The period running up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year in the Denton Drapes workroom as we work hard to deliver beautiful new curtains to our lovely clients. However for a little light relief we decided to put together a Christmas cushion display.  This guide shows how we went about it.

First we cut a pattern for the tree applique

Pattern for the Tree

We gathered together fabric for the cushion itself, for each element to be applied and some beads and bobbles for decoration.

Materials for the cushion

All these shapes were bonded onto the base fabric with pieces of wonderweb to hold them in place before stitching began

Tree

Trunk

Pot

Star

We then took the front of the cushion to the machine. we used a decorative zig-zag stitch and a metallic gold thread making sure the stitches were close together.

At the machine

Carefully we followed the outline of the Christmas tree, trunk, pot and star.

Ready for decoration

Once we had completed the outline of the applique it was time to decorate the rest of the tree.

Decorations ready

We used a selection of beads, buttons and bobbles which we sewed on by hand randomly across the tree.

Decorating the tree

With the front panel finished we added the back and  zip. A nice plump cushion pad finishes the job.

Our Christmas Tree cushion

We always have crackers at Christmas so we thought a Cracker Cushion would be a good idea. We used a beautiful silver silk satin remnant with a contrasting striped velvet fabric to create the body of the cracker.

Cracker Fabric

We measured around a bolster cushion to get the width of the satin and length of the cushion adding 30cms for the ends of the cracker

Contrast in place

The striped centre panel is approximately one third of the full width of the silver fabric. This was then top-stitched onto the satin by machine. Putting right sides together we sewed a small seam along the length of the cracker to create a tube.

The seam

We did not allow any seam allowance on the circumference of the bolster so that when the seam is sewn the tube will fit snugly and give the cushion a plump appearance.

Sewing the bows

All we did then was to insert the bolster into the tube and tie an organza ribbon at each end to match the striped velvet.

The bow

And there we have our Christmas cracker!

A Christmas Cracker

We had a lot of fun that day playing with trimmings and fabrics

Play time

We even made a little cushion with a star

A Christmas star

Three Christmas cushions

A few liitle touches and there’s our Christmas display

We’ve had a busy year at Denton Drapes and I haven’t posted as many blogs as I would have liked. I promise to make a New Year resolution to do better.

Until then on behalf of the whole Denton Drapes team I would like to wish each and every one of you a peaceful and happy Christmas season and a healthy and prosperous year in 2012

Penny

xxx

Merry Xmas from Denton Drapes

We now welcome many of our designer clients and some of our suppliers as well and also get a number of potential customers who take the opportunity to examine our fabrics and view the samples on display. One fan of our  Facebook page even made a 320 mile round trip from Cheshire in order to meet the team and take a look around.

This year the event was just after the launch of our new logo and image redesign which meant investment in a suite of new signs and notices around the place as well as the replacement of some of our displays with pieces made from some of the most recently released fabrics. Curtain makers and office staff were all on hand to show our guests around and to answer questions about our making techniques and marketing activities.

Most visitors also spent time chatting together while enjoying a buffet of delicious food, champagne and soft drinks. Denton Drapes Director Penny Bruce was in constant demand from customers interested in ordering new projects and several have already placed orders as a result. A day like this takes a lot of preparation but it really is a lot of fun and we’re all looking forward to the next time in 2012.

Close-up of the selvedge

Joining some fabrics can be tricky especially when the join is right on the edge and the selvedge is tiny and uneven. This Harlequin fabric Memi 7548 is a beautiful embroidered piece but as you can see in this close-up of the face side the selvedge is really small and irregular.

The uneven selvedge seen from the other side

In this picture from the wrong side you can see the many tiny strands of uneven ends that make the join bumpy.

The fabric join is very evident and uneven

As you can see, when you try to join this type of fabric on the edge you end up with an irregular and unprofessional looking join.

Joining the selvedges leaves an uneven join

This is caused by the tiny strands of yarn that are uneven on the selvedge . You can see clearly in this picture where the machine has ridden on either sides of the strands making it impossible to achieve an even flat join.

We move into the fabric

Our answer to this problem is to come into the width and the pattern.

Matching the fabric

Here you see we are matching the pattern with pins ready for hand stitching.

Using a ladder stitch

There are times when no matter how experienced you are with a sewing machine the join will not be perfect. In this case we use a very small ladder stitch  by hand to ensure a perfect match which is required because we are making a roman blind so the seams are very visible. An example of how to do ladder stitch can be seen on the DD YouTube channel………here.

Matching the other side

This picture shows using the same process of coming into the width on the other side of the blind.

The finished seam on the right side

The finished seam shown for the right side.

The matched seam

A close up of the matched seam.

The new joins

This pictures shows clearly how we have come into the widths to achieve the joins. The seams would be lightly pressed and then the seam allowance trimmed down so we can complete the blind as normal.

Nearly ready

An almost completed blind hung and waiting to have stab stitched inserted.

