Polka Dot Curtains

By admin | Published: 4 March 2010

There seems to be a fair amount about polka dots in the press at the moment. The April edition of Livingetc explains how they were huge in the Fifties and Eighties, and how this spring they’ve been picked up again by the likes of Marc Jacobs.

The article features a rather lurid polka dotted Aga, which might be going a little too far – but you could introduce the polka dot in a more subtle way, particularly if you’re looking to update some of your curtains or roman blinds.

Moghul polka dot curtains made to measure

Embroidered Cotton Jinda Spot Curtains - a subtle take on the classic design

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Make your own curtain cord tidy!

By admin | Published: 28 February 2010

When you’re using curtain tape, you need a tidy way to store the excess cord that is created when you pull the tape together to create your pleats. You can’t just tie the cords together and cut off the rest, because you might want to release the pleats some time in the future (e.g. when you have your curtains cleaned).

So what are the options? Well, you can simply knot your cords into a bow, but this can look unsightly if you have a lot of excess cord to stow. So by far the best option is to use a cord tidy. Cord tidies are available at most good soft furnishings shops and of course on the internet, from Rufflette, and other brands. They cost next to nothing (typically £1 for a pack of 4), but the postage is going to cost more than the cord tidy if you buy online, as will your petrol if you hit the road for this little item – so we thought we’d show you how to make your own cord tidy.

Step 1: Find an old bit of plastic or stiff cardboard

diy cord tidy

Find a suitable piece of plastic

Here we’re using the back of an old A4 lever arch file, but there are countless plastics that would suffice, such as packaging. You could of course use stiff cardboard but plastic would obviously be more durable and hardwearing.

Step 2: mark out and cut your cord tidy to size.

making a cord tidy

Use a marker pen to mark out your cord tidy and then cut it to size

Make your cord tidy about 6-8cms long, depending on how much surplus cord you have, and about 2.5cms wide.

Step 3:  mark out the curved sections at each end of the cord tidy by drawing around a suitable object, such as this battery.

DIY cord tidy

Find a suitable, round object to draw around, or simply do this freehand

Step 4: using a pair of scissors, cut out the curved sections you marked earlier, and then carefully make two incisions as pictured below, to catch the loose end of the cord once you have wound it around the cord tidy.

Completed DIY cord tidy

The finished cord tidy - ready to use

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Made to Measure Curtains for Bay Windows – taking on the ultimate challenge!

By admin | Published: 19 February 2010

A customer got in contact with us before Christmas. Three years ago they had shutters installed in the sitting room of their West London house. Now shutters are great for privacy, but they aren’t very cosy in the evenings – and this was literally the case here, because our customers sash windows aren’t double glazed. They wanted something to soften the room aesthetically whilst providing a bit of protection from the draught.

But there were a few problems:

Track space:as you can see from the picture below, a steel joist ran the length of the bay, and the shutter frames were so close to the joist that any curtain track would have to have a profile of less than 2cms if the shutters were ever to open again! The curtains could run along the front of the joist, I hear you say. But even if a decent fixing could be obtained into the joist, by cutting off the bay when closed, the curtains would have the effect of substantially reducing the size of the room.

Curtains for tricky bay windows

The ultimate bay window curtain challenge!

Curtain weight: the customer had chosen a fairly heavy cotton face fabric, and to give the curtains the desired thermal properties they would need to be interlined and lined. At 3.75m wide x 2.8m drop the curtains would be over 12kg – a great deal of weight to carry around a bay window, even without the next problem:

Inadequate fixings: the shutter frames are not designed to take any loads from above, and the window architraves formed an uneven, restricted space making it tricky to get adequate purchase for track fixings. Also, the angle at which the joist hit the wall (see above) meant that no fixings could be positioned on the wall too close to the joist. To make matters worse, the sitting room walls were drylined with stud work, which would make it extremely difficult to get good fixings in the crucial areas where the track brackets would be taking the majority of the load – at the edge of each track where the curtains would be stacked back during the day.

Limited draw back space: there was no more than 30cms drawback space each side of the window (again, see above), and so, particularly given the weight and thickness of the curtains, we would have to think very carefully about curtain headings, to maximise drawback potential.

