Hello everybody

[Lena]

Hi all, my name is Lena and I have just joined your group. I live in Colchester and my hobbies are cooking, reading, sewing and training for my third London MoonWalk in May. Very hard work, but SO addictive and all for a very good cause too (breast cancer care/research).

I haven't been so active with the sewing machine in the past few years, but have now decided to get back into the swing of things by making lots of curtains for my house which is in the throes of major, and long overdue, redecorating. We first moved here 15 years ago - a listed Georgian building in dire need of some TLC. We had builders here for 3 years non-stop(!), which was enough to send anybody totally doolally, but finally, after lots of dirt and disruption, it became our family home for myself, my husband and our two daughters. The girls have now grown and moved out - one to Uni and the other living in central London to be near her job - and the house now needs a complete overhaul in order to update the decor to suit a couple of empty nesters who no longer have to consider messy daughters!

I really feel quite rusty and seem to have lost a little confidence with the scissors these days, but hopefully it'll be just like riding a bike (or so they say!).

My first question to all you dedicated needle-people concerns interlining for silk fabric. I am making interlined curtains with a face fabric of real silk, but am not sure which weight of interlining to use. My window has a long drop of 3 metres and each curtain has 3.5 widths of fabric. The window is a south facing bay with sashes that have almost floor to ceiling glass, and whilst this is gorgeous in the summer, it is really draughty in the winter. Unfortunately, as the house is Listed, double glazing is out of the question.

Obviously, from a heat saving point of view the heaviest weight of cotton/polyester bump interlining (410g per sq.metre) from Edmund Bell would be perfect, but do you think that will that look too heavy and out of synch with a real silk fabric? Should I drop down to the next option of 390g or maybe even as low as 285g per sq.m?

Also what is the general opinion of the differences between a cotton rich bump and a synthetic interlining of the same or similar weight? Do they both have the same thermal qualities, or is the difference simply down to ease of use and less mess from the synthetic than the cotton.

Well I look forward to hearing from some of you members and hope there is somebody who can help me with my query.

Just off to start dinner, so bye for now!

Lena

[Schuhby]

Re: Hello everybody

Hi Lena

Welcome to the forum! Using the heavy weight interlining will give finished curtains a sumptuous look and feel - the added weight will also help with the drape. The extra insulation will also be a warm welcome on those long winter nights! You can't over do the interlining were silk is concerned and I think you should go for the thicker option.

The synthetic interlining is a stable, heat set product and will not shrink with changes in humidity and is perfectly ok for use with silk, though I have found extra dressing is necessary as air seems to become trapped between layers.

Philip

[Rosie]

Re: Hello everybody

Hello Lena,

Your home sounds just delightful! I will hope you'll be posting pictures of your windows, pre and post dressing, in the very near future.

I agree with Schuhby re: 410g bump, plump and delicious. I wonder what the others think about combining this with thermal lining to add to the 'TOG' factor where drafts are an issue? Also, I watched a 'Grand Designs' programme not too long ago where the owners of a listed building was allowed to install double glazing as they'd found a company whose products was so thin it didn't look like double glazing. It was filled with some special gas combination that enable the makers to vastly reduce the thickness of the glazed panels.....

[Lena]

Re: Hello everybody

Thank you Philip and Rosie for your replies. I was tending towards the 410g bump, but was just slightly concerned that it may overdo things slightly. In the light of your advice, 410 it is!! Just don't fancy eating the fluff for days on end tho ...!

I've never used the thermal lining - is it slightly stiff and unyielding? I have some premium weight scotchguarded lining that I bought in bulk from Edmund Bell a while back. Haven't used it yet, but it certainly feels lovely stuff. Would be interested on any comments re the thermal option tho.

The double glazing you mention Rosie sounds interesting. As we have sashes, we have to be careful of the weight of the glass or else they won't stay put when open. We do have a problem with sun bleaching out colours though as it is a south facing bay window which gets the sun from early morning to last thing at night, so for info of anybody who may be interested, we replaced our normal glass with UV Resistant glass. VERY expensive, but a good long term investment so far as soft furnishings and carpets go. Said to keep out 99.2% of UV rays, hence me being able to use the pure silk this time.

I'll certainly send you photos of the window before and after when all complete, watch this space!!

[jane]

Re: Hello everybody

We have an Edwardian (but thankfully not listed) house with big sash windows. When we looked at having them overhauled & the glass replaced with double glazed, the salesman said it wasn't worth double glazing them as it would take well over 40 years for the savings on the heating to cover the cost of the double glazing....so we didn't do it! Wish I'd known about the UV glass though.......all the curtains in the south facing windows have faded badly along the leading edges in only 3 years.

[jane]

Re: Hello everybody

Ooops Sorry Lena, how rude of me......hello and welcome. Looking forward to seeing pics

[Lena]

Re: Hello everybody

Me again!

Just one more question.... Would you use the same 410 weight interlining on the swags and tails, or do you suggest I down size that a little for ease of draping, etc?

As for the UV glass Jane, I'm not sure it was available 3 years ago. When I ordered mine, the company told me that it was quite a fairly recent development. They are the only company with the licence to produce it, hence being able to charge the inflated price - by way of endorsing it, they said that Elton John had just had his whole house glazed in it! I've got one window and a set of french doors in it for now as our pockets aren't as deep as Elton's

Since it was installed we've not had curtains at the window, so I can't say for certain that it works as claimed, but the silk curtains I'm about to start work on will certainly be a good test and the results should be obvious in a very short space of time. I can say though that there is absolutely no difference to the light through it and it looks just like normal glass.

Can let you have details if you wish.

Lena

[Schuhby]

Re: Hello everybody

Again that is a matter of choice, but using the same weight throughout will be fine - However, cut out a square in the tailes to remove the bulk, this is explained in the M&D book, swags & tails.

Philip

[janie]

Re: Hello everybody

Hello and welcome. I am a new member too.
Regarding your interlining although bump gives that really luscious heavy look I also use top quality domette for silk as they hang so beautifully with it and you don't get the lumpy hemline look that sometimes happens. I would definatly use the domette for the swags and tails whatever you use in the curtains as you don't want too much bulk.
As for the window glass I hate to tell you this but it may be of interest to others. You can buy a film which goes on the inside of the glass panes that cuts out the uv rays - it can be clear, coloured or mirrored. I have the mirrored version on a couple of windows as people can see in them and all they get is a reflection of themselves, much better in our situatuion than 'nets'. Obviously its by far the cheapest method and you can diy it or have someone in to do it for you. Look up window film on the web or in yellow pages. I had mine done by a local person and it is well worth shopping around for the prices if you want someone to do it as we found the estimates were vastly different.
Anyway good luck with your curtains, hope you enjoy making them
Jane

[susie c]

Re: Hello everybody

Hi Lena
Welcome to the site and very good luck with the Moonwalk. I have done it a couple of times and enjoyed them both but there was something special about the first time, so much that I burst into tears at the end. Hope your training goes ok.
Susie

[maria]

Re: Hello everybody

hello lena,

I am also a new member and welcome. I cant help you with this topic because i never did any curtains with interlining but i like to try someday.

[helen may]

Re: Hello everybody

Hi Lena,
Me again, gosh three times in one day.... The only thing that would worry me is, silk on a south facing window, Would definitely suggest a light coloured silk as the dark colours fade badly...I use a lot of 260gm domette but have this winter started using the 410 again. Our old house is incredibly cold in the winter so I always use that here, plus thermal lining. It is not the same to put in as ordinary lining, but i use chain stitches at the hem every quarter of a width.
Perhaps you could have a roman in the recess.

Kind Regards, Helen