The finishing touches - Part 4

Step Fifteen

With one side complete, we can now start work on the opposite side of your curtain.

• Before you move anything, firstly pin vertically all the way up the inside of your curtain, which runs along the far edge of your table in a straight line. This way, you can remember you have finished everything to the left side of the pins, and know to work on everything to the right side of the pins. This also helps to keep all of the layers in place while you move it.
• Move your curtain across and use the run of pins as a guide to line up this next section of your curtain straight to the edge of the table - and clamp in place.
• Pull the lining back and press the join of your face fabric flat.

Step Sixteen

Add a second lead penny weight to the bottom hem where the joins are.

• When you join two pieces of fabric together, it can create a tension that doesn't allow your curtain to drape nicely. Adding another lead penny weight here will counteract this.
• Use exactly the same technique as you used for the mitred corner.

Step Seventeen

As with the left side, we can prepare our bottom hem.

• Refer back to step ten, and repeat.

Step Eighteen

Use a locking stitch to secure the lining to the face fabric along the hem while still allowing free movement.

• All being well, your joining seams will match up here - just make sure they line up neatly.
• Prepare a really long piece of thread that will go up the length of your curtain.
• Begin the stitch above the top of the bottom hem and insert a couple of anchor stitches so that it's really secure.
• Insert the needle about 10cm up and pull through until a large semicircle is formed by the thread. Go through the semicircle with your needle and pull loosely, but not tight, as you want to allow for movement.
• Continue up the length of the curtain, stopping around 20cm shy of the very top, then secure.

Step Nineteen

Staying in the same area, where your joins line up, you will now use a chain stitch to secure the bottom hem of the lining to the bottom hem of the face fabric while still allowing free movement.

• For this stitch, you need to double up the thread, and knot the two pieces together at the bottom.
• Start on the face fabric halfway into your bottom hem and create an anchor stitch.
• Insert the needle and create a loop of thread that you can put your hand into.
• Use your hand that is holding the loop open to catch the thread attached to your needle halfway, and pull tight. Repeat to create a chain that is around 4-5cm long.
• Once the chain is long enough, pass the needle through the loop to create a knot.
• Now, join the chain to the corresponding area of the lining with an anchor stitch.

Step Twenty

Construct the right side of your curtain in a complete mirror image to the left side.

• You've already pressed your bottom hem, so now press your side hem - if it helps you can refer back to step ten.
• Repeat steps eleven to fourteen to attach your lining to your face fabric on the final side of your curtain.

Step Twenty One

Finally, finish your curtain by creating the measured drop, and inserting the pencil pleat tape.

• Repeat the exact processes we have worked through in earlier parts of this course.

To complete your final project, you will finish off securing the lining to your face fabric with hand sewing techniques, and inserting the curtain heading.