There was only one obvious solution for this situation – and it came in the form of the CKS corded klick system from Evans Textiles (www.evans-textiles.com). This particular track is only 14mm from top to bottom – which will provide sufficient clearance for the shutters to open, and, in spite of it’s tidy profile, is designed to carry up to 4kg per metre.  The Evans systems can be made to order with a range of aluminium wall brackets, from 7.5cms through to 25cms. The brackets needed to be metal to carry the weight of the curtains, and are more versatile than most on the market due to the way they can be combined with other Evans fixings to suit tricky situations (more on which below).

Step 1. Preparing the architraves for the brackets

bay window curtain preparation

The architrave is drilled and chiselled to provide a flat base for each of the brackets around the bay. The base of each bracket has to be cut away to allow it to fit in the restricted space above the shutter casing.

Step 2. Fixing the brackets in place

The brackets are then gradually fixed in place and will eventually give the track 15cms clearance from the wall – just enough to clear the shutter casings and allow the curtains to be drawn without having to close the shutter bars.

bay window curtain track

In the angles of the bay specially shaped timber has to be inserted to enable the brackets to keep contact with the track on the apex of each track curve.

Step 3. Tailoring the brackets

The track has been bent to return to the wall at the outside edge. This creates problems as the majority of the weight of the curtains will be concentrated in this area when the curtains are drawn back – and the brackets cannot be positioned further in because of proximity to the ceiling joist which enters the wall at an angle.

Wall brackets must be fixed to this curved area of the track, and as the brackets are not designed to attach in this way, each bracket has to be indivually cut to the angle of the track (below left) and drilled to accommodate a ceiling bracket, which is eventually attached to the wall bracket with a nut and bolt (below right). 5 inch frame fixings are inserted into the wall and strengthened with gripfill adhesive, to accommodate the load bearing (top) screws in each bracket. The final bracket (above the cord mechanism) is not attached to the track, but acts as a cantilever to add rigidity to the track where it is unsupported under the ceiling joist.

bespoke brackets for bay window tracks

Step 4. The track is fixed in place.

Once in place, the ripplefold gliders are sprayed with silicon to ensure the curtains glide smoothly around the bay.

CKS Corded Klick System for Bay Window

Step 5. The Curtains are attached to the Evaglide ripplefold system

The ripplefold system gives the curtain it’s distinctive waves – which form beautifully even with the considerable weight of the curtains, which are interlined with syntex bump interlining and lined with thermal lining fabric to maximise the curtains’ thermal properties.

Bay window made to measure curtains with wave system

The curtains are finally up. They introduce the cosiness our customer craved – by softening the sitting room and providing a comprehensive barrier against the draught on cold winter evenings.

Bay window made to measure curtains with wave system heading

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Curtains inspired by Spring

By admin | Published: 17 February 2010

Spring may feel a long way off as the elements close in yet again this week, and the snow begins to gently fall outside. However even now, you should be thinking about preparing your home for spring, and what better way to do this than with some bold purchases that emulate the colours and character of the season.

Cartride pleat blossom inspired curtains

Vintage style cotton print cartride pleat curtains in garden dream blossoms

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Cartridge Pleat Curtain Headings

By admin | Published: 12 February 2010

There’s not a huge amount on the web about cartridge pleats, so we thought it was about time we did a brief blog about cartridge pleat headings.

What is a cartridge pleat? It’s basically a goblet pleat that hasn’t been folded and stitched in at the base. The cylinder runs seamlessly from the pleat into the main body of the curtains, as illustrated in the picture below.

Cartridge pleat curtains in one of our tanjore silks

How do you make a cartridge pleat heading? Well, there are a couple of different ways. You can use rufflette (or other) cartridge pleat tape in conjunction with special pleating hooks. However the method we favour, particularly for heavier weight, lined and interlined curtains, is to stitch the buckram strengthened curtain heading as if we were preparing a goblet heading, but omitting to fold and stitch the goblet in at its base. We then pack a little wadding into the cartridge so that it maintains its cylindrical shape.

What’s the point of a cartridge pleat heading? As with most soft furnishings, you choose a curtain heading for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Dealing first with aesthetics, different pleats work in different surroundings  – from the cottagey gathered heading through to the baronial goblet – with pinch pleats (single/double and triple) admirably filling the gap in between.  From a practical point of view, the pinch pleat and goblet create curtains that stack in beautiful folds, whereas gathered and pencil pleats leave your curtains looking a bit more, well, unstructured or disorganised.

So if you’re after the stacking qualities of a pinch pleat but want something a little more contemporary, then the cartridge pleat is your answer (I’ll talk about eyelets and wave systems another time).

