Elbow ends: Added to a wood pole, metal or PVC, this section is a continuation of the same shape that will turn the corner, providing the return and support. Sometimes called the elbow bracket.

End bracket: The two supporting pieces of hardware, which hold a drapery rod to the wall or ceiling. They control the amount of projection.

End housing: Refers to the box parts at the extreme ends of a traverse drapery rod. They enclose the pulleys through which the cords run.

Envelope fold: A method of folding banding for application. The ½ inch seam allowance is pressed down on one side only. The remainder of the band is then folded double with the remaining raw edge going under the ½ inch seam allowance to meet the fold to create the finished width.

Euro pleat: A free flowing drapery pleat with or without crinoline that has either two or three folds and is tacked within ½ inch from the top.

Eyebrow window: Arched top window with elongated width. Not a true half circle.

Fabrication: The process of manufacturing raw goods into a finished product.

Face fabric: The decorative fabric on a treatment that “faces” into the room. The lining is behind it.

Facing: A piece of fabric is stitched to a raw edge and turned to the backside to form a finished edge. The diagonals of jabots or cascades are sometimes faced to show a contrast in the angles.

False cord: (AKA flat welt or flat trim) A flat, folded fabric stitched in the seam the same as a welt cord, minus the cord. This gives you the look of welt, without the bulk.

Fan folded: A back-and-forth fold, like an accordion. Pinch pleated draperies are folded this way by folding pleat to pleat. This helps to train the folds of the drapery and makes handling the drapery easier and neater for installation.

Flat roman shade: A tailored fabric shade that hangs flat at the window. Soft pleats form at the bottom as the shade is raised.

Finial: Decorative ends of a pole, usually ornamental and affixed to the ends of a rod, which serve to keep drapery rings from falling off the end of the rod.

Finished length: This is the length after draperies have been made.

Finished width: The actual width after the treatment is finished.

Flame retardant fabric: Fabric that will not burn. It can be inherently flame retardant which means the actual fiber from which it was made is a flame retardant fiber, e.g., polyester, or be treated to become flame retardant, which usually changes the fibers and makes the fabric stiff.

French pleat: see Pinch Pleat

Front width: The width of the valance board without returns.

Fullness: The amount of extra fabric added to a finished measurement to create the desired “full” effect. 2½ to 3 times the total width of a treatment is standard custom fullness.

Decking:

A. Top Treatments: A contrast or self-fabric sewn to the bottom of the top treatment and pressed to the back to form a hem. This should be used when parts of the backside of the treatment may show from the front view.

B. Bed Skirts: The fabric that covers the box springs on a dust ruffle or bed skirt and to which the bed skirt is attached.

Decorative hardware: Hardware (such as swag holders, rods, poles, tiebacks rings) that can add aesthetic appeal to a window fashion as well as serve functional purposes.

Dormer window: An upright window, which breaks the surface of a sloping roof.

Double hem: Folding the fabric over twice in equal amounts. A 4-inch double hem would utilize 8 inches of fabric.

Double hung draperies: Two sets of draperies, usually a sheer fabric under an opaque fabric, both operating separately.

Double top heading: This heading is commonly used for both pinch pleat and rod pocket draperies, where the heading has another full layer of fabric under the visible layer on the backside.

Drapery: Proper name for a long window covering i.e., pinch-pleated drapery.

Drapery hardware: Functional hardware that is either used to support hard or soft window fashions (such as traverse rods, rings, hooks, etc.) or to support other hardware (such as end brackets, angle irons, pulleys, etc.)

Draw draperies: Panels of fabric that will open and close, usually on a traverse rod.

Draw-up: (AKA Take up) The loss in measurement as a result of the method of mounting and/or fabrication. This usually happens when gathering fabric on a rod.

Drop: A term for length commonly used in reference to valances.

Drop match: A drop match is one in which when the width is cut straight across by the print, the pattern will NOT line up perfectly to be seamed at the selvage. The pattern repeat does not match until down 1/2 of the vertical pattern repeat. Therefore, additional yardage is required. Add 1/2 pattern repeat per cut. This is commonly found in fabrics that coordinate with wallpaper. It is usually designated in the sample books (but not always) as a Drop Match.

