Hybrid Soft Cornice part 2- applying the microcord

On Friday I started posting about this hybrid soft cornice.  I thought it would be a three-part post, but I think I'll need to divide it into four parts!

One of my favorite features on these soft cornices is self-fabric microcording.  I thought it turned out beautifully on this valance.  You can see the purple marks made during the planning and preparation- and upon completion, we hit those marks perfectly.  They were erased after I took this picture.  So today I'll go through the process of applying the microcord on the front.

We left off here on Friday: the valance pieces had been marked, cut, joined, and pressed.

My first plan was to "baste" the welting onto the face with 3/16" adhesive Jewel tape.  I ran the tape around the bottom edge, splitting up the curves into a bunch of straight pieces.

I began sticking the microcord to the face along the lines I had drawn.  I used 1/16" microcord which is REALLY tiny.  The welting was made ahead of time, something I rarely do; I usually make it and apply it all in one step, but I did not trust that the curves would not stretch out of shape.

At the sharp turns, I clipped the welt and cut out a little wedge so the lip would lay flat.

On the curves I carefully followed the white chalk line I made during the preparation stage.  In this photo you can see the sticky tape by the glare from the lights.

However, once I began sticking the welting on, I didn't like how the tape was creating a bit of distortion, so I decided to baste the welt on by hand.  In the corners I added a couple of back-stitches so the turn would stay put.

Hand-sewing really allowed me to be precise at those sharp turns.  I could never have sewn it this precisely by machine.

 As I sewed I peeled off the sticky tape, and as I visibly saw the fabric relax, I was glad I had made the decision to  hand-baste.  It was easy to see that that it was vastly better.  I basted right on the machine stitching line.

And that's how I did stage one of the welting!  Now the valance is turned over, straightened onto the table, and lightly pressed.  From here on it will not leave this spot on the table.  The various materials will be layered in and secured- and that's a story for tomorrow!

Another Hybrid Soft Cornice: part 1

Here's the latest in my collection of completed soft cornice projects!  Designed by Elizabeth Harlow, this started out as a simple shaped kick pleated valance, and morphed into a soft cornice with an open pleat header and knotted rope trim.  I tried some new (new to me, that is) methods and am thrilled with the outcome.

There are 5 layers of materials.  The face fabric is paddeded with heavy flannel interlining.  The scalloped sections and returns are stiffened with buckram (Skirtex), but not the pleats.  The entire valance is layered with blackout lining; and the back is plain lining with a self-fabric facing.  In between the face and lining is self-fabric 1/16" microcording. 

The rope trim was knotted and attached with hot glue.

It has so much more substance than a soft valance, yet is sleek compared to an upholstered wood cornice.

I took lots of photos during fabrication, so I think I'll split this project into several posts.  Today will focus on preparation.   The treatment began with the excellent template made by Elizabeth out of foam board.

The template was created to determine proportion, not the exact shape, so all I had to do was refine the curves and make my patterns.

Together we marked the central pattern motif.  I made my 4 identical cuts- 1 for each section and 1 for the returns, and cut them to shape before sewing together- a departure from my usual method for sectioned valances.

The sides of each scallop were extended to create the pleats, and the top and bottom of the pleat section marked with tape.

A white chalk line marked the edge of the pleat.  This was very faint and had brushed itself away by the end of the fabrication.

 The excess fabric is cut away with a 2" allowance. 

The bottom line was marked with white chalk or purple pen.  I especially want to mark the point where the pleat ends and the curve begins- the pen is pointing to one of those spots.  This mark comes in handy later, as you'll see in the next photos, so it needs to be dark.  You can see here that the sections have been sewn together.  That seam hides on the inside of a pleat so it's never visible.

Here the valance has been stapled onto the board.  I used the purple marks to be certain that the curves are meeting each other at the right point.  You can see them on each side of the pleat.

The other end of the pen has the magic eraser- and ALWAYS test that purple pen on each fabric before using it, to make sure the eraser will remove the mark!

In the next blog post, I will show how I applied the trim, added and secured the various layers, and finished the back.  Right now I'm going back to work!  See you Monday......

Double bands and mitered corners and microcord

I enjoyed figuring out how to make these double-banded draperies for designer SuElyn Chase of Cottages to Castle.  In a tall window in a stairway landing, they are eye-catching for sure.

The lead edges and hems have double bands with mitered corners, of two different poly fabrics, and microcord, with three-finger Euro pleats, and pieced banded tiebacks.

My first concern was keeping these fabrics stable, especially the blue ribbed fabric.  After seaming the strips, which I cut oversize, I ironed them to a fusible stabilizer.

Then I trimmed them down with a rotary cutter.

Before I sewed the banding strips to the face fabric, I basted them together by hand.

That step prevented the band layer from walking as it was applied.

The rotary cutter was used again to trim that seam.

I was happy with the mitered corners!

Before applying the microcord, I machine stay-stitched the banding lead edge.

And before cutting the welt cord strips, I reinforced the blue fabric with stabilizer.

That provided at least some control!

The face and lining (solid green) were sewn together at the lead edge and hem.

Again, trimming was neat and easy with the rotary cutter.

The top was finished with a low-bulk method, using fusible buckram to help maintain some control.  The return edge was rolled and blind-hemmed. 

The three-finger Euro pleats were tacked by hand.

I love the tiebacks with the skinny green center strip!

London shades, pattern, and arithmetic

We had a wonderful opportunity to fabricate some valances for a blog reader in California!  She fell in love with some London shades she saw here; chose her fabric and trim; shipped it to NY; and we made them.

After the main body of the shade was assembled, with the microcorded contrast pleats and the bottom brush fringe, the header was created.   After the pleats were basted in place, the first row of welt was attached and the seam trimmed.

 The header was first glue-basted to ensure a perfect pattern match.

 Fusible buckram helped the header keep its shape.

The top row of welt was attached after the valance was stapled to the board.

The header was lined separately, more like a facing I suppose.  The back is nice and neat.

The big deal with these valances was mathematical.  It was important to match the pattern horizontally, across the swoop and tails; vertically, from the valance to the header; and most difficult, from one valance to the other.  The tails needed to center the same section, which at first seemed absolutely impossible.   However, in the end, after a lot of head-scratching and experimentation, I got those numbers crunched to my satisfaction.  Though there's a slight difference in the pattern on the small valance tails and the large valance tails, the eye is pretty much tricked into seeing it all the same.

I'm pretty happy with these valances!