blackout and interlocking

[Karen Three Needles Find all posts View Profile Close Karen]

I have just made blackout lined curtains for a customer. I interlocked the face fabric to the lining every half width. I was horrified to see light coming through the holes. Have made these before but with darker thicker fabric and had never noticed light bleed.

Luckily customer seems OK. I guess the only way to avoid this is not to interlock. I just wanted to make them correctly. The pin marks looked huge almost magnified by the sun yet no visible holes on the window side.

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Re: blackout and interlocking

Karen a trick I use here is when I fold my lining back for interlocking I just go along my interlocking line and stick 1 inch squ pads of domett allong my interlocking line with my Guterman HT2 glue just about 6 pads allong the line. It is ever so quick and by the time I have placed the last one on I can come back to the begining and start interlocking just catching into the domett and not going through the lining. I know this takes a little more time but, like you, I hate to see any light, even a pin prick. This client may be Ok but the next one may not be.

[Karen Three Needles Find all posts View Profile Close Karen]

Re: blackout and interlocking

Sounds very time consuming. Surely you have to wait till the glue drys before taking the stitch.

My next pair of curtains will be the same and am using interlining with the blackout so I guess no problem. Other curtains were shortish and I wish I had not bothered with interlocking. This only seems a problem with thin light fabric. I have made the same way using thicker fabrics and its fine.

[Schuhby Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Schuhby]

Re: blackout and interlocking

I've never had this problem myself but I would suggest you use a chain stitch at the bottom of the lining every 1/4 width to attach the lining and face fabric.. Interlocking isn't necessary with the weight of the B/O lining..

With all due respect, if you have the time for this, then you have too much play time on your hands and a busy curtain maker wouldn't have the time for the method you employ.. I've never heard the likes! You do add spice.....

This isn't a viable solution.. Use the chain stitch method.

Philip

[Karen Three Needles Find all posts View Profile Close Karen]

Re: blackout and interlocking

All I have to say is that you would be charging a hell of a lot to do that. It is not commercially viable - I agree. On interlined curtains maybe.

I also do not think blackout sits all that well with interlocking to be honest as its not really fabric in the true sense of the word. Its like stabbing a bit of plastic and it never heals.

[Schuhby Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Schuhby]

Re: blackout and interlocking

B/O lining doesn't have the give as a normal lining does and it's very stiff, sew it as little as you can and don't do un-necessary stitching - This problem comes up often, 3 pass has light bleed issues; I've seen roman blinds made with rows of stitching stright through them and let me tell you, that was light bleed..

Philip

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Re: blackout and interlocking

Philip with due respect - If you havent tried something dont criticise or mock it! My glue dries fast, bonds perfectly and enables fast efficient interlocking. It is very rare that I use 3pass or dim out but if this small additional task gives me the peace of mind that there will never be a pin prick in my lining then so be it. After all the customer has asked for black out not semi black out or black out with pin pricks - Black out. I don't play with my job Philip I do it properly.

[Schuhby Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Schuhby]

Re: blackout and interlocking

I'm not mocking you - I think the method is a nonsense and not a practical solution for this issue. For those who find it useful they will use it, but I'm of the opinion it's unnecessary and a waste of time and that a chain stitch at the hem is sufficient to keep the lining and face fabric together. Most curtain makers wouldn't even consider interlocking linings to the face fabric let alone gluing pads of interlining to the fabric in preperation for interlocking.. You wouldn't get this level of work from John Lewis or Laura Ashley - And agree with this or not, JL and LA sell more curtains than we do.. So the masses are happy enough with it.

This is a forum were all opinions are valid, and you have to accept not everyone will agree with you and your methods.

Over the next 3 weeks I have ...

16 roman blinds
two sets of double with interlined curtains
one set of 2.5 width interlined curtains
2 nine foot upholstered permets
4 piped cushion covers with concealed zips
1 pair of stiffened, piped tiebacks

I need practical soloutions myself, can't speak on behalf of others, but I don't want to make extra, un-necessary work for myself. I could not possibly employ the methods you insist are the correct ones, wouldn't have the time for it.

