Silk and jute sheer shade

I've worked with this silk and jute fabric before and it is always a pleasure. 

Designer Monica Plotka shares my love of twill tape binding and we've used it to bind this fabric which really cannot be hemmed.  This shade is lined with voile.

When working with sheer fabric, my first step is to pull a thread so I can cut along the grainline.

I basted the voile around the perimeter of the silk, both cut to the exact finished size.

Before finishing the edges, I sewed the clear rings to the shade.  This stabilized the layers further.

To apply the twill tape, I started with the bottom edge, on the back.  I nestled it up next to a row of jute and basted it in place.

Then I flipped the bottom up and hand-sewed the right side, making sure that the twill tape was caught on the back as well.

I turned the corners and started working the miters into place.

After securing securing the corners on the back, I folded the twill tape to the front and pinned it.

I finished hand-sewing the tape from the front side, catching both sides with one row of stitching, and ladder-stitched those pesky mitered corners.

For the weight bar pocket, I used a piece of translucent buckram, folded in half and stitched, and inserted a piece of 1/2" acrylic rodding, which was nearly invisible from the front.

Done!

Shade stories after a long break!

Hi there people- wow, I really took a long blog break after returning from vacation.  We've been hard at work, however, and I'm going to ease back in slowly with some of the wonderful shades we've made for Monica Plotka.

This casement fabric is lined with poly voile.  I prefer some sort of lining with even the sheerest shades, because a lining gives another layer of fabric for the thread to hold onto, thus reducing the stress on the face fabric.  And even voile adds a bit of privacy.

 I love using Dofix translucent buckram in the hem. 

The trim was "basted" on with Dofix, then hand-sewn.  I did not think that the fabric could support without distortion the weight of the glass bead trim without actual stitching that went through all the layers.

This little powder room silk shade is lined with a poly-cotton semi-sheer.

 

This heavy glass bead trim was hand-sewn- the tape portion of the trim is barely 1/4" wide.

Translucent buckram is used in this bottom hem.   I love how neat it is!

We put plenty of fabric into the bottom of this silk relaxed roman to make it nice and full even when lowered. 

The lace on the bottom is a fashion trim.   It was carefully hand-sewn right to the very edge of the fabric.

We often think of interlining silk, but the poly-cotton semi-sheer lining allows the light to filter through, casting a warm glow, and revealing the fabric grain.  The delicate lace trim is beautiful with the light behind it.