Getting around to it! ...

I've just had a tidy-out (many months overdue!) of some of my mail-order suppliers list & come across some VERY USEFUL companies I'd like to recommend for specific jobs as I've found them to be very reliable - here they are:

for covering buttons, belts & other trims:

Harlequin in Essex

for pleating of fabric:

Ciment Pleating - Potters Bar (Herts)

for dyeing individual items of clothing or furnishings:

Harry Berger - Cheshire

Kaffe Fassett @ American Museum ...

Last Friday I visited the gloriously colourful Kaffe Fassett exhibition. Apart from all his work, here's some of my favourite pix I took:

Fabric & thread @ entrance tree

Woollen flags by doorway

Entering the display gallery

Mirrored entrance

The entire entrance area to Kaffe's work was a superb welcoming - ready to next see his work. Too many things to itemise, I've just tried to capture it all with this one shot below!

A taste of what's on view !

I personally would have liked to have seen a lot more of his work on show & was somewhat disappointed but on venturing into the main museum, was told that there were more pieces amongst the other museum exhibits. Here's one of my favourites I came across:

1964 ink sketches

Cotton cups !! ...

Dolls beachwear c.1950
handmade by me !

I've had a couple of customers recently enquire about bras, predominantly for me to make or alter them. One customer in particular has several problems regarding 'buying off the shelf' & a "joking suggestion to use up some of her fabric scraps & make her one to match the blouse" may now be a reality! More on this next week when I meet with the customer for a further discussion.

Euro Pleats for Ikea Curtain Panels: Step 7 - Sew on Hooks ...

Stitch across upper edge of each pleat as previous instruction - this stitching holds the upper edge in place but allows the lower 'roll' to open/fan out.

When complete, sew on individual hooks, ensuring stitching does not show from the right side. The hook should be positioned as closely as possible to the vertical pleat seam line.

Before hanging, ensure all pleat 'rolls' are open then hang curtains. (At this stage, the hems are finished).

When finally complete, fold each roll & pleat into position across the curtain. "Dress the window"ensuring each pleat/fold lines run evenly & vertically perfect, tying or clipping into position. Leave for several days before removing ties.

Euro Pleats for Ikea Curtain Panels: Step 6 - Prepare pleats ...

Remove all tacking & turn to right side. Create slight roll with pleat.

Push central section of pleat-roll inwards to form 2 smaller pleats.

Ensure these pleats are sitting in the centre of the roll & fold down.

Using a wide zig-zag machine stitch (stitch length 0 ie. sewing on the 'spot'), stitch through all pleat layers close to the upper edge to hold the pleat in place.

Euro Pleats for Ikea Curtain Panels: Step 5 - Slip stitch facing ...

Slip stitching the facing to the lining

Turn the curtain to lining facing you.

The facing will next be stitched to ONLY the lining section of the curtain. Using a fine needle, pick up a few threads of the lining & insert the needle into the folded edge of the facing, sliding it along the fold to emerge appx. 0.5"/1.2cm from where it was inserted. 

Pick up a few threads of the lining & repeat this process across the width of the curtain. The ends of the facing should also be slip-stitching down. Remove all tacking.

Euro Pleats for Ikea Curtain Panels: Step 4 - Stitching pleats ...

Stitching pleats in position
With right side of curtain facing, match first & second pair of pins to create a 'pleat', pin/tack into position. Stitch from upper edge to just below the buckram depth, through all fabric layers. Repeat the process across the width of the curtain - the image above shows the first 2 pleats stitched to hold them in place.

Do not press yet but fold the pleat back to form a soft roll (see image below).

Stitch facing to hold in place
With lining fabric facing, slip stitch the facing lower edge to the lining & side edges to the side seams.