Flop over top

[Michelle]

Hi everyone,

I have been asked to make a pair of curtains with a flop over top using 1" header tape & they are to be unlined.

I haven't made any curtains in this style before could you advise me how long the fop over piece should be.

The final dop of the curtains are 2.4m.

Thanks
Michelle

[JGM]

H Michelle
I did make some similar ones before christmas but they were more of a puff heading. I allowed 10cm to stand above the tape (20cm including back of curtain) Hope that makes sense. When strings pulled up, it was more of a 'ruched' fabric to - very effective. It depends if it is more of a valance feel you are after?
Natalie

[Louise]

Merrick & Day suggest using 3" pencil tape and making the frill at least 13cm deep (so add another 13cm for the other side of the frill) - maximum depth up to 1/6 of the total drop.

I think people more often use 1" tape though......

[Michelle]

Thanks Louise & Natalie, going to have a go now with some scrap fabric will let you know if it works.

[Julie Evans]

I did some just before Christmas and I think the flop over was about 25cm. I used the Merrick & Day book but got confused when it told me that I would have to make the floppy bit out of a seperate piece as the pattern would be upside down? I just folded the top of the curtain 25cm over the back, stitched on the 1" lining and the pattern was the right way up - no cutting or joining at all. I would try a bit first just to get the 'hang' right - too short and it may not have the weight to hang properly.
Julie

[Michelle]

Hi Julie,

I am making them for a designer so I have just had the fabric sent to me, she has only sent me 20" of fabric for the flop over piece which is seperate because it is in a contrasting colour. The curtains are 3 widths so I only have about 6.5" per drop for the flop over including hem allowances. I hope this is going to look okay, I have seen pictures in magazines with them this small, so will have to wait and see, cant get hold of the designer at the moment.

Michelle

[thecurtainmaker]

Julie,
If the pattern had a definite right way up, you may need to cut a separate piece and join it upside down. But with most fabrics, the length of the flop over is so short and it's gathered, so the pattern gets lost.
Regards
Pen

[Jules]

Ooo Pen, you've lost me now..... I must be having one of those 'moments'.

Surely, if the face fabric pattern runs from hem to head, then falls down to create the back of the 'flop' and up again to create the front of the 'flop' the front bit will again be travelling from bottom of the fold up to the head, making the pattern run the correct way? I know the under side (bit that sits against the face fabric would be upside down, but the front side should be right, shouldn't it? Please tell me I've not lost the plot - I'm only one day into this new age and didn't think it'd go downhill so quickly

[thecurtainmaker]

Sorry, Jules, I didn't think it through - your're right, of course (I've got a bad back and not been sleeping well....)

[Jules]

Phew! Don't want senior moments yet pretty please!

So sorry to hear about your back and I really hope you''re on the mend soon. Decozo is a great way of whiling away those horrid sleepless small hours!! Not sleeping not good