Contrast coloured Lining

[JoanE]

Hi everyone

Any ideas please!

I am going to make curtains that will have a coloured fabric lining (not necessarily lining fabric) and interlined, the heading will be scooped goblet (tulip shaped) with the contrast lining fabric in the scoop, there will no hems as such, the fabrics will be sewn together with a 5mm of the 'lining fabric' showing on the leading edges. The curtains will also be tied back with the lining showing into the room from about a metre up from the floor . The curtains will only be closed on winter evenings, as it is a large patio door.

My quandary is:-

1 How do I get them interlined, would I lockstich to the fabric then sew the lining and fabric like an opened ended pillowcase
2 How would I tie back the curtains showing the lining fabric, I thought of attaching a decorative ring to leading edge somewhere and securing the ring to the normal tie back hook

I have all these ideas in my head but not sure how to execute them.

Your vast wealth of knowledge will be greatly appreciated.

JE

[enid]

Re: Contrast coloured Lining

I have done this once before with two silk fabrics. Others will probably have done this differently but why are you having no hems?

I would interline the main fabric as normal, but I would leave the outside edges unfinished at this stage, and treat the lining as you would another curtain . Lay the two together, matching along the bottom edges of the hems but leaving twice the amount that you want to show on the front EXTRA at the leading egde of the curtain. I don't think that it matters whether you put lining on top of curtain or vice versa as the weight of the curtain interlining is going to be cumbersome anyway. You will have to move them around, lots of pins, in order to get access to the face of the main fabric when you can carefully handstitch the contrast on the leading edge. I would machine the contrast on as a bind border but I think if you are going to interline the curtain it will prove to be awkward to handle.
When I did this I stitched the hems together by hand along the inside of the two. We added a ring onto the bottom corner of the leading edge and that was popped onto the tieback hook. I have to admit it was not my cup of tea but it was very effective and showed off the contrast lining very well.

Now as I write, I am thinking that .....if you were to stitch the two fabrics together along the inside of the hem anyway....you could .....machine the lining and face fabric together at the point of the border, press and open up, lay the interlining on the inside of the face fabric , secure it at the sides and seams, bring the lining back over onto it and carry on as normal with the lining at the other side. Does that make any sense? If the interlining is secure along the curtain and will be held by the goblets and the curtain is to be treated as a whole, then you could get away with the bottom of the interlining just laying inside just above the hem line and catch the hems together so that nothing shows when the curtain is hooked up.
I really don't know if this helps or would work, but I don't see why not... Unless you are making a huge curtain and the fabric is very heavy.

Others may have better suggestions !!

Enid

[JoanE]

Re: Contrast coloured Lining

Many thanks Enid - I think I got the gist of it???

As to no hems, I have seen curtains with contrast linings machined together at the bottom and side edges, a bit like a knife edged cushion would be sewn, (machined face sides together etc.,) The track is 2 metres long and the length will be 245cms and puddled, and as you suggested a ring put on the corner to lift the fabric showing the contrast lining. I really don't know if it will work or look right. I hope in using the interlining as well the finished item will not be too bulky or heavy.

Regards

JE

[enid]

Re: Contrast coloured Lining

Glad that you understood it, I really was thinking as well as writing....multi-skilled for a moment.

Machine the hems by all means if you want to but I think it might be easier to hand sew them separately as I think you might have more control over the whole area that way, but do it whichever way you are comfortable with. At least if they are puddled it will hide any differences in drop.

Enid

[enid]

Re: Contrast coloured Lining

Joan,

have just come across a picture of what you were describing re hooking the curtains up to show the lining contrast and I think that they are hooked up further up than the corner, giving a more draped effect than ' just hooked up!'

Have a look at these
http://www.window-treatments-made-easy.com they are on the home page , with the swags and tails.

Enid

[JoanE]

Re: Contrast coloured Lining

Many thanks for the link Enid - I think I will try the ring at the bottom corner first.