Date: 10/24/09 0:26 AM

Hi all,

Summary - would you cut according to the grain or according to the pattern (which is off-grain)?
- more detail below -
Curtains/drapes are 2.3m long (floor length) which is about 91inches in length.

I'm cutting out fabric drops of 2.56m length curtain/drapery fabric for the lounge/living room curtains.
(nb. 1m is about 3ft 3in)
I have three large windows that I'll be doing.
The largest is 4.04 m wide, with another on that wall of 1.9 m. The adjoining openplan room has a window of 2.7m wide.
All curtains will be floor length - finished length of 2.3m.

The fabric is a cream-ish colour with a pattern of medium-small roses/flowers or buds and some curling twigs with leaves (looks better than it sounds).

The pattern is off by up to possible 2.5 cm (1 inch) over the width of the fabric... which is about 1.5m (ie. 150cm)

I don't really feel comfortable cutting on pattern as I'm going to end up with a challenge when hemming and turning over the heading.
I'm handfinishing the bottom and sides, and machine stitching the rufflette-type heading tape.

thanks in advance for your opinions/advice!
regards
Gillian

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G
Sydney, Australia

Date: 10/24/09 1:04 AM

I don't know if this how the professionals do it, but I cut it with the pattern. When I've had this problem and the headings were gathered/shirred....I matched the pattern, made sure the hems were perfect, then any glitches were moved to the top area and hidden in the heading area within the gathers.
Steam A Seam really helps with matching when the pattern isn't even.
Adding some extra length to the panels will give you some extra room, in case you need to trim them.

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My grandmother taught me to sew when I was 10, and I've been sewing ever since.

Date: 10/24/09 1:04 AM

double post
-- Edited on 10/24/09 1:22 PM --

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My grandmother taught me to sew when I was 10, and I've been sewing ever since.

Reply to teagg
Date: 10/24/09 8:58 AM

I have never cut drapery panels with a pattern because I never have a pattern. I make sure the cuts of the lengths are all at the same place so the design matches, and everything stays on grain. If this was my project, I would do it the same way and use the pattern for directions on the header only. I doubt professionals have the time to fiddle with long panel patterns. I've never seen one, unless it has a really unusual 'cut,' and therefore shape, to the design.

Sometimes the printing at the factory is "off". I learned this after carefully cutting panels at the same place, only to learn the printed design was going uphill. Argh!
-- Edited on 10/24/09 8:59 AM --

Reply to diane s
Date: 10/24/09 10:16 AM

Diane said it perfectly for me so I will just second her advice....

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"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

Date: 10/24/09 1:56 PM

UGH! I just had this problem yesterday!

Whether to cut with the pattern or cut with the grain depends on the weave of the fabric. If the weave is a little loose you could try to block the pattern back to square and steam the heck out of it and see if it stays. If the weave is tight, like a chintz, you really have no choice but to cut with the grain and match your pattern at the sides. Trying to force a tight weave off grain will only result in a nightmare!!!

Reply to teagg
Date: 10/25/09 9:54 AM

Tough one. If you cut with the pattern, will the grain be off enough that it will affect how the panels hang? If you cut with the grain, will the pattern be off and will you look at the drapes everytime you walk in the room and go "WRONG!!!" Do you have enough fabric to try a panel each way as an experiment? I have cut off grain prints with the print rather than the grain for clothing with mixed results-probably why I prefer solids.

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wino

Date: 10/25/09 4:38 PM

I'm with Wino. I had this problem on a set of flannel pillowcases--the print was way off grain (it looked like the bears were marching uphill). I asked PR, and got the same mixed advice! Eventually I just split the difference and cut it so that the cut was slightly off *and* the print was slightly slanted.

I was only making pillowcases, and there was some definite funkiness when sewing them together, since the fabric was cut off grain.

I'd be really worried that if you cut something as large and as drapery panels--which will *hang*--that cutting off grain would cause them to hang and stretch strangely.

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~Gem in the prairie

Date: 10/13/10 8:41 AM

Hi, I realize the original project is long finished, but I thought I would add a post for future readers based on my experience working in a professional drapery workroom. If the pattern is woven (as opposed to printed) into the fabric you can often stretch the fabric pattern on the bias back to square. To do this, trim the selvages and then with two people working together, grip the fabric tightly. One will grip along the top and one on the side. Then pull along the bias as hard as you can. Move your hands down about 6" - 8" and pull again. Repeat down the length of the fabric. The direction or side that you pull on depends on what direction the pattern is sloping towards. Check to see how successful the first series of pulls is in straightening the grain. If necessary, repeat. We NEVER cut the fabric off grain for drapery panels. They won't hang properly if you do. On the rare occasion that the pattern couldn't be squared, it would inevitably be returned as defective. Most better quality wholesale fabric houses will accept returns under this condition but the low price retailers like Jo Ann's and Hancock's probably won't.