Dropped dust board cornice: A cornice with a decorative top that sometimes requires the dust board to be lower than usual. (Some workrooms use this method with arched top cornices.)

Dust board: The portion of the mount board or cornice to which the legs and/or the face are attached.

Duvet: A non-decorative throw style comforter designed to be used with a decorative removable cover.

Duvet Cover: A slipcover for a removable comforter or duvet.

Contrast lining: A decorative fabric used as a lining or decking when parts of it may show from the front of the top treatment.

Convex curve: An outward curve.
Cording: (AKA welt cord) A rope that is covered with fabric, also referred to as piping or welting.

Cord cleat: A piece of hardware attached to the wall around which window treatment cords can be secured. (As a safety precaution use these to keep the cords out of children’s reach.)

Cord lock: A piece of hardware mounted to the head rail of a shade, through which the operating cords run. When the cords are pulled up, it secures the shade at the desired location.

Cornice: A box treatment usually constructed of wood that can be padded and upholstered.

C.O.M.: (AKA COM) Customer’s own material.

Coverlet: A bedcovering with a pillow tuck and a short drop that covers the mattress but not the box springs. This is usually used in conjunction with a bed skirt.

Crinoline: (AKA Buckram) A heavily sized or stiff fabric used as a foundation for pleats in draperies.
Crosswise grain: (AKA fillers, woof, weft) The threads of a woven fabric that run perpendicular to the selvages. The fabric has a slight give in the crosswise grain.
Custom-made draperies: Draperies made to order in a workroom or decorator shop.

Cut allowance: The amount of fabric added to finished measurements for hems and headings.

Cut length: (AKA cut) The length of the fabric cut after allowances have been added for heading, hem and repeats.

Cutout Return: A buttonhole or rectangular cut out at the top return of the panel or top treatment to allow the return to go back to the wall in a pole-mounted treatment.

Cut width: The complete amount of fabric needed for treatment width, including hems, and/or any other allowances.

Café: A traversing or non-traversing short drapery, designed as a tier, with various heading styles.

Café rod: A small, round decorative rod used to mount café curtains that do not have a rod pocket. Café rods are meant to be seen and add a decorative touch to the window treatment.

Canopy: A fabric bed treatment that goes over the top of a specialty bed frame.

Cantonniere: A three sided, shaped or straight cornice that “frames” the window across the top and part way down the two sides. It is usually made of hardboard, padded and covered with fabric.

Carriers: (AKA slides) Small runners installed in the traverse rod, which hold a drapery pin or hook.

Cartridge pleat: A fold of cloth sewn into place to create fullness in a drapery. This is a round pleat 2 – 2½ inches in depth. Stuffing the pleat with buckram that may be removed for cleaning creates a round shape.

Cascade: (AKA tails) Often used with swags, a fall of knife-pleated fabric that descends in a zigzag line from the drapery heading or top treatment. They should be self- or contrast lined.

Casement:

A. Fabric: A cloth drapery that is an open-weave material but more opaque than a sheer.

B. Window: A type of vertically hinged window

Casing:

A. Fabric: A pocket made in fabric for a curtain rod, weight board or drawstring.

B. Window: A wooden frame around the window.

Center draw: (AKA Split draw) A traversing pair of draperies, which draws open from and closes to a window’s center point.

Center support: A piece of hardware, which supports a traverse rod from above to prevent the rod from sagging, yet does not interfere with the rod operation. A wood or metal support is used for poles and metal rods that do not traverse; they are supported from underneath the rod.

Chain weights: A continuous chain of small heavy beads covered in a casing, used to prevent billowing in lightweight fabric.

Bias cut: A bias fabric cut is one that is a 45-degree angle of the fabric weave. This cut of fabric will have a lot of give to it, allowing swags to drape better, and better enable cording to hug curves. Prints should always be checked before cutting on the bias. Some upright prints can be cut on the bias and will look fantastic, and others won’t.

