same from the bottom hem of the lining which is prevented from floating away by and inch and a quarter chain on each half width of fabric.

[applemoon]

WOW Thats such good news... I have never known how close together locking stiches should be and have been putting them about 4" apart... It takes me AGES!!! especially as the last interlined curtains were 3 1/2 widths in each curtain.

I'll race through the next pair!,

[Jules]

I'm glad you understand what he means Kim. Perhaps you'll explain to me.

Jules

p.s. Like the name!

[kathy]

Actually Jules I am a little lost with that too - I only interlock the fabrics together on the seams and I have never had a problem.

Kathy

[suel]

Hi Kim,

I make my interlocking stitches about a hand spans distance apart. Every half width and on the join. My stitches are like giant blanket stitches but with about an inch of slack in them. Start about 30cm from the bottom of the curtain and finish about 50cm from the start of the heading. Maybe 10 stitches max per row.

Sue.

[Jules]

Hi Kathy, I interlock 15cm from edge, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 etc but I also think I do them closer to. Maybe I've gone a bit over board (If your's are ok Kathy, then maybe on the seems is what I should do) but I still don't understand the previous post. Picture required please, before breakfast!

[Schuhby]

Maureen Whitmore suggests knoting each stitch.. Nightmare!

The question is here team - - Have you ever properly looked at what you want to achieve by interlocking.

If you just get a piece of A4 paper and imagine it's a long drop 2 width curtain draw in vertical lines half, quarter and eigth on the leading edge if this spacing is sufficient across the width of the curtain then approximately the same spacing should be relevant vertically to allow the fabric to move concentrically so now draw your horizontal lines in at the same spacing and count the number of vertical stitches the grid requires. This will be the required number and spacing needed to stop the fabric seperating and floating apart. This is a basic fabric engineering grid.

If you think you need the stitches a hand width apart vertically then logically you need them a hands width apart horizontally.

Maureen Whitmore is very probably correct albeit I do not do that. My stitches float so that they are more flexible.

If you got hold of and pulled the centre of the face fabric on any of my curtains you would find that the threads would run through to the point where I was pulling and would gather elsewhere. I have never done this and I hope my clients haven't either.

There is clearly merit in locking each stitch so that the thread can not be pulled through and shorten the 1 inch stem that the stitch requires to provide fluidity in the curtain.

[Karen]

You are getting far too technical here and its confusing. We are not buiding the Empire State Building!!


I interlock my curtains every quarter width and 15cm from the edge a la M&D. However with certain customers and depending on the job I wil only do it every half width and 15cm from the edge. My stitches are about a handspan apart and the lock stitch comes away from the fabric up to 2.5cm

I experimented for years with this stitcha and figured its better to be too loose than too tight as we all know that certain weaves of fabric can relax a lot when hung up.

Why doe severyone talk in inches when we went metric almost half a century ago? I am forty five and I think metric.

Hang on a minute Karen - I can't seem to win here either I'm too Cryptic or I'm too technical.

There is no reason on earth why you should not interlock your linings every hand width, foot width or any other measurement if that's what you want to do. The example I gave, however, is a particulatly simple method of looking at the reason behind the stitch in the first place and when one has grasped the simplicity of it it could save a massive amount of time for anyone who does not have the experience but is more than willing to be advised by someone more experienced and who just may have considered why rather than ploughing on through ones curtainmaking career without ever looking at the science behind it.


At Merrick and Day I was taught, as you were, half quarter and and eighth on the leading edge but I was also taught about 18 ins appart not a hands width. I don't think you can have your cake and eat it too Karen.

[Karen]

18 inches is 45cm. That seems an awful lot. I was taught by them too an they never said to do the stitches that big. Maybe they have adapted the technique since then . Again no right or wrong whatever is good for the individual. In Maureen Whitmore books she says to do stitches 10cm apart.


My logic says that the larger the stitch the more pull on it vertically and the looser the stitch need to be to avoid dimpling. I do think of things very technically amd always think of the reason behind things. Never one to just do as the book says I am always thinking of ways to develop my own techniques.

[Barcoded]

Re: Interlining

Would you be able to upload a photo when you next interline, it would really help me understand the technique. Now if you were to also have an A4 sheet of paper laying about and had time to put the lines on it and it was then photographable; that would also be of great value to me.

[applemoon]

Re: Interlining

My next curtain is a single door curtain with 4 widths in it, triple pleated hanginf from a track. The fabric is a heavy weight linen. I am not looking forward to felxing my muscles and lugging these over my table so I guess the more interlocking stitiches on this one the better. I understand the idea of a 'grid' which lends support to the fabric and interlining in both directions.

I never know if I'm overdoing it or cutting corners, and i think that this feeling is common,hence we avidly read this forum so as to make sure we are doing the right thing, but as has been said before if you have a method you are happy with and the curtains hang nicely when finished with no dimples in then surely you've earnt your money.