Silk mesh drapery

Mesh sheers, like this silk-trevira blend from Calvin Fabrics, make spectacular draperies.

The best way I've found to hem fabrics like this is a loose running stitch that picks up a small amount of the face.   The stitch blends in in the same direction of the weave instead of fighting it. 

Khaki chain weight was on backorder from Rowley so I dyed plain white for a very good match. 











For the doubled bottom hem, the decorator chose to leave the selvedge on to prevent fraying.

The weight was snaked through the bottom using a safety pin.

After some trial and error, I found that the best way to control the top was to sew the translucent buckram before making the double fold.  This worked beautifully since there was a line to follow.

Again, trial and error proved that you should NOT use straight pins to secure the header for pleating!- they get caught all over the place.  Safety pins were the answer.

These panels were top-tacked similarly to these which we made about three years ago.  (Yes I forgot to take a picture of the pleats this time.)  The pleat was sewn all the way across the top of the pleat, the only way to keep it all in order.  We tried a plain tack but the clear buckram just bulged out of place.