Pinch Pleat Drapes
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Pinch pleat drapes have continued to be in vogue for generations and are preferred even today by people who like to get nostalgic and love old traditional items and designs. For getting pinch pleats the material of drapes is pinched or bunched together along its length at regular intervals near the top. The out coming results are very interesting, depending upon the way you pinch the material and the distance between two pinches. Ultimately the curtain falls down to the floor while creating a pattern along the length nearing the top of the window.
Here are the three most common forms of pleats: butterfly pleat, double pleat and the goblet pleat. The different ways of collecting the material give it different styles.
You may have butterfly pleat by pinching the material about two inches down the top of the curtain to get the looks and shape of a Chinese fan. A goblet pleat is derived by pinching the material at the back to get the shape of cylindrical tube, while a double pleat is achieved by pinching at two points thus causing the pleats to run parallel to each other.
The effects of pleating the material are very striking. The material travels in wave formation along the length with light coming in from certain points only. Thus, you see an interesting gradient of colors that looks very soothing, adding warmth to the room, and makes the curtain look lively and exciting and not just a piece of some dull-looking material on the window.
Pinch pleat drapes: This style is most often practiced for larger windows. Some of the places that look great in this style include a large window in the living room or a big sliding door leading to the patio. Though some people prefer to use these even on smaller windows, they certainly present better looks when falling down along greater lengths when the pleat may even come down to the floor level.
The system of attaching these drapes to the curtain rod is different than the other system of attaching the curtains. As you know, generally curtains are attached using curtain rings or eyelets thru which the curtain rod is slipped. However, pleated curtains are usually provided with pins that are pushed at the back of the curtain, through the pleat, and then attached to a rail at the top. Such an arrangement facilitates opening and closing of the curtain as it moves smoothly on the track. In case you don’t approve of this style, there is an alternative too. You may use large hooks that pass directly over the curtains but then the movement of curtains won’t be so convenient.
You may give the curtains a wavy effect and simultaneously hide the pleats and the hardware used for the curtains. You can do it in two ways. One way would be to have a valance going over the top of the curtain rod. Otherwise, you may have a cornice installed at the top.
Here area a few more additions that you can have to your curtains, depending on your personal preferences or circumstances. You can provide improved insulation to the place by having thermal backing for your drapes. Or you could have a blackout curtain lining to completely block the sun. Both the arrangements would easily fit on the back of the drapes. In case you prefer to include something lighter to let some air pass thru the room, you may have sheer pinch pleat drapes and get the usual functionality of the pleat, with the added light country style feeling of a sheer curtain.
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