Lots of research I did before finally daring to order this
Fascia Wood Kirsch Rod in white, with the
snap carriers already pre-installed. Also the additional length of Ripplefold snap tape, for sewing onto my existing curtains.
Already in 1907, Charles W. Kirsch founded the Kirsch Company in Sturgis, Michigan.
kirsch.com
In 1939, Kirsch Rods were used exclusively in "Gone With the Wind."
Hah, and on July 6, 2012, I did read a blog from blogger friend Ginger, under the name of Savannah Granny:
Ripplefold Curtains Tutorial, Pin It! and I have saved that link ever since... It was coming closer to home so to speak, as she lives only 2 hours away from me in the state of Georgia!
But HOW to figure out how much fabric was needed for such a
Split Draw Ripplefold Drapery System?
I found this on the internet but it did not reveal much.
Ginger's tutorial was not helpful as she had a curtain in one piece...
Only on
BRIMAR Hand Drawn Fabrication Chart I found my answers...
So I figured out that I had to order
for 80% fullness and went ahead to place my order for the 78 inch Kirsch 2 inch Estate Fascia Wood Ripplefold Rod!
Non returnable and it is after all over $ 300...
We got ours from Designer Drapery hardware:
Kirsch 2 inch Estate Wood Trend Ripplefold and it arrived by UPS on the 8th.
They also delivered the Ripplefold snap tape under item # 9003.
So off came our
Rayon Cotton damask curtains with Rose pattern and I started taking the tape and everything off.
I'd bought them on March 5, 1998 from
Britex Fabrics in San Francisco, California.
Still LOVE their quality in a soft cream color!
This was the inside. Don't think that with those hooks on, it would have been possible to launder them.
After sectioning the curtain with my serger, I did launder them however!
I had dry cleaned them only once and was not very happy with the result.
Now they looked like new!
The trick for preparing for those Ripplefold draperies is to measure and adjust the tape while the Rod is still on the floor, within easy reach!
Instead of reaching above your head,
way up on the wall or ceiling...
For the Master Butt the distance between one snap and the next is 1 inch so you have to cut the tape and sew it together again.
You have to snap the tape on, or at least count the carriers on your rod so you know exactly where to cut off your tape.
To the right you can see how much extra I left on for the sides of the curtain, beyond the last snap.
Left shows both centers where the Butt Master is!
My 50 year old quality scissors from Italy...
While I prepared for the sewing,
the other half of Team Vedder, did hang the white Kirsch Fascia Wood Rod with the Butt Master for the left panel visible here.
You also can see the carriers with the openings where the snaps will be snapped in.
They fully rotate!
This shows the right panel's
Butt Master with Ripplefold Carriers.
On the side, it got hung and this is before husband Pieter did paint the brackets.
Oh, on the ends there are also decorative wooden stoppers!
It only is a half round wooden 2 inch rod, backside is flat!
Okay, around 2:30 PM on February 10, Team Vedder's
installation part was done...
Now only waiting on my sewing to snap them on!
After first neatly pressing the panels,
I started sewing on the snap tape with the use of a zipper foot!
On the sides of my curtain panels, I did fold the fabric back and
stitch it, as shown here.
After turning and pressing it, I now started stitching with a regular foot, the side seam of the drapery panel.
I had pressed that too, for having a smooth stitched seam.
You can tell I've been using pink chalk... for marking the fabric.
Now I can start putting the snap tape on at the end here. It could have been cut a bit longer but it's double and thus okay.
Just folding the tape over and stitching here the bottom part of the tape.
Of course,
on the inside of the curtain!
Again, using a zipper foot which you can use left and right side.
Tada, by 8:15 PM on February 10, I made this photo with one panel hanging!
Showing you here the left outer side of this left panel,
with the overlap.
It nicely folds back, creating a perfect 'S' wave.
