Top welt on curved face board

Let's finish up already with this treatment!
After solving the bulk issue (see previous 2 posts) on this collaborative project, we moved on to the next challenging step: top welt on the curved face.

I almost never make welting ahead of time; usually I make it and apply it all at once.   With this somewhat stretchy fabric, we really didn't want to sew the welt and risk having it pucker.   Double-sided adhesive tape is used to "baste" the welt together before stapling.  Starting from the middle, the 3" bias strip is pressed into place. 

It's eased around the curve; here I'm feeliing for where the welt is going to sit and make sure it's perfectly smooth at that spot.  This really would not work with the fabric cut on the straight.


Once the front feels right, the back of the strip is pressed down against the tape, making sure all the puckers are behind where the bias strip is going to roll over the welt cord.

Then another strip of double-sided adhesive tape is applied, and starting in the center again, carefully roll the bias strip over the welt cord and press  in place.  At the curved end it just pops itself into place, and the only thing to worry about is keeping the fullness to the back of the welt cord so the front is smooth. 

The staple gun is used to shape the welt at the curve, because there won't be any tacking strip there. 

This upholstery fabric is so heavy, staples were used on the curves to keep it under control.  Normally we like the staples to be invisible. 

 The bulk-reduction technique worked perfectly!

Just to add to the fun, one of the windows was a bay  The boards are hinged together.  Here also staples were needed on the top of the board to make sure the dustboard cover was secure.

Nice!

Fab Fabric Friday

A blast of color and texture!  This collection of pillows is for an otherwise neutral-toned master bedroom. 
The embroidered flowers remind me of candied citrus slices.

Light from five windows (3 singles, 1 double, and 1 triple) on three sides of the bedroom is filtered with delicately embroidered sheer shades lined with batiste.

The light is caught and reflected onto the colorful bedding pillows by solid glass beads.  White fabric tubing disguises the weight bar inside the pocket.

For inside mounted shades, top lip cord helps fill in any gaps between the shade and the window frame.

Before sewing the woven braid frame to the yellow velvet pillow, first I "basted" it with double-sided adhesive tape to keep it from creeping.  After one row of stitching is complete, the tape can be removed.

 

More Layered Trim......

This print sort of swallowed up the blue trim until I tried narrow strips of red peeking out from behind.

The narrow ribbon created such a great pop that I decided to carry the red-blue to the top.  Making microcord out of 1/2" wide grosgrain is not easy!  Actually it wasn't much easier to make pencil welt out of the heavy, textured blue braid, either.  I never layered welt before- I like it!

Although the pattern on the topper was carefully matched to the shade when looking straight on, from a lower sight line there seems to be a gap.  The bottom row of red ribbon fills in the space and gives one last bit of pop.

Another pretty valance

A tapered flat valance with center and side kick pleats is simple, clean, and modern.

Narrow top self welt is pattern-matched to the valance.

Because of the taper, this valance couldn't be hemmed.  Luckily I love making facings.  Reminds me of when I used to make clothing when I was a teenager.  This facing is pattern-matched to the front.

Kingston variation

The client showed us a picture of a Kingston-style variation that was shirred instead of pleated, so this is what we made for her- five of them, actually:

I used to struggle with top welt.  While sewing and stapling it I'd fight to keep it from twisting.  Then I read a tip from Merlyn on the CHF Forum and my life was changed forever: I don't sew or staple anymore- I use double-sided adhesive tape, and now my top welts are smooth and unwarped.

Adhesive tape is run along the front of the board.

The welt strip is laid over the tape, then another row of tape goes on top of the welt strip.

The welt cord is positioned at the edge of the board, letting just a little of it touch the sticky tape to hold it in place.

Then the welt strip is carefully rolled over the cord and secured to the adhesive.

Now it's ready to be stapled, all in one step with the cardboard tacking strip and the dustboard cover.

Now I enjoy applying top welt!