How to make a pair of Pinch Pleat Curtains
- Cut to the drop + 20cm cutting to the pattern repeat
- Join widths pattern match where possible
- Blind hem the face cloth with double 7cm hems
- Join widths and lockstitch hem on to lining double 5cm hems
- Place lining on top of the face cloth and measure 6 inches from the outer edge of the face inwards and trim off. This will give you your turnings either side of 1.5 inches.
- Pin in the lining 1.5 inches up from the bottom of the blind hem on the face cloth
- Over lock in the sides adding a weigh to the bottom hem. If there are any join you will need a weight there too
- Making sure you have equal turnings either side lockstitch 5 inch buckram to the top using 3cm allowance of fabric
- Turn the curtains through and poke out the corners at the top and press
- Fold curtain in half and measure x by 2 – Gather size divide by the amount of pinches (usually 5 per width this will give you the size of your pinches. This should fall between 16 – 18cm)
- To get the size of your spaces take gather size and divide by the amount of space you need and this will give you your space size. Please look at the formula below
Formula for working out pinches and spaces
Width of curtain Gather Amount of pinches Size of pinches
210 - 80 divide 7 = 18.6
Gather Spaces Size of Spaces
80 divide 8 = 10
- Lockstitch in the pleats to the size of the buckram
- Press sides and mitre the corners then slip stitch
- Press curtains and joins
- Pinch up the pleats either two pleats or three and hand sew in the pleats at the bottom
- Measure down the pleat 4cm and put in pin hook
- Cut off all ends
- Examine curtains
Patterned Curtains
