All Custom Drapery Panels Online are made according to these descriptions. Contact us for customizations not offered online.
Production: Work is done by hand by a small team of seamstresses using professional tools and machinery to achieve high professional standards.
Standards:
Excellence of planning: Pleats are mathematically correct in fullness and spacing. Grommets are evenly set in terms of height and spacing.
Lining: Draperies except for sheers or those explicitly described as unlined, are lined with premium grade 100% cotton sateen lining in a pale ivory color.
Sewing: is done using matching thread. No monofilament is ever used. Stress points are reinforced. Tensions and stick lengths are adjusted for each fabric to achieve the best result possible with the material. Seams are made by machine except where hand stitching is required to penetrate extra bulk or touch up areas. Panels online are hemmed by machine. Hand sewn hems are available with sheers and some fabrics by request at additional charge.
Finished dimensions: Draperies are very accurate in length and consistent from panel to panel. Each panel is reliably square.
Spacing: Pleats and grommets are spaced evenly from one another. Space outside of pleats and grommets are the leading edges and returns which are of set dimensions.
Standard Pinch Pleats are the most common in our online draperies. You may also know these as three prong pleats, triple pleats, 3 finger pleats, and French pleats. Standard traditional pleat is stitched at it's base 4" down from the top of the drapery. Taller pleats are available upon request at additional charge.
Other pleats: Two prong pleats, Box pleats, and Inverted pleats are available upon request.
Grommets: All grommets are made of brass professionally finished in a variety of colors. A professional press is used to fasten the grommets to the drapery while maintaining the integrity and roundness of each grommet. Grommets will usually be shown in finishes and sizes our designer envisions when planning the drapery. However, grommets are available in many sizes and finishes. Custom selections are offered upon request. Finish changes are at no charge. Size increases usually require additional charge.
Hems: A professional drapery is often recognized quickly by the quality of its hems. We trim fabric selvage edges to release any tightness. Then, the hems are carefully rolled double and blind stitched. In this way, no frayed or uneven edges are seen when the drapery is in the light. Hems stay flat and smooth, and the hems stay on the back side of the drapery rather than blousing out at the side (as with fake hems made by pillow slipping two fabrics at the seam or serging all layers together which is common in store bought and home made draperies). Side hems are approximately 1 3/4" wide. Bottom hