Goblet Headings

[abracadabra]

I am currently making my first pair of goblet headed curtains. I've made them up in the same way as triple pleated tops and am now fillinf out the tops. I have tried tube inserts, but a friend suggeste that I might be better stuffing the goblets with wadding and a cover of the same fabric.
Each of the goblets has a button at the base in contrasting colour.
Can you let me know what works for you.
Thank you
Anne

[Aileen]

You are right about stuffing the goblet pleats to make them hold a nice shape. Some people use tissue paper, other people use scraps of interlining or rolled pieces of buckram cut slightly smaller than the goblet. Nothing too heavy. Perhaps even rolled up bubble wrap?

If the curtains are not hanging where you can see down on to the top of them then I don't think you need to cover the stuffing with anything unless you want to.

[sewantiques]

Aileen is right, you don't need anything heavy. Mine just have some lightweight wadding pushed into the goblets. If they're high enough up they won't show anyway.

[abracadabra]

Thank you. I guess it's a bit down to experimentation, sometimes I just lack the courage to.

[Critchley]

I think someone put a tutorial on here about that. If I can find it I will come back and give you a link.

[abracadabra]

Thank you. This is a really helpful forum. I've spent the afternoon trying out the different methods that Aileen and sewantiques have given me. I think the wadding is probably the best thing it holds them really nicely.
I won't know for definate though until they are hung at my friends, but it is certainly much better than the drain pipe sections I was using.
another question. Do you hem before hanging or hang for a week and allow the fabric to weight it'self first. These are going to be sill legnth.

[Classical Genesis]

Common practice is to stuff them with rolled up domette or cotton/polyester wadding Anne but like everything else in life there is no easy answer to any one thing and it all depends on how imaginative you can be. The decision about what to use can be one of art, beauty or practicality.

Goblets can be great fun as you have the perfect vessel in which to place a variety of things. I have seen small soft toys looking out over the tops of the tubes to enhance curtains in childrens rooms, coloured squares draped like pocket handkerchiefs for gaiety in a bright room.

Always interesting to look for alternatives, I bet the crafty folks in this forum would have a few suggestions?

For me, it depends where in the house the curtains will hang and how formal the pleats need to look. Sweet looking little cut away goblets need an informal squishy look and can be stuffed with wadding but a more formal effect is obtained when the pleats are formed with soft cardboard tubes like cut down kitchen roll tubes. these can be rolled in domette to give them a soft feel but the tube will help the pleat conform to a cleaner cylindrical shape. I have used the cardboard tubes that fabric is supplied on but this adds quite a lot of weight which can make the pleats kick forward a little when they are hung with pin hooks from the back. If a tube former is used then it does need to be quite light in weight. I would be inclined to play around with tubes from kitchen rolls first until you achieve the look that you want. Tightly rolled Domette can hold the goblets fairly straight but again this all depends on how formal a look you want to give the pleats.

One curtain maker I know uses round pipe insulation as a base instead of tubes and then rolls the pieces in Domette. If you choose this method then you must make sure that the insulation is not of the polyurethane variety as this is a very combustable material
and you wouldn't want to make anything that resulted in a high fire risk.

As for the hemming question, I make curtains from the bottom up starting with the hem. There is no earthly reason to let then hang out before you hem them unless of course you are using a type of springy fabric that is unknown to me or science.

Start with the hem and side turnings, insert the interlining and stitch it in. Sew in the lining and then form the heading, finishing with folding and sewing your pleats.

I'm sure you'll have great fun finishing this little project Anne.

Kind regards....................Clive

[abracadabra]

Thank you Clive, That is an incredibly helpful reply. I was originally using drain pipe narrow gage. It looked fab when they were lying down, but did have a tendancy to lean forward when upright. I'm now using the wadding Aileen suggested.
I hate hemming, which is probably why I leave it till the end. I do like the idea of doing the hem frst and getting it right out of the way.
I'm so happy to have found all you knowledgeable people to help me. After Christmas I am making some curtains for another friend (well a friend of a friend) so I'll be picking your brains again. It's funny, but once people know you can make things, they just keep asking.
Anne

[abracadabra]

Clive, I hope you don't mind, but I love the idea you mentiopned with little toys in the goblets and I am gong to make some up for my little boys room. I'm really excited about it.

[Classical Genesis]

Small soft toys are lovely to use for goblet pleats but there are a whole host of different things and shapes that can be employed. The lady I made curtains for who uses this method makes and collects soft toys for her young children so they constantly get changed for a different theme. I'm sure, at this time of year the little tubes of the goblets will be filled with Father Christmas's and elves etc. The last time I visited her she had a Peter Pan theme going on, it seems to keep the kids completely mesmerised. I don't know what it is going to be like when they grow up, I wouldn't know how to start to make a soft toy of Sid Vicious or the Beetles. :confused: There I go showing my age again:)

[Critchley]

At least you didn't mention Slim Whitman. lol.