Drapery and Design Professional

I have just had my second article published in the wonderful Drapery and Design Professional magazine which is really exciting. The American soft furnishing industry is so much better organised than ours in the UK and I always look forward to the arrival of this mag. You can download a copy of my article here, it shows how to make these lovely cushions.

Pintuck samples in Villa Nova Seville

I don’t talk about cushions very often on this blog but they are one of my secret passions.  I enjoy planning them, cutting them out, piping them and making them. You can  create something really special from relatively small pieces of fabric in a suprisingly short amount of time and it’s terrific fun.

Pintuck pattern cushion in Henry Bertrand silk

Here are some examples of  other cushions I have made in the last few years.

Pintucked cushion in James Hare Silk

Silk satin circular cushion

Villa Nova chenille cushions with tassels

Silk satin and velvet cushion group

Union Jack from Cath Kitson spot with grossgrain ribbon

James Hare silk dupion smocked circular cushion

James Hare silk dupion cushion with Hallis Hudson bead trimming

Pair of cushions in Harlequin Lucido plain and Celeste

James Hare silks and Villa Nova Renaissance fabric cushion group

Sanderson velvet stripe with handsewn cord trim

Harlequin Twinkle Toes and James Hare silk Dupion with Troynorth beads

In the Denton House Workroom 2001

 The second bedroom was annexed and by removing the built-in wardrobes and adding extra lighting and lots of shelves a usable workroom was created.  The benefit of having that dedicated space was remarkable. My working day was much more efficient with everything to hand all the time. I was able to put in more hours and to handle much bigger jobs. I put up a pole which meant I could hang and dress curtains properly before they went out and I was able to invest in more tools and equipment now that I had somewhere to keep them. The shelves began to groan under the weight of all the curtain books I began to acquire.

My first commercial swags and tails

Continuous learning is an important part of my work philosophy and I read everything I can on the subject. I have also made sure to attend at least one trade show and one training course every year learning how to make things like headboards, lamp shades, advanced swags and tails, and loose covers. Maureen Whitemore of Whitemore & Thwaytes was particularly inspirational, providing much needed and generous advice as well as expert training and I am truly grateful for her help.

Striped Roman Blind

Through Maureen I discovered the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) and applied for membership. The AMUSF is the Trade Association for professional soft furnishers in the UK and has a rigorous entry policy. Every member that displays their logo has earned the right to do so.  It is not a badge that can be bought. The work of members is checked periodically and their suitability for membership scrutinized.

Single Swag & Tails

My scrutineer turned out to be Bert Chapman MBE who is one of the elder statesmen of the soft furnishing industry. His company Albert E Chapman holds the royal warrant and their work is on view in Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court. But there he was in our back bedroom complimenting me on my work and giving me generous advice and support which he has repeated many times since.

Italian Strung Curtains

People I met through these activities became an important factor in my working day. Maureen is an inspirational mentor and other leading curtain makers like Bert and Rebecca Day of Merrick and Day have always been supportive. I also made great friends with many of the people I met on training courses, particularly the lovely Barbara Gillespie from Edinburgh, and in those days before Facebook and Forums we were always on the phone, asking technical questions, sharing ideas and providing mutual support. 

Prince Andrew admires my work

I started to pick up extra work as an outworker for other curtain makers and business came in from all directions including my own mini royal commission. A local sign maker was providing a plaque for an old people’s home that was to be opened by Prince Andrew and I was asked to make the reveal curtain. Another enquiry led to me providing the curtains for a whole house being built by a former Formula 1 driver, the biggest job in my first ten years. By now Denton Drapes had spread far beyond the back bedroom and had slowly taken over most of the house. It was time for another move.

Mt first whole house project

To be continued…

Thinking about how I got from there to here has brought back some memories that I thought I would share with you all in the hope of inspiring others who are just starting out. This 1st entry records how my curtain making journey began.

An early sample

I had been sewing since I was a small child; it always seemed to come naturally to me. When I left school I trained as a fashion designer and worked in the industry for thirteen years learning production techniques using industrial processes and pattern grading and cutting. When I decided to start working for myself from home, soft furnishings seemed a good area to try. I knew nothing about the technical construction of curtains but my training and instincts helped me to understand how they went together.

Our daughters nursery window

I knew I needed some training so thanks to a loan from my friendly bank manager I enrolled at the National Design Academy and did their Diploma in Professional Curtain Making over two weeks at Nottingham. The lessons on curtain making were fun but the most useful part of the course for me was the information provided on the running of a soft furnishing business. Things like opening a trade account, terms and conditions and preparing quotations were all new to me.

One of my first customer projects

Armed with my new knowledge and the confidence the course had given me, I set about establishing my business. We were living in a road called Denton Drive so I decided on Denton Drapes as a catchy name. I practiced my curtain making skills on every window in our house and made sample after sample. I checked out the local competition by posing as a potential customer and  I opened my first trade account with Jones & Co who were really helpful, providing me with a full sample pack and my first books of fabrics.