If you’re after the stacking qualities of a pinch pleat but want something a little more contemporary, then the cartridge pleat is your answer

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Red Velvet Curtains for that Warm Winter Look

By admin | Published: 9 December 2009

Red Velvet is once again featured in various home interest magazines this month, and it’s not hard to see why.

Red Velvet - the ultimate indulgence to add cosiness and warmth to your room this winter

Red Velvet - the ultimate indulgence to add cosiness and warmth to your room this winter

Whether you live in a cottage or a more contemporary country setting, velvet serves as the perfect backdrop for your Christmas festivities (cue crackling log fire!).

Berry red shades – so prevalent this autumn – are the perfect colour to create that warm, wonderfully indulgent and cosy look for your curtains.

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A Hard Pelmet that no longer fits the brief!

By admin | Published: 6 December 2009

The Customer is Always Right!
Um, we’ve got a slight problem, I shouted down the corridor. “Oh dear, what’s that?” asked my client from downstairs? As she came into the room (her newly decorated twins’ bedroom) I explained the problem. “Well, I’m afraid you didn’t tell me you were installing a fitted wardrobe next to the window” I said!

The brief: with two new babies, keeping the light out was a priority, and so we opted for the combination of a dimout blind spanning both sash windows and curtains. The curtains were to hang on a track fixed to a pelmet board, with a hard (plywood stiffened) pelmet completing the look (and helping to keep light from washing into the room over the top of the curtains).

No room for the pelmet! But as you’ll see from the photo below, the newly installed wardrobe gave us a bit of a problem. It was sitting exactly where we intended to hang the pelmet, and with the curtains already made there was no way we could raise the track and pelmet board so that the pelmet could clear the wardrobe.

A cupboard has been fitted since we measured

A cupboard has been fitted since we measured for our client's pelmeted curtains

The wardrobe architrave protrudes into the reveal preventing us hanging the pelmet in its intended position

The wardrobe architrave protrudes into the reveal preventing us from hanging the pelmet in its intended position

These situations, whilst challenging can also be pretty fun, because you sometimes have to be really creative to work a way around the problem. It suddenly occurred to me that if we raised the pelmet up the pelmet board so that the bottom of the pelmet sat just above the wardrobe door, we could resolve the problem. There were two problems with this idea though – we would need to take a piece out of the cupboard and the velcro strip that ran along the back of the pelmet along the top edge (which fixes the pelmet to the pelmet board) would have to be unpicked and moved further down the back of the pelmet.

So here’s how we did it:

Step 1 – Marking the piece to be removed from the wardrobe

A line is drawn to indicate the area that needs to be removed

A line is drawn to indicate the area that needs to be removed

Step 2 – Removing the wardrobe architraving

The architrave is carefully sawn through and removed

The architrave is carefully sawn through and removed

Step 3 – Repositioning the velcro: the velcro was carefully unpicked and repositioned parallel to the top of the pelmet, approximately a third of the way down the back of the pelmet.

Step 4 – A little trick with plastic: we covered the side returns of the pelmet board with plastic so that we could slide the pelmet into place without the opposing velcro strips on the pelmet and board catching each other, and when the pelmet board was in exactly the right position, we removed the plastic so that the velcro strips knitted together.

Cover the velcro with a plastic sheet to prevent the opposing trips of velcro catching as the pelmet is slid into place

Cover the velcro with a plastic sheet to prevent the opposing trips of velcro catching as the pelmet is slid into place

Step 5 – Sliding the pelmet into place: the pelmet is finally in place in its new, elevated position.

The Pelmet in its final position - fitting snugly just above the wardrobe door

The Pelmet in its final position - fitting snugly just above the wardrobe door

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Blackout Roman Blinds made to measure – 7 reasons to use blackout lining with your made to measure roman blinds

By admin | Published: 26 November 2009

I was having a chat with a designer yesterday and she was impressing me with her attention to detail when it comes to advising customers on all things soft furnishings. But in the course of our conversation she said “and I had to advise the customer against blackout lining because it is such a bulky and inflexible material”. My ears pricked up at this and I had to jump in to put her straight on this. Blackout lining is anything but bulky and inflexible.

