The sheer unadulterated hell of pencil pleat curtains

beelzebomb

After my cat pulled the curtain rail down last week, I though drilling into a reinforced lintel in a heatwave was hell enough. But I hadn't accounted for the sheer rocket science of pencil pleat curtains.
So I can grasp the pulling the cords and tying them off, but the tape pockets - these appear to be several rows of cord too rather than slits in the tape, spaced every inch or so. Yet the cords don't seem to be attached firmly at the end, so a hook just unravels the damn things.
Does anyone understand this black art?

rosie383

Gather all the strings together on one end and tie them. Tuck inside the tape bit.
Then pull from the other end until they are as gathered as you want then tie off and tuck in.
Now if someone could tell me how I get them neat looking...?

paddy's_mum

You need to gather the 3 cords together and at each end, tie a small knot as close to the ends of the cords as you can. Doing so prevents the strings pulling along the tape as you gather.

Having done that, start pulling the cords from one end only until you have pleated the fabric to the width you want, usually half the width of the window they are to cover.

Then wrap the cords over your fingers to make the beginnings of a 'ball of knitting wool' and once you are within 2 or 3 inches of the tape, twist the cords very tightly to prevent unravelling and poke the little ball of cords into the space (hopefully) between the tape and the fabric.

Might it be worth going to a local curtain firm or somewhere that does Made to Measure, such as John Lewis, and asking the sales assistant to show you how? Once seen and understood, never forgotten.

That way, if and when you want to undo the curtains for laundering or a dust removing tumble dry, it is easy to undo the twist fastening. Much easier than trying to unpick a knot that has got tighter over time.

Never cut the cords because you then lose the flexibility of using them at another window should you wish to do so. I sometimes buy second hand curtains on auction sites and always check whether the cords have been cut before I am willing to bid.

Having said that, I have in the past picked up no end of superb curtains for peanuts in charity shops because the cords are broken or cut and people don't know how to deal with them.

A bodkin and fine polypropylene string from any good craft shop is the answer. Replacing the cords is easy, if time consuming.

As for making the pleats even, practice and patience is the answer there. :-) Hope that helps someone.

warby68

When we moved here I switched to poles with eyelet curtains after pencil pleating myself to death for many years. What a revelation!

I even had some of those fancy pinch pleats and goblet pleats (stuffed with something) once upon a time although once done these could not be undone - some are still pointlessly boxed in the garage, I don't know why - probably because they were expensive and I loved them once.

Good luck OP, the methods described sound spot on although its more of a fiddly bit at a time job than just pulling from one end unless your cords have become very loose.

lstar337

warby68 wrote: »

When we moved here I switched to poles with eyelet curtains after pencil pleating myself to death for many years. What a revelation!

Same here.