Getting to grips with window dressing

I put together a leaflet to distribute around the village and soon had a number of orders from local customers for things I had never made before. Experimentation was the order of the day as I made mock-ups of each item to make sure they would work. Scarfed drapery, Italian stringing, an arched window: each brought fresh challenges to the working week. Falling pregnant during the first year was a bit of a surprise but at least it meant I could experiment with nursery designs.

A childs room

We were living in quite a small house at the time and the only place I could work was our dining room. I bought a plastic patio table and raised the height with bricks under the legs. An 8’ by 4’ board went on top covered in an old blanket and I could only get around three sides as the room wasn’t much bigger. Everything had to be cleared away every evening and brought out again the following day.

A child's bed

The business grew slowly over the next few years as having a small child meant I could only work part time. My experience and knowledge grew as I picked up tricks of the trade sometimes learning a lot from my own mistakes. When we got the opportunity to move house I was determined that our new home would have one room that I could devote to the business with a proper curtain table, my industrial machine and plenty of storage space.  In the next entry I will tell you what happened next.

Penny

Begin by sewing the pleat in the normal way having calculated the pleats and spaces required. (I’m using a coloured thread here simply to show you the technique)           

The stitching line should go to the end of the buckram. In this case we used six inch buckram.      

But then sew in a second line a “small” third in. This means one third of the distance minus five mm. You may need to trial and error this to get the perfect position.                

Finish this second stitching line one cm short of both top and bottom.     

Then if you pinch the pleat at the bottom of this line it is really easy to make the triple shape   

All you have do is to press down to the middle and then add first one side and then the other to create the full triple pleat.

One

Two

Three

Sew it into place and the job is done.      

Our New Sample

 We needed a new sales aid  to show the quality of our work. I decided that this would be a good opportunity for our newest team member to show how much she had learned on her course work. I asked her to make an interlined curtain sample with contrast lining but with a slight twist on traditional curtain headings.  

Cartridge pleat with button

 The first heading is a cartridge pleat pressed flat at bottom with a contrast button which causes the top of the pleat to come forward . I think this gives a smart and sophisticated look to a curtain.  

Butterfly Pleat

This is my take on a butterfly pleat. She stitched just  the centre two inches of the five inch buckram so the top and bottom of the triple pleat flutes out a bit like a butterfly. The pleat is stab stitched in the centre to secure it and we added a mock frayed tassel as a flourish. The pinhook still goes into the back of the pleat quite easily so it still hangs well on the curtain hook.   

A Europleat

 This is called a Europleat in the USA. I’m not quite sure what we call it here but it is a double pleat which is only stitched down the first two inches from the top of the buckrum and then stab stitched at the top to secure it.  I really like this pleat it is very contemporary.  

Europleat close up

 Here is a side view of the europleat. It is only stitched two inches from the top of the buckram.  You can also see the long lean appearance of the triple pleat.  

Triple Pleat

 The last one is a traditional triple pleat but we tried to make it a bit more sleek and modern. It has been made in the traditional way but is stab stitched at the top,  middle and bottom to keep all three wings together.  

Hem Mitre with Contrast Piping

We used a contrast lining to complement the colours of the main Villa Nova fabric. This picture shows the hem mitre and a contrast piping insetrted between the leading edge turning and lining. Just a little detail that can make all the difference.  

Contrast Lining and Piping

 A close up picture gives a clearer view of how attractive the contrast lining and piping is.  

Sample finished and ready for inspection

 Here is the new sample finished and ready to take out on client consultations to demonstrate the quality and feel of a well made interlined curtain.

Tiebacks waiting to be handsewn

A job that recently went through the Denton Drapes workroom included roman blinds with blackout lining,  slot headed curtains also with blackout and a set of tiebacks. We always use matching lining on our tiebacks so they needed to be blackout as well. It looks much better that way but the trouble with blackout lining are those horrible little pin holes that are inevitable when using pins on blackout. They always seem to end up looking like a tiny grubby dirty mark.  

Close up of the Tieback front

 One of my girls came up with the brilliant idea of using paper clips instead of pins to keep the layers together on the lower edge of the tieback. A quick trip to the stationery cupboard and away we went.    

Tieback with blackout lining

 We found that we needed to use quite a few but it held the layers together really well while we handsewed along each bottom edge. The end result is a much cleaner neater looking handsewn tieback. I really believe that it is attention to detail like this that makes your products more professional. 

Close up of tieback with clips

 Here you can see one of the finished windows from this job. The fabric is from the Amilie Weaves range by Harlequin. Tiebacks are just a small part of the whole but always make a curtain look good. When working with dormer rods I usually make double sided cutains. However blackout lining was important here as it was our clients disabled sons bedroom so we used one that matches the stripe in the fabric and dressed the curtain so the front edge is showing when they are open. 

The tiebacks in place on the finished window