Another soft cornice and another new method

I was so emboldened by my recent soft cornice experiences that I said yes to this treatment as a soft cornice with the shaped bottom and lip cord.  The designer, fellow Ossining-ite Elizabeth Harlow, provided a perfect template- so I had no drafting to do- just had to trace and cut.

In the front hallway

I used a combination of old-fashioned and new-fangled techniques.  (I love doing that!)   The treatment is made on two layers of Skirtex with interlining on top and Bella Notte Silky blackout on the back.  Lip cord traces and enhances the bottom silhouette.

For the shaped bottom, I used three methods: Rowley's fringe glue, double-sided sticky tape, and hand-sewing.  I did not feel comfortable with the curves and cutouts without reinforcing by sewing with an invisible ladder stitch. 

Once all the trim and all the layers were joined, I finished the bottom back with Dofix iron-on gimp.  What a treat that stuff is!!!!

Then, the real fun happened with the return.  The board was cut 1/2" less than the finished width.  For the returns I used 1/4" hardwood, 3.5" wide, which I get from Home Depot, and cut it the finished length.  The fabric was cut on the sides with 2x the return extra.  I slipped the 1/4" board into the return hem:

Folded the fabric over:

Then folded it again:

And secured it tightly at the top.  These steps took a little more fiddling than it looks, but, believe me, it was incredibly easy compared to any other way I've ever tried making a rigid return on a soft treatment.

Then I stapled it to the board:

Put a few more staples to secure the return:

And finished the dustcover.

Lastly, I hand-sewed the bottom of the return to tighten it up:

I'm thrilled with this neat, clean corner that is stable and secure without having to build a frame with attached legs!

For anyone seeking full instructions on soft cornice fabrication, I recommend any one of the following: Jo Braxton Thomas , Donna Skufis, and Rowley Company. All have excellent methods and instructions.