[Logic_BomB]

Hey,


I'm about to buy velvet for the screen border and just realized I need to measure for curtains as well since I'll be using them for side masking with my CIH screen.


Does anyone know of a good DIY curtain tutorial I can use with the triple black velvet? I know there are other ways to do masking but I want it 100% variable and not just a single stick-on panel to switch between 1.78 and 2.35 so I figure curtains are the best way to go.


Unless of course you know of a much easier way to do variable side masking that I haven't read about yet.

 

[MississippiMan]

Making Curtains involves Tacking / Hemming (...in very straight lines....Top/Bottom/Sides ...) and Pleating to create the Width & Depth of the Folds. Then there is the needed "Weights" that must be sewn into the bottom.


Unless the Wife or Significant "Other" is a good Seamster/-ress with curtain making moxie, it's better to just take your needs to a Sewing Shop and have them whip them out.


Velvet Curtains ARE the best choice, but Velvet will Fray easily so having a big Cutting / Sewing Table with a Commercial quality Sewing machine at the end is something desire-able, and seldom found within the possession of the common DIY'er.


However, if you want to try.....:

http://www.simplyfurnishings.com/pro...s/curtains.htm

 

[Jive Turkey]

 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post18221296 (post 41 and beyond)


PM me if you'd like to get ahold of the lady who did my Triple Black Velvet curtains. She's the wife of a forum member and did a really nice job for me. Triple Black works well because it's a non-stretch product.


You'll have to provide her with detailed dimensions, but she's great with communication and nailed mine without a hitch.

 

[Logic_BomB]

I think I found a decent option but I have no idea if it would match or perform like sy's. There is a company called "Indian Selections" that does custom-cut black velvet curtains for what appears to be a reasonable price.

http://www.indianselections.com/prod...Pole-Tops.html


What do you think?

 

[MississippiMan]

I dunno........

After having inputted specs such as for a 60" x 84" panel w/Pleated Top + Travis Rod Hooks, I came up with a price of $124.00 ea. You would need 2.


That compares to having $60.00 of velvet and paying approx $120.00 labor to have them both Sewn by a local Seamstress/er.


Perhaps the most telling is that when you order such an item "Custom" on the Web, what you see when it arrives is probably what you'll wind up getting, like it or not.


.....and that could be bad.



However, the material they are using looks to be quite adequate.

 

[Jive Turkey]

I suspect they'd cost as much as what I paid for TBV curtains to be made by the lady I PM'd you about, just trying to interpolate from the order screen on that site.


I can vouch for the Triple Black Velvet, but it'd be a bit of a crap shoot without actually handling the velvet shown there.

 

[Logic_BomB]

I actually need much smaller curtains for my purposes (43" wide x 68" long) simply because with how my room is designed they won't be going to the floor and by using swing-arm curtain poles the material isn't going to acordian in or out by much at all. So I'd be looking at about $95. Appealing. Downside is it might end up as a $100 piece of kindling.


I emailed them asking if they do any samples but I'm not expecting much in the way of a response.


I haven't ruled out using the contact you gave me Jive but ready-made is just so much more appealing if and where possible. I'd have to pay for shipping 3 times, to canada, plus labor and being recently unemployed is tying my hands a bit.


Choices...

 

[Jive Turkey]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Logic_BomB /forum/post/18238751


I actually need much smaller curtains for my purposes (43" wide x 68" long) simply because with how my room is designed they won't be going to the floor and by using swing-arm curtain poles the material isn't going to acordian in or out by much at all. So I'd be looking at about $95. Appealing. Downside is it might end up as a $100 piece of kindling.


Choices...

I'd roll the dice if $95 was the buyin. It cost me much more than that screwing around just to figure out which method of masking I wanted to use.

 

[Logic_BomB]

Well hell, they DO have frabic samples for $15 shipping.

http://www.indianselections.com/product/FABRIC_SAMPLES

 

[lanced]

and it was a pain in the a**.

I did the entire home theater stage here My HT/Gamroom without much of a problem as I was dealing with wood. Every cut on wood is precise. Dealing with fabric is an entirely different animal. I was so frustrated doing the curtain last night that I almost gave up. Luckily, my wife (a tailor) helped me out with hemming. BTW, I used to repair sewing machine for a living and I do know how to sew, yet, it is the measuring, the cutting, hemming, and the precision that killed me. What I learnt:


1. Doing 2-layer curtain is much easier and quicker. Basically, sewing them back to back with your sewing machine then flip them inside-out. That would hide the sewing lines. The inner layer can be any cheap fabric. Yes, it cost a little more, but would save time and headache. BTW, the inner layer must be smaller than the outside one, so when you flip them inside-out, the seam will not be visible from outside.

2. The most painful part is the hemming. Doing 2-layer curtain eliminates most of that work.

3. Cutting: cutting a straight line is very difficult, especially with fabric that move a lot. So always cut extra. I was so stupid that I cut 96 inches long thinking that I may lost 1/2" or so. At the end, I lost 3" as the original cut was not straight. I ended up had to sew additional fabric to get back to 96". Also, don't cut fabric on carpet. Doing that on table or wooden floor is much better in term of precision.

4. type of heading: Pinch pleat curtain would be the easiest to do and to ensure your curtain spread out evenly when close. However, this would require >2x the amount of fabric.


If the size you want is standard, then it's easier to buy pre-made one (JCPenney and Bed Bath Beyond has some on clearance for $14.99). The main problem preventing me from buying pre-made curtain is the size. Most pre-made curtains are 54" wide, so you have to buy 4 panels to cover 122" screen, so you have to stich them together anyway.