Window treatment nightmare

[helenal]

New to this site, please allow me to whine! I just bought a house with 32 windows....and of course my mother was right, it cost a fortune to dress my windows. This is my first house and I know absolutely nothing about drapery. I just spent $4500 through JC Penny home decorating for my family/kitchen area. I think I need to spend a little less on the rest of the house. Since I have custom window treatments in one area, I want to make the other areas look equally as nice, but without the price tag. I was at a fabric shop and I saw a pleat holder for a swag. Is there a product made for pinch pleat draperies that will hold the pleats perfectly while hanging? Right now I have the bottom of my pottery barn drapes straight pinned to the floor, which works, but I was wondering if there was a better way?

[Annette]

you've pinned your drapes to the floor??? why?

good pinch pleated draperies will hang nicely because they're made with good weighty fabric and they're lined, and the weight of the bottom hem helps them to hang nice and straight. if you've got less than high quality drapes, or they're made from lightweight fabric, or they're not lined, you can add weights to the bottom hem to help them hang better.

[FourThumbs]

Try opening them fully. Then adjust the folds by hand & tie lengths of fabric around the panels to hold the folds in place. An old sheet torn into strips works just fine. You may have to do this in several places along the length of your draperies. Let them hang like this for a few days and the folds will stay in place nicely.

If I had as many windows as you, I would seriously consider taking up sewing. It's not that difficult to make curtains & draperies, as it's all straight sewing. It just takes time. When you make your own, you can afford to invest more heavily in the fabric because of the savings you've achieved from eliminating the labor costs.

[PSU329]

Helenal - I feel your pain.

My wife and I are closing on a house tomorrow and instead of the 5 windows we have in our townhouse, we will now have more than 25 in our newhome and of course she wants to have window treatments on every one.

We have had several arguments recently about the cost of the window treatments and my argument is how easy they would be to make.

Just like Fourthumbs suggests, I am seriously considering investing into a sewing machine and attempting some designs on my own!

[missholly]

Hi,

Here's some information you may be very interested in reading... It's at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com. You're wife will love it!

*******************
NO ADVERTISEMENTS OR SOLICITING WITHIN THE FORUMS!!!!!!!!!!!1