Adding interfacing to drapes when switching to grommets.

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I am altering some older drapes I have to add grommets. They are behind furniture and plants and are a pain to open. I tried some grommet ones and they were so much easier to pull open that I decided to add grommets to these.

These were originally pinch pleats. I opened the pleats and pressed flat.

There is a light interfacing already, but I don't know if that will be adequate. Should I add just an average weight non-woven interfacing? Fusible or non-fusible? Or even woven interfacing?

The fabric is a light open weave on some form of nylon mesh. They have a lightweight lining.

Thanks.

Featured Answer

wednesday morning

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I suspect the fabric might not be suitable for a fusible interfacing if it is nylon because it will just melt. If you add interfacing, you are going to have to sew it in.

The top hem should be opened up and the interfacing inserted. Or, depending on how your panel is finished at that top, you may be able to cut a piece of interfacing, and from the side, thread it through the top hemmed casing by attaching something like a very large safety pin and threading it in much like you would insert elastic in a casing. If there is no opening to be had at the side of the top hem, you can always make one that you can just fix with a bit of stitching, or even a small bit of adhesive after you have threaded the interfacing through it.

If your panel is very wide, it might not be practical to try to pull a length of interfacing through the entire length at once. You could always made some slits in the back to give you several points of entry if you have to work with shorter lengths of interfacing. These slits could be stitched or held with a bit of fabric adhesive. They will never show. The only real problem might be if you ever have the dry cleaned that bit of adhesive might be a factor. Otherwise, no one will know.

And, if you can, I think that it would still benefit from a line of stitching across the width of the panel to hold that in place and make it play well with the panel fabric.

I guess you could also just sew a strip of interfacing on the backside of the hemmed top edge of the panel. Make two lines of stitching, one across the top and one across the bottom of the strip. If you make a careful choice of thread color you might not notice it muc

With interfacing, you will have three layers of material to cinch in the ring of the grommet. Is that going to work for you? If you think it will, I suggest that you sew around your marked circle before you cut the circle out from the fabric to prepare it for the grommet. At least baste those three layers together just within the line of cutting before you cut. This might be of help to do also since you say that it is a loose weave.

I would not go too heavy for the interfacing because the curtain has to be able to be flexible and not push back on itself. If the interfacing is too heavy the curtain may have a tendency to bounce back when you try to open it and stack it. It just needs to carry weight and give stability to the open weave and give a good base for that grommet to clamp on to.

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Comments (7)

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

I've pressed them with steam (lowest, polyester steam setting), with no ill effects, so maybe it's not a nylon mesh holding the fibers together. There's a mesh of very fine clear threads holding the thicker decorative threads together.

The grommets are plastic, which was all I could find that was even close to the right color. Reviews were good, though, so I hope they will be sturdy enough.

The width is 61 inches.

I happen to have a lot of lightweight fusible on hand, that's what made me think of it. I can always test some on a hem, which I've opened up to adjust the length.

Though since there is already a light interfacing in there, I'd essentially be fusing to that, and not to the fabric. The existing interfacing feels like paper and is torn in a few places. Though since I've washed the curtains, it can't really be paper.
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I was wrong, I have no fusible. Only sew-in.

I've now labelled everything, so I'll know what I really have!
wednesday morning
5 years ago
sew in is probably going to be a better choice, anyway.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked wednesday morning
shadylady2u
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
If you haven't started this yet, you might want to make a mock up of the grommet placement first before you actually cut into the fabric. A long strip of stiff interfacing or adding machine tape or something like that cut to the width of the curtain. Draw and cut out the circles and put it on the rod to make sure you get it right. Then trace onto the curtain.

Fanfold the curtains as if they had grommets and see if it holds well. If it does, you could probably forego adding interfacing.

Usually you just need to test and make mockups to see what works.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked shadylady2u
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
The grommet spacing is critical to havib ng the drapes hang right after all this work. IMO you need to open the top of the drapes insert the interfacing then sew it in properly . I need to see the fabri you are using the description makes no sense to me. BTW plastic grommets are fine I use them all the time for washable drapes since the metal ones can rust over time.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
5 years ago
It's finally done. I did end up opening up the top, replacing the old interfacing. I used a woven interfacing.

You are right about the spacing of the grommets. That took more effort than any of the sewing. I ended up using more grommets than what I had planned, to get the right folds. And I did stitch around each marking. Installing the actual grommets was a "snap", so to speak.

Thanks to everyone for your help.