Blackout Lining

Blackout Lining

Here are a few things you need to know about this most versatile of lining fabrics:

What is blackout lining? The blackout linings pictured in this blog are 265grms 3 pass linings made from 50% polyester and 50% cotton – which is typical of those readily available on the market. An acrylic coating gives the fabric its blackout properties, and you’ll often see them referred to as “2 pass” or the heavier weight “3 pass” – which derives from the number of times the lining fabric is passed through the coating process. You can purchase fire retardant (“F.R”) OR non fire retardant “NON F.R” linings.

What colours is it available in? Typically ivory, cream or white, although some suppliers, such as Evans Textiles have a range of coloured “Evasuede” blackout fabrics available in anything from black and blue through to burgundy, and gold.

Ivory, Cream and White Blackout Linings

Ivory, Cream and White Blackout Linings laid across the back of a roman blind fitted with white blackout lining

What’s the difference between blackout and thermal lining? Thermal lining, like blackout is typically polyester/ cotton construction but lacks the acrylic coating, so if you want a lining that has thermal properties, but you also want blackout, you know what to go for!

7 Reasons why blackout lining works so well with roman blinds? There are various practical, as well as aesthetic reasons why you might decide to choose roman blinds over curtains, and here are a few reasons why blackout lining is the perfect compliment to your new made to measure roman blind:

  1. It feels like cotton! It’s surprising how many of our customers still have an image of blackout lining as being a thick, rubberised barrier that is practical but not much else. THIS IS WRONG! Blackout lining feels like cotton to the touch and the acrylic coating is so discrete as to not be noticeable.
  2. It works like cotton! blackout lining is a little thicker than cotton sateen lining, but otherwise operates in a very similar fashion. It’s extremely flexible and works perfectly with roman blinds
  3. It protects the face fabric: blackout lining will shield the roman blind face fabric (the fabric on the front of your blind) from the harmful effects of the sun, giving you the confidence to choose more delicate fabrics, such as silk, for that south facing window. Not only will it protect the fabric from rotting, but it will also prevent the colours of your face fabric from fading over time.
  4. It allows your blind’s true colours to shine through: blackout lining stops the light beaming through your blinds, not only does it protect the face fabric, but it also prevents the sun from diluting those colours /shades that you chose so carefully – as it would otherwise do, as it shone through the back of the blind during daylight hours.
  5. It adds strength and substance: because it is a little thicker than cotton sateen lining, blackout lining adds form and support to a roman blind, which is a great attribute particularly when your roman blind is quite wide (see our blog on extra wide roman blinds for more info on this).
  6. It’s the natural choice for bedrooms: the obvious one, but blackout lining is a natural choice for all bedroom blinds. Unless you really aren’t fazed about being woken up by the sun, we would always recommend blackout lining for your bedroom blinds, and:
  7. It removes the need for interlining: because it adds structure to your roman blind, and, more obviously, stops light filtering through your blind, it makes a very good case for you being able to dispense with interlining altogether.
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Roman Blinds with Contrasting Borders – sumptuous style made to measure

By admin | Published: 22 November 2009

You need a made to measure roman blind – possibly for your drawing room, or bedroom. You want to achieve an opulent look and so you’re thinking about silk. You don’t want to go for a bold pattern but you want to do something special with the roman blind to create a bit of wow factor – or maybe to complement a certain colour in the room. What do you do?

Contrasting borders down the sides and bottom edge of your roman blind are a great way to achieve this. A border allows you to opt for a plain silk for the main part of the blind, but then to introduce an accent colour, perhaps to pick out other soft furnishings in the room, or simply to create a slightly opulent look.

Made to Measure Silk Roman Blind with Contrasting Border

Made to Measure Silk Roman Blind with Contrasting Border

If you’re still undecided about whether to go for curtains or blinds, here are a few additional tips, to help you make your decision:

Roman blinds cost less than curtains: the amount of fabric used to make curtains (the face fabric, the lining and interlining) is far greater than that used for roman blinds. The result is that a lined and interlined roman blind will be much more reasonably priced than lined and interlined curtains in the same fabric. So if budget is the driving force in the decision then consider roman blinds as an alternative to curtains.

Aesthetic issues: consider the room and the look that you are trying to achieve in that room.  It may well be the case that a roman blind is the most appropriate (as well as the least costly) option. Here are a few reasons why:

  • Floor to ceiling curtains will often dominate the room and make it look smaller, so if space is limited or the room is small, consider the roman blind option. Putting the roman blind inside (as opposed to outside) a recess will maximise the effect of making the room look bigger.
  • Although roman blinds don’t tend to give quite such a warm cosy feeling, they often work well when you are trying to achieve a simpler, open, light and airy look. However roman blinds placed outside the window architrave can have a similar effect to curtains in making the room look cosy, but at a fraction of the cost.

