Reconstructive Surgery

Katherine Stern and I had to take some liberties with this Designers Guild print in order to fit it onto the 45" wide shades.

It started life as a 54" wide fabric.  To use it as it was printed would have meant cutting off the design in an awkward spot on each side, so we decided to slice out the center border, and reduce some of the blank space on the sides.

Once we had that center border it seemed obvious to use it as a bottom band.  I split it to make a mirror image.

Katherine chose the topmost motif and I worked from the top down.  We mocked it up on the table first.

I stitched the bottom band to the face and pressed it down.....

Then folded under the bit of white at the bottom, topstitched it down......

Then folded it up on the yellow line so the excess white was on the back.

Katherine requested a softer, slightly puffier look than usual, so we chose Domette interlining for fat, soft folds.

The weight bar was tucked in under the side hems and secured.

There was little fabric for side hems, so the color bar shows partly, and I happen to think that is extra cool.

The shades look fantastic raised to any height.

An exercise

Here is a silk drapery panel we recently made as an exercise and to use as a workroom sample that can be borrowed.

The flounce at the top is pieced with a narrow banding at the top and the bottom.   The lead edge border is pieced, and is bound on each side with microcording.
I am making samples in order to test some ideas I've had bouncing around, as well as to experiment with fabrication techniques.  Also to make mistakes, so they can be corrected before the style is made for a customer!
With this piece I made a few mistakes.  The flounce is pieced in an awkward spot.  The bottom of the lead edge, which you can't see, was a challenge as I had to make the pieced and corded border first.  I wound up encasing the Napped Lining in the hem, a technique that doesn't work well unless you do it properly, and the result is that the silk sags a bit at the bottom.  Since this is a sample, I think I'll chalk it up to experience, and leave it!
All the samples will be lined with different linings and methods.  I wanted one sample to show silk without interlining.  This panel is lined with Classic Napped lining, which is suitable for this light-hearted panel.  But for a serious drapery treatment, silk really should be interlined.
The piecing is a little bit of magic, the secret to which I won't reveal just now- it's a technique stolen from circa 1985 patchwork quilting.