In case you are like me, you could sense that gathered curtains or draperies appear so much better if each fold is uniformly equal. Doing that is easier than you may perhaps think. There are actually 3 distinctive methods to approach the problem and I promise that, in one of these ways, you can realize it. Every now and then even pleated drapes call for coaxing if the textile is squashy or rigid and, of course, the greatest method is to pick a soft pliant textile in the very first place. This is not always doable so lets chat about how to create perfect pleats in spite of what fabric is applied even counting silk curtains or lace fabric or a hard old-fashioned satin.
In case the drape material is quite flexible the easiest first attempt would be to install the window treatment, pull each panel to one side and actually position the pleats evenly. Next tie them back rather loosely together near the top and at the bottom hem. Once this is completed you can drench the face and back of the pleats lightly with a mix of water with a tiny quantity of alcohol added. Do this using a extremely faint spray devoid of soaking the material. You just want a mist on the surface. You can also rub your fingers casually on each pleat while they are still moist forming them into a nice curved figure. Leave them for a few days. The form of the pleats will greatly improve, hopefully to the stage that they are satisfactory without added fussing.
If the pleats are still flaring the next method is to utilize what in the curtains business is known as “shot tape” or in fabric stores as “leaded weight tape”. It consists of a extended, extremely small diameter cotton tube that is crammed with a single line of approximately 1/8 inch lead balls to form a uninterrupted cord. Place this cord in the base hem from one side of the section to the other. That adds mass to the curtain. You can now arrange the pleats much more easily. After you have prearranged them equally they have a propensity to remain where you have positioned them because of the additional mass and the relative reluctance of the cord to uncurl.