Practical issues:

  • Roman blinds are a practical choice for kitchen and bathroom windows and also work well in small windows or where there isn’t sufficient draw back space at either side of the window for a curtain.
  • If you have a radiator below your window, floor to ceiling curtains are not a good idea from an energy saving perspective. In these circumstances a roman blind might be the best option – particularly if, like so many people, you don’t like sill length curtains. Make sure your blind has interlining, and to maximise the thermal effect of the blind, go for blackout lining – which, with it’s additional, acrylic layer has in-built thermal properties.
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Energy Saving Curtains and Blinds: 8 hot tips to help cut your heating bills

By admin | Published: 17 November 2009

In our last blog on energy saving we explored how carefully chosen linings and interlinings can give your curtains and roman blinds thermal properties and therefore help to minimise heat loss during the cold winter months. Continuing this theme, in this blog we have a few more tips to help cut those heating bills.

Tip 1 – Draught proof your windows and doors: with (thermally) lined and (preferably at least medium weight) interlined curtains. The photo in our last blog illustrates how much heat you can lose through your windows. Add door brushes to the underside of draughty doors, and insulation strips around the inside edges of the door.

Tip 2 – Minimise radiator heat escaping through walls! ahhh! there’s so much to say about radiators! The photo below shows just how much heat escapes directly through the wall behind a radiator. Consider therefore inserting radiator reflector foil (eg as available from screwfix) between the radiator and the wall. You won’t see it, but I think you’ll agree after looking at this photo, how important it is to stop that heat escaping.

Thermo imaging showing how much heat is lost from radiators directly through the wall

Thermo imaging showing how much heat is lost from radiators directly through the wall

Tip 3 – Seal out the cold air behind your curtains:  you can maximise the effectiveness of your new, thermal curtains by returning the outside edges of each curtain to the wall (often referred to as light lock – see picture below, left). For maximum insulating effect light lock your curtains as below, but opt for a pelmet board, track and pelmet system, as opposed to a pole (see picture below, right).

Returning curtains to wall at end of pole or track locks the draught out

Returning curtains to wall at end of pole or track locks the draught out

Tip 4 – Position your Radiators with care: there are conflicting reports on the pros and cons of positioning radiators under windows. Originally they were placed under the window to reduce drafts caused by heat loss from single glazed windows. However as windows have become more thermally efficient there is less reason than ever  today to position your radiators under the window.

However one thing is certain – you will be solving a major soft furnishing conundrum if you position your radiators elsewhere.  We have so many customers who, when faced with the choice of sill length curtains hanging just above the radiator, or floor length curtains that will completely cover the radiator, go for the floor length option, because, let’s face it, floor length curtains look much nicer than their sill equivalents.

Tip 5 – Use a radiator shelf: where your radiators are under the window, be creative – as there are various ways you can reduce the problem of heat loss. Fit a deep sill or shelf over the radiator, and position your curtains so that they touch the shelf. By touching the shelf your curtains will minimise draught from your windows, and the shelf will act to push the radiator heat out into your room, rather than into the void between the curtains and window.  A word of caution though:  as commented on one of Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert forums – “a shelf over a radiator will reduce its output by about 10% due to reduced air circulation. This does not mean a reduction in efficiency just that it will be less effective at heating the space. As most radiators are oversized you probably will not notice the difference except in the coldest weather. Putting furniture in front will have a similar effect”.

Tip 6 – …Or even better, use a radiator cover: The radiator cover will act like the shelf in projecting the heat outwards rather than up between the curtain and window, but is a much more aesthetic alternative than the shelf. Another word of caution though from the Martin Lewis forum – radiator covers probably reduce output by about 20% – but even this heat loss will be better than the alternative of losing that heat behind the curtain and out of the window! Remember also that thermostatic valves within the radiator cover will only control the air temperature within the radiator cover itself!

Tip 7 – improvise: on very cold, draughty nights, tuck your curtains up onto the window sill to create a sealed barrier around the window reveal. Any heat from a radiator below will rise over the face of the curtain rather than heating up the void behind the window reveal.

Tip 8 - And finally: the humble sausage shaped draught excluder is a great way to prevent draughts coming under the door. Eeewwwhhhhhh! Did I really type that?

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