All the Best, part 1

I've been waiting a long time to do this blog post about one of my favorite projects of 2018, for designer Susan Marocco.

Last summer we created these valances that are a whole lot more than the sum of their parts.  They are the result of the finest materials, intense hand-sewing, internal structure, and special handling.

It's going to take several posts to tell the whole story, and today is the day to begin. 
Susan Marocco's clients live in a sprawling home overlooking a lake.

Accustomed to having no window treatments, but wanting the room to look finished, they chose top treatments in a sky-and-lake palette to create continuity between the indoors and outdoors.

After considering a dozen or more possible fabrics, a strié Rogers & Goffigon wool was selected.  I knew immediately that I had to plan to make these treatments entirely by hand.  A geometric border from Samuel & Sons was chosen to define the bottom and add to the layers of color.

There were 7 separate kick-pleated valances, each a different size.  Each section size was determined accordingly.  The trim's geometric pattern was centered on each.  That in turn influenced the size of the kick pleat because the motif needed to be centered in the pleat as well. 
AND there were two right-angle corners- the left corner, in the photo above, and the right corner, which ran into the bookcase and needed a little fiddling.

The only machine sewing on the entire project was joining the sections.
We decided to sew the trim to the fabric before making the valances.  Running stitches in a matching blue thread completely disappeared into the trim.

When working with fine materials, I love to use what I call the best of both worlds- a combination of fine handwork that is facilitated by the use of modern tools and materials.  In this case, we used a removable double face adhesive tape from Rowley to secure the trim so it could be sewn with more control.  After the bottom stitch line was finished, we peeled off the "basting tape" before sewing the top stitch line.  This is actually a tape that is sticky on both sides, as opposed to an adhesive film on tape.  Removing it left no sticky stuff behind. 

Here you can see why the trim had to be sewn on by hand.  Whenever sewing happens, there is a bit of take-up, because as little as a single line of thread adds bulk and slightly distorts the fabric.  Even with the most attentive hand-sewing, in this photo you can see the slightest bit of rippling behind and below the trim.  Hand-sewing allows the most control over thread tension, which minimizes the take-up.  If this had been sewn on by machine, even a walking foot machine, the take-up would've been noticeable.  This is true of any fabric, but wool especially. 

Once all the trim was sewn, it was time to layer in the linings.  The goal was to have the wool fold up enough to create the tiniest lip of trim showing on the back, as you can see here if you peer closely at the bottom edge of the back of the valance.

And that's where I will pick up on the next post- layering in the linings and adding internal structure.  Now, it's time to get back to sewing my current project. 

Exercise in efficiency: one dozen bay window valances

Here's what has been keeping the workroom occupied!- a dozen bay window valances.  The woven medallion patterned fabric is fire-retardant with Silky Diablo fire-retardant blackout lining.

I pulled out every efficiency process, method, and technique I've ever developed, to streamline getting these valances cut, sewn, and mounted.   A full bolt of fabric was sliced into 65 cuts, and another full bolt of lining was sliced into railroaded strips.   Then each section was trimmed to size and the valances assembled.  Of course none of the windows were exactly the same size!  The new walking foot machine eliminated the walking and puckering that would otherwise result from sewing cross-cut face fabric to railroaded lining.
I think I spent 8 hours just ironing. 
Creating a mounting space is the biggest challenge, so we wanted to get all of them stapled in one go, so we could get the workroom back to normal asap.

We used a combination of stands to create a stable space.

 I was lucky in that all the boards were cut and delivered to me!  John assembled them then covered the undersides with lining, in preparation for stapling the valances..

These all were hinged in the center to make them easy to transport.

We asked Merrill Y. Landis to fabricate the 206 single width panels.  They're a great company to partner with!  Here's about 10% of the panels, ready to be loaded.  This was an adventure!

Fitted valance with cutout

Following up from yesterday's post about the 13' one-way 175" long ripplefold panel for Crosstown Shade and Glass- that valance!
The tricky part of a 13' valance, inside mount with a fitted cutout, isn't actually the fabrication.

 It's making sure that it will fit when it gets to the installation site.

We worked closely with Jeff from Crosstown Shade and Glass, discussing every detail, to ensure that installation would go smoothly.

The basic fabrication was simple.  The valance was self-lined and interlined.  If you remember from yesterday, the fabric is a lightweight 100% linen.  To keep control of the fabric while stapling, we basted across the top at the board line.  And instead of moving the pressed valance to the sewing machine, we just ladder-stitched the sides closed by hand.

At the cutout end, we marked the board line and basted.

The excess was cut away and the fabric snipped down to the board line at the pleat.....

And at the cutout corner.
The corner was also staystitched with small backstitches to keep it from stretching out of shape.

The face fabric was folded back and the interlining was basted to the back of the valance then trimmed away.

The board was assembled, and the corners reinforced with angle irons, which Jeff could remove at the installation.

Stapling the valance was a breeze.  We added top welting to disguise any possible irregularities in the ceiling line.

NEXT UP..... that gigantic shaped tieback looks simple, which was the goal, but fabrication was anything but!  Tune in tomorrow......

The Lazy-S Valance

For a variety of reasons, our workroom is most often associated with shades.  What many people don't know, however, is that we also do a brisk production of valances which are rarely seen here on the blog. 
Sheffield, Queen Anne, scalloped kick pleat- they are all the same basic shape.

I call these the "Lazy-S" valances, because they mostly begin with a serpentine bottom shape like this.

