Soft goblets

[Michelle]

I have been asked by a customer to make a pair of full length lined curtains with a goblet heading, but she wants the goblet "floppy" her words not mine. She doesn't want them stiff & stuffed as usual to keep the shape. The only way I can think to give it a softer look is to not insert buckram but I am concerned if the hooks will hold the weight of the curtains without the fabric ripping over time.

Has anyone ever made curtains without buckram and it been a success.

Thanks
Michelle

[Rosie]

Re: Soft goblets

Has your customer got a picture of the floppy goblet heading that she wants you to copy? It really might help to 'see' what she actually has in mind. Sometimes things get 'mixed up' in verbal descriptions...

[Penny]

Re: Soft goblets

Hi Michelle
I would say that you could make the top without the buckrum to give a soft look and then use sew on brass curtain hooks. These will easily take the weight but make sure you do a few tiny stab stitches thru to the front to hold all the layers together.
I have seen quiet a few pictures of soft looking headings without buckrum on American curtain makers galleries.

[Michelle]

Re: Soft goblets

The customer didn't have a photo of what she was talking about.

I didnt feel comfortable with no including any buckram at all, so what I decided to do after testing all options is:

I have made the goblets 6" deep, and I have inserted buckram 2" deep which I have inserted with a 1" gap from the top of the curtain. It meant that there was buckram in the right position for the hooks and it also left the goblets a bit soft.

I think this works and hope she will be happy with them. Going to put up on Friday so I will know soon enough.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Michelle

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Soft goblets

Michelle, does she mean that she wants the top edge of the goblet turned down? She may think of that as floppy.
Regards
Pen

[Karen]

Re: Soft goblets

I have made soft goblets before. Basically omit the buckram and make as usual but stuff the inside with odd bits of bump or polyester stuffing. It just gives the curtains a softer look. I learnt about this during an M&D workshop yeras ago.

I still prefer the goblets with buckram though and after doing my M&D course I did a City and Guilds and my tutor marked down my beautiful soft golblet curtains as she said not putting in buckram was not correct!! What rubbish. I think M&D know better don't you?

[Michelle]

Re: Soft goblets

I hung these curtains for the customer yesterday and she loved them.

She specifically asked for them not to be stuffed. I made them the way I described in the earlier post with just 2" deep buckram but placed 1" from the top.

Once I had finished dressing them I didn't really find they looked much different from goblets made traditionally with 6" buckram & filling, but feel over time they may flatten without the filling.

The customer was really happy and that I suppose is all that is important. Will try to load a photo when I have 5 mins over the weekend.

Thanks again for all your help.

Michelle

[Michelle]

Re: Soft goblets

Hi Karen did you use the sew on hooks when you made the goblets without buckram, as I did consider this but was worried about the fabric & hooks taking the weight of the curtains.

Michelle