Are they the correct length? Would it be possible to fold the top down a few inches to increase the weight at the top? Could you try it with the rings and see if it helps with the way the folds lay?

There is a type of drapery tape - similar to pleater tape - that will give structure to the top and give you the waves you want. When I find a link, I will post it.

I have had all kinds of drapes, custom and ready made and have hung them in various ways. In my experience, hanging drapes using the rod pocket usually makes them seem more voluptuous. Hanging drapes from rings has always made them seem thinner to me. Ditto for pleated drapes -- seems thinner. Ready mades, at least the ones I've bought, are never as full as custom because they usually come in single panels of between 42 - 54 inches. For a typical window, which is about 36 - 40 inches w/window trim, you really need about 1.5 widths of fabric per panel (for a total of 3 widths per window). With ready mades you only get about 1 width per panel. Adding lining would definitely help. If you got a great deal on the panels, it could be worth it, esp. if you really like the fabric.

I just bought some really excellent ready mades at Tuesday morning, beautiful linen, lined with black out fabric. The brand is Waverly and I know they are a good deal at $90 a pair because I saw the fabric they're made out of at JoAnn fabrics and it is going for $30 a yard (that's the SALE price, it's normally $59 a yard!) They are very heavy and well made. The panels are 108" long (I have 9 foot ceilings) and have about 7" extra for puddling. That puddling makes the drapes feel more luxurious in this particular spot (puddling isn't always the way to go but it does add to the impression of fullness). I hung them using the tabs in back of the rod pocket and I really like the look. It's like a cross between pleated and rod pocket.

I have noodled with the construction of ready-mades (including some from RH) to get closer to the look I like...I've often taken out the side and bottom machine-stitched hems and re-done them by hand, which makes them hang dramatically better.

I've also bought three panels, split one, and added those half-widths to the outside edges of the other two to get the proper fullness for a given window. (That only works if the pattern is matched across all the panels, or if there's no repeating pattern.)

And I've done as graywings suggests, and added bulk at the top with strips of interlining - the stuff you use in jacket lapels to make them lie well. The ready-made tape is fine if its width is right for your panels.

Thanks everyone. I think I will start by adding bulk to the top. I'll head to the fabric store and see what they have that would be easy to apply. If that doesn't work, I'll look to other solutions.

judithn, that sounds like a great deal. Isn't wonderful when you come upon something just right at an amazing price? I get your suggestion for using the rod pocket, but I'm not a big fan of the look without the rings - just a personal preference thing.

Also, they are purely decorative so I'm not worried about fullness when drawn (I think we draw them about once a year to block the sun.) They are also in a little alcove area, so there is no room to draw back out of the way. Too much fullness and they block the windows.

daisychain01, It was a pretty good deal. I needed 6 pairs though and they were split among various store locations. I spent a day driving 5+ hours just before xmas to pick them up at their various stores. I will give Tuesday Morning lots of credit, they have a good system for locating their stock and I got exact locations for what I wanted. It was NOT fun spending the day in the car however, doing the curtains custom was not in my budget (not w/college tuitions for 2 kids).

Update: I bought some header tape and actually threaded it through the rod pocket and then rehung the drapes. They look much better now. As I was doing this, I noticed the hooks on the silk are are also much larger (wider rather than long) than on the twill (I moved the twill to our masterbdrm). I'm wondering if that is having an effect on how they hang as well. I think I will replace them and see - hooks are cheap.

bronwynsmom, it sounds like you know a lot about drapes. I can sew (a bit) but am not sure I would attempt to rework the drapes - I'd probably make them worse! They are a bit long and I like the effect - makes them flare out at the bottom and look a bit full rather than hanging flat. But there is not enough there to say that they puddle (maybe 2 inches.) Is this okay? I like it, so I guess that makes it okay, but just wondering how it's usually done. Thanks!

disclaimer: I don't want to discourage anyone from getting the RH drapes - they are really beautiful. I had a designer from the furniture store in when I bought our new sofa and she was ooing and aahing over them as were several of my design savvy guests yesterday. This is just my obsession with having them be the perfect vision I had in my head.

This post was edited by daisychain01 on Mon, Dec 31, 12 at 9:04

Coming in too late, but this is a YouTube video showing the specialized header tape I wrote about. It is called Clip-n-Wave tape and is made by Rowley.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clip-n-Wave

graywings, that is very cool. I think I will order and even if I don't use it on these drapes, it would be perfect for my bedroom drapes. Thanks!

Daisychain,

You may be able to eke out a little more length if you take out the hem (assuming that you haven't got a permanent crease in it, yet, which seems unlikely since they are so new). You then attach a facing to the very edge on the silk fabric and fold the hem back up from the seam. You would gain almost as much as the entire hem depth for increased puddling. The facing fabric should be lighter (or no at least no heavier) weight and as flexible and fluid draping as the silk itself. You might consider using strips cut on the bias for this in order to get maximum compatibility. Chose fabric for the facing that is compatible with whatever cleaning method you plan for the main fabric. A close, but not perfect color match, is OK. And it doesn't have to be real silk, either.

I would probably machine sew the seam between the facing and the drapes at the bottom edge since that will be a wear point, but handsew the hem back to the drapes at the top edge of the hem. Handsewing the hem using a slip or catch stitch similar to how you would hem a skirt is how I would do it. It's not hard to do, even if you've never tried it before.

Of course, pics would be nice to see, too. I am thinking ahead many years when I no longer have as many indoor cats who would find puddling drapes just the thing for playtime. So I am always keen to see pictures.

HTH

L.

I am thorough with puddling, although the effect can be lovely when the puddles are arranged just so...which has to be done over and over and ove (every time you vacuum, and whenever the cat has finished napping in the puddle)...and when the puddling makes the hang and drape of the panels more effective.

But in my experience, 2" is too little for puddling, and too much for the slight break, like good trousers breaking over a shoe, that can help a panel hang where you want it. So if I were you, I might take them up by 2-1/2 inches, so that they clear the floor by just enough to hang freely.

Here's an interesting tutorial on making wave drapes, with rings. It may be the look you're going for. Don't forget you have to train your drapes to hang properly in folds.

Here is a link that might be useful: wave drape effect with hooks and rings