These valances are reduced to five steps: draft, cut, mark, make, and mount.  Whether it's a one-off or multiples of the same valance, my procedure and tools are the same.
Meticulous preparation allows us to feed valances like these through the workroom quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
First, the valances are broken down into numbers.  Sometimes I'll make a sketch to scale, like these I did recently to help a client narrow down shape, size, and proportion.

On a large roll of graph paper I draft the pattern; in the case of 10 identical valances I made a full pattern, flipping the first scallop and horn to repeat.  More often, I choose from scallop and horn patterns which I have made in every size and join them together.

 The notcher is my most indispensable tool for efficient marking:

The pattern is weighted down and since these valances were railroaded I could layer the face and lining and cut them both at once.  I got two out of the width, and I cut and sewed the first two to test the fabrics and trim, before cutting the remaining 8.  These valances are white fabric with white lining, sorry it's not more visually appealing in the photos!

Then I rolled out 8 layers of fabric and lining to stack-cut the remaining valances with my electric rotary cutter.

The notches are transferred to the fabric at the bottom.  This allows me to sew efficiently, with a minimum of pinning.  These valances had lip cord at the bottom; I applied it first to the face then used the notches to align the layers as I sewed the lining.

Most importantly, before moving the valances off the table, I carefully mark the tops with black Sharpie pen.   I've standardized a system of marking for myself which allow me to staple the valances to the boards quickly and accurately after they're sewn and pressed. The permanent ink ensures that the marks will still be there when I'm ready to mount, sometimes days or a week later. 

A length of fabric is cut and sliced with a rotary cutter for the dustboard covers.  I always cut the dustboard covers when I'm cutting valances and shades!

And there you have it!  With careful preparation, the sewing is the least of the effort. 

Some recent projects

I have been so remiss lately, totally forgetting to document our daily fabrication adventures!  Partly because we're busy, and partly because I some projects can't be photographed, and partly because I just forget.
So here are some post-installation photos of some recent projects.

Denise Wenacur turned this window seat into a colorful and tasteful space that a young girl can grow into.  Is glazed cotton making a resurgence?  Both of these prints were somewhat glazed, especially the cushion fabric.  It was a delight to sew, and the geometric design made it super easy to match the pattern on the boxing to the main body.

I opted to alternate motifs on the valance.  The valance is 18" long, and to have the sections all literally match just seemed too much.

In the guest room, I got to reprise the hybrid soft cornice with kick pleats that I had so much fun making earlier in the year.  You can't tell from the photo, but the light color diamond pattern is a fairly heavy chenille, so there was a bit of a challenge keeping the bulk off of the board at the ends. 

Here is the same style we made back in March.  I posted a how-to at the time, here.  We made these new ones the same way, on buckram with interlining, minus the trim and lip cord.

The room is not quite finished, but the window treatments will be an important component.

Let's see, what else?  For Suzie of Cottages to Castles: blackout draperies, 4 widths each side, out of a horizontal striped faux silk?  I did have help fabricating these- that's quite a handful of fabric!  We used double-wide "Silky" blackout so there would be no seams with light leakage.  These curtains are installed on a motorized rod.

And how about this room for D. S. Interiors, full of inverted pleat, mock wave curtains?  Every single space had a slightly different finished length, so we pattern matched from the top down, using 4" fusible transparent Dofix buckram.  What a breeze that product made the project!  The tucks were pleated to pattern so the geometric motif is the same on every "wave."  The bottom hems were barely 1" so there would be a minimum of embroidery showing through the double fold.  White chain weight helps the fabric stay put.  The measurements were so unequal, sometimes even on one single window, so we mostly split the difference to keep the bottom line of the curtain as much the same as possible.

 

Well, that's all for today, folks!  More next time........

Basting, and double mitered corners

You know I love to baste, right?  There is something so very BASIC about it.  Something so satisfying that pins, staples, or double-sided sticky tape can never offer.

The first challenge for these two valances, for Suzie of Cottages to Castles, was the double mitered corners, and the second challenge was the interlining.  The interlining is where the basting comes into the story.
First, the mitered corners.  Mitering does not happen in my comfort zone.  I have to travel far outside, venturing way up on the learning curve, to do mitering.

First I cut and mark the pieces, and lay them out so I won't get the right side and direction mixed up.

I'm sure there is a way to make a double mitered band all in one step, and that would be like magic to me.  I have to do it the baby way; it just takes a little longer.

Once the bands are on, all the seam allowances are trimmed and pressed.

After flipping the piece to right side up, I use blue tape to mark the eventual hemlines.  This is a technique I learned from Scot Robbins, to keep lines straight when the reference point is on the side you can't see.

Back on the wrong side, the interlining is laid out and trimmed to the exact front shape.  Anxious to keep the corner bulk to a minimum, I only want interlining in the face.  To help keep it in place, it's folded back and interlocked  vertically to the grey seam allowance.

Interlining is a technique I learned from Penny Bruce; it's internal, permanent basting. 

The interlining stops at the edge of the board, and to keep it there, it's basted to the lining just below the board line where it will never be visible because it'll be behind the board.

After pressing it back into place, the lining and face are basted together just above the board line.

Once the treatment is secured by stapling to the board, this basting line will be removed.

The entire hem is hand-sewn with the invisible ladder stitch.  The blue tape tells me that I've got exactly 2" of blue on the right side.
 

Ta-da!  Board-ready.