Lovely Lavender

How pretty are these panels??  I've always wanted to make a drapery exactly like this-

and finally someone ordered it.  A contrast scalloped lead edge-

with microcord- on the straight side of the band, that is; what looks like microcord on the scallop (at the bottom of the photo) is actually the back side of the band, with the fabric rolled around from the front to give a clean front edge.

My favorite two-finger pinch pleats.

The scallop was drafted onto pattern paper then drawn with purple pen onto the fabric.  Both the front and the facing were reinforced with Rowley's fabric stabilizer, which made this soft linen easy to work with. 

Using a tight machine stitch, the scallop was sewn along the drawn line, then trimmed to a little under 1/4".  The concave parts of the curve are clipped, to let the seam allowance stretch out when the fabric is turned to the right side.  The convex parts of the curve are notched, to reduce the bulk in the seam allowance when the fabric is turned.

We sewed the microcord to the scallop lead edge, then to the drapery.   I guess that was the most tense part of the day, and picture-taking was forgotten about!
The fabric stabilizer made all the difference- the band pressed out perfectly to shape, and without a pucker.
With a finished length of 100", I made the band 100.5" long to allow for the possibility of a little shrinkage when it was sewn to the main drapery fabric- a good thing I made that allowance because it came out to 100" exactly.
 

The facing was hand-sewn to the panel, and encased the raw edges at the top and bottom.  Here's the back of the top.

I have to say, I love these panels!  They were installed yesterday, and I hope I eventually get a photo of them.  (hint!)