Tuesday, January 26, 2010

For the Love of Pleater Tape!

Yup, I finally got off my buttocks and did a pleater tape tutorial!

You know the drill....

Pee - DONE!
Coffee - DONE!
Snacks - DONE!

Now you are all set for a good long talk about pleater tape. I admit I am a sucker for anything pleated. I love pleats! Box pleats are my favorite. I prefer pleats over ruffles. Sorry for you ruffle loving gals, I don't mean to offend!

So..... pleater tape....



.... it looks like this. It's a stiff webbing material. See the vertical lines? They are "pockets" that are evenly spaced and run the length of the tape.



I stuck my seam ripper in so you can see the pocket. It's only open on one end. That end you want at the bottom so you can insert drapery hooks in. There are 2 lines of stitching on this end so you know which it is. There is 2 different sizes of pleater tape too. One has wider spacing and that is for drapes. The one with the smaller makes smaller pleats and that is for sheers.


Now pin on your pleater tape. I still have my seam ripper in there so you can see what I mean about the pocket opening facing the hem. Hopefully, I will remember to take it out before sewing.



Now just sew a straight seam across the top and the bottom. I try to stay on that stitching line across the top and between the two stitching lines on the bottom. That way I know I am not sewing and pockets closed. That would suck!

I also don't sew the sides, but you will see why in a minute.



There are two styles of drapery hooks. Unfortunately you need enough of each. The one on the left is going to make our pleats. The one on the left only is going to go one on each end. That way your ends stay close to the rod and not get all floppy.



Here is a pic of both on the curtain. Each tine of the pleater hook goes in a pocket. The end ones pin through. That is why I keep my ends open. I only want to pin through the tape and not the curtain.



This is what it looks like on the other side. Now just take a seat on the bed. I have to put up a new curtain rod.



I am replacing the top ones with the bottom ones.



Ta Daa!

The old style next to the new one. I also have a little something up my sleeve to finish these off too.

But I will save that for the big reveal on Saturday!

So.... TA TA! for now!

10 comments:

DustyLu said...

grest post! love all the info...looks great..thanks for sharing..can you come over and do my house..lulu

Donatella said...

Thanks for the compliment, thanks for stopping by again. The story about my mom and the family will be sort of an ongoing thing I want to try. By the way, you're very skilled at making easy-to-understand depictions of 'How-To'; the Lasagna and the Curtain sequences both. I always wanted to learn how to sew~

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Brilliant Maggie, yet again. I think that you could turn your hand to anything. I think that you are the sort of person who will not be defeated. I'm right, aren't I ?
What a difference between the before and after. Another great job done and can be ticked off the list.
I await the great reveal, Maggie. XXXX

Free Art Printables said...

Awesome! I've never heard of that stuff! The color is BM falcon brown. Those turned out great!

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

Great post! Thank you for stopping by & leaving a note. Your old farmhouse sounds great to me.

cindy said...

How cool is this???? I've never used tape like that. My mom always used that stuff with pull strings. Think I need me some of this. And I liked bouncing on your bed watching you hand that rod. :)

Lori said...

I have never used this myself but it is such a crisp look ~ love the tutorial Maggie ~ Bravo!!

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Maggie, Is there no limit to your talent? I know there is no limit to the delight I have when I visit. This is a wonderful tutorial! I am thinking of hosting a party every Tuesday called "Tutorial Tuesday". It would be a collection of all tutorials. YOurs would be a big asset. I am in the thinking process now. I'm just not sure I want to put all the time it takes to host.
Your curtains look wonderful! And you make it seem so easy.
I'll be back soon, dear friend.
Yvonne

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Maggie, my darling and complimentary friend I have a confession to make to only you! No I do not have a "dish room" but I am a dish addict! My wonderful Bobby is taking a hall closet and transforming it into a dish closet.

I have the whole back of my car filled ( and I mean filled!)with bags of dishes from HomeGoods, and I haven't brought them in because I have no more room! See what happends when you give me a gift card to HomeGoods- more dishes!
I am now in the process of compiling a visul dish list- pictures on 5x7 cards so I can remember what I have. Oh, that sounds so bad! I keep telling myself this is a useful hobby- some people spend a zillion dollars on hobbies that serve no purpose! I'm not listening- feeling a little buyers remorse right now!
Oh well, I'm sure I'll get over it with another trip to look for dishes!
Have a happy day!
Yvonne

alice said...

Great show and tell! It was easy to follow even for an almost senior (yikes).
smiles, alice