Our opinions are just one of many on a forum - They are not necessarily the right ones so we'll leave it at that.

Philikp

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Re: blackout and interlocking

I feel I should attempt to offer a better explanation as to why I would employ the method of attaching with glue small pieces of domett to the back of blackout lining as the comment has created some revelry and I admit on first reading could sound silly to anyone.

If I am making an 8ft drop x 2 width interlined curtain with a pleated heading the timescale for this work from cutting fabric to hanging the curtain on the rail pleated folded bandaged and sleeved in polythene is in the order of 8 to 9 hours. Any good curtain maker would be pleased to achieve this timescale.

Should the customer require a black out curtain for whatever reason and they are not prepared to pay the heavy additional cost of interlining with bolton twill, which is my prefered method, they may choose to use blackout or dim out lining. Bump or domett of any thickness will restrict some light but can not achieve blackout.

The vertical interlocking lines on a two width curtain placed at width, half width and quarter width spaces give me a total of 7 + and eighth on the leading edge makes 8. Interlocking does not take place on either the top or botton half metre of the curtain which leaves me with the requirement to place 5 interlocking stitches at 35cm spacings in each vertical line. As I fold my lining forward to each interlocking position I stick 5 1inch squares of domett onto the back surface of the lining at the points my interlocking stitches will be placed, this takes me one minute. By the time I have threaded my needle, stitched off my first knot into the interlining the first little patch is dry and firm and ready to receive one pass with the needle. By the time I reach the top of the line the last one is dry and firm. Having made my interlocking line the lining is folded down and work on the next interlocking line begins. The total time spent sticking these silly little 1 inch squares of domett onto the lining is 8 minutes per curtain and has taken me 1/60th of the overall time that the curtain has taken me to make. The finished result is total confidence that there will not be a snick or pin hole anywhere in the lining which even with heavily interlined curtains will show a glaring hole when the sun shines against it. Within the scheme of the whole window treatment the 16 mins spent on both curtains has given me total peace of mind.

When I first answered Karens post I did not realise that she was constructing a non interlined curtain. Karen is an extreemly good curtain maker who takes immense pride in the work she sends out to her clients. My natural assumption was that she was making a curtain similar to that described above. Had I answered the post correctly I would have suggested that there is no requirement to form interlocking stitch lines in non interlined curtains but then again never having made any I would probably have been wrong in that as well.

I will must try not to offer solutions to problems which occur in methodology which does not form a part of my normal remit as a curtain maker. As has been proved here it will always be looked on as over egging the custard.

[Louise Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Louise]

Re: blackout and interlocking

Interesting as an academic exercise in perfecting a light-free curtain, but I have hardly got time to read some of your theories, let alone use them.

Just like I don't have time to follow Heston Blumenthal's techniques for the perfect snail porridge etc.

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Re: blackout and interlocking

And yet for someone who needs to make a light free, interlined, interlocked, curtain the method is an 8 minute godsend.

There again I am probably better off learning how to make snail porridge....................Clive

[Karen Three Needles Find all posts View Profile Close Karen]

Re: blackout and interlocking

Having made interlined and bolton twill curtains (four layers) Too costly for 99% of customers as too labour intensive. By the time the lining goes on you are sick of the sight of the things.

I know Merrick and Day promote this technique as I did the course and I used to like bolton twill but it is the old fashioned way of doing things. I converted to 3 pass black out. I don't like the stuff much but it does the job.

I agree better not to bother with interlocking on lined only curtains and even better check if it can be done successfully as on dark thick fabric you don't see the pin pricks. In rooms that don't get direct light also first thing in the morning or whenever likely to be closed you would never see them anyway.

As everything treat each job as an individual and make decisions based on the materials used.