Bottom hem: The turned portion of fabric that forms a finished edge at the bottom of drapery.

Box pleat: Pleats formed by two folded edges facing each other. Box pleats are evenly spaced and stitched.

A. Closed box pleat: This is when pleats of fabric are pressed flat so the edges of the pleats touch each other all the way across the front and all the way across the back of the treatment (three times fullness).

B. Open box pleat: Pleats of fabric are taken on the front of the treatment and pressed flat.  A space is then left between the edges of said pleats.

C. Inverted box pleats: Pleats of fabric are taken in the back of the treatment and pressed flat. The sides of the pleats do not touch.

Bullion fringe: A long thick fringe of individual cords or twisted cords.

Break: The extra length added to draperies so they lay on the floor.  Length varies from 1 inch to a few inches.

Breaking the Buckram: The practice of creasing the buckram between pleats in order to make the pleats fall properly when draperies are opened. Usually done at installation.

Buckram or Bucram: (AKA crinoline) See “crinoline” for definition.

*reprinted with permission from the WCAA Standards Manual.  www.wcaa.org

For a complete set of instructions on how to install a cord lock, including illustrations, please visit the following page:

http://draperydiy.com/how-to-install-cord-lock-for-drapery/info_10.html

Below are our favorite 17 practices when undertaking any Drapery Fabrication project:

1. Check to be sure that all fabrics are right side up and right side out.
2. Center pattern prints in all sections of the same treatment and/or all treatments in the room.
3. Make sure the tops of all print draperies in the same room match.
4. Ensure that the print is straight across the tops of treatments with no drifting.
5. Ensure that all spaces that are intended to be equal are visibly equal, e.g., spaces between pinch pleats and grommets in a shower curtain.
6. Avoid putting a seam in the middle of a treatment.
7. Ensure that all stripes and/or plaids are as straight and centered as possible.
8. Place seams in pleated draperies beside the pleat at the junction of the pleat and the space.
9. Seams will need to be hidden wherever possible, e.g. box pleated valances.
10. Use odd numbers whenever possible, e.g., number of swags on a window, number of scallops in a valance.
11. Cover all boards with either fabric or paint.
12. Fabricate double 1¼ inch or 1½-inch side hems in drapery panels and avoid seaming the lining to the face along the sides.
13. Abide by 2½ times the width as the minimum standard for custom fullness.
14. Use weights at the bottoms of corners and seams in draperies.
15. Achieve even lengths.
16. Hem face fabrics in window coverings with a true “blind-stitch” machine or by hand and avoid straight stitched hems or domestic machine-hem stitches. (Lining hem can be straight stitched)
17. Abide by the safety standards for corded treatments, i.e., draperies and soft shades, and apply the labels and hand tags as required in the American National Standard.

*reprinted with permission from Kitty Stein

In a recent effort to provide more for less, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of drapery supply products – formerly only supplying professional workrooms and large retailers like Hancock Fabrics – launches draperydiy.com. From the comfort of their own home, consumers can now go online and purchase the same high-end drapery supplies found at large chain stores for less. 

The team at draperydiy.com has been selling quality drapery supplies and drapery hardware to large corporations and professional workrooms for over fifty years. By cutting out the middleman and selling directly to the consumer, draperydiy.com is able to make available their top-of-the-line drapery supplies for a substantially reduced cost without having to buy in bulk. A draperydiy.com representative explains that, “Many of the drapery supply items you loved at Hancock Fabrics can be purchased here for less – including curtain tape, upholstery tools, cording, drapery hangers & much more.” 

The draperydiy.com website offers an expansive selection of drapery supply styles that are ahead of the trend as well as classic styles that are here to stay. Additionally, draperydiy.com makes available all workroom essentials needed to complete professional style drapery – including a “How To” section, which will include regularly updated instructional video and articles on making professional draperies for the do-it-yourselfer.

Welcome to our new blog!  We will be frequently updating this area of our site with the latest news about Drapery DIY, as well as other noteworthy information about drapery supplies.  We encourage you to subscribe to our RSS feed to receive automatic notifications of the latest information.