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Basic curtain adaptations:- Drawing the facts together.
By Karen Hughes
There are various ways to trim basic curtains to obtain many different styles and themes. Basic curtains can be adapted to be feminine and frilly, grand and theatrical or sophisticated and smart, to name but a few. These effects can be created using a selection of the following methods.
Plain curtains can have borders of braid that contrast with them attached or complementary borders, made from fabric, can be inset into the curtain's leading edge. In both of these instances it is very important to get the dimensions spot on. A good rule to follow is that the width of the braid should be approximately the same as the width of the curtain border. Borders can be applied to both the bottom and the leading edge of your basic curtains but it is important to carefully mitre the corners so that you end up with a professional looking finish.
It is possible to trim the leading, central edges of curtains in a variety of ways. The most common method that is employed is to use a frill that either matches or contrasts with the fabric of the curtain. This approach can be varied by adding multiple frills, one which matches and one which contrasts or one that is plain and one that is patterned. If your curtains have a rounded corner it is possible to extend a frill from the top of the corner to the base of the curtain and it is also possible to add piping that joins the edge of the frill to the leading edge of the curtain. It is possible to turn your leading edges into something more chic by employing fan pleats that extend down the curtain's leading edge so that they do not collect dust in the pleat pockets. Picot edging can also be created using a pico braid, or by creating overlapping fabric triangles that are attached to the leading edge. This is an extremely elegant effect but it is quite difficult to achieve and may be a bit beyond the reach of the amateur curtain maker.
The leading edges of your curtains can have bullion edging attached. This is usually custom dyed to obtain an exact match to the curtains that you are applying it to. Make sure that you do not employ fringing that is too heavy for the curtain it is being applied to or you will end up with a very displeasing effect where the edge of the curtain is dragged down away from the pole or rail.
It is possible to tie and loop your curtains in various ways to create some extremely theatrical effects. The easiest way to achieve this is to use a stiff silk curtain that is then tied in two places to give a puffed out balloon effect. These are most commonly employed with a blind or other window covering as they are primarily for effect and not for practical purposes.
Whichever method you employ it is possible to completely change the appearance of your basic curtains with the minimum of effort and outlay.
About the Author
Karen Hughes is an interior decor consultant, get further curtain and drapes ideas at
http://www.drapes-n-curtains.com
this is your first stop for information about Curtains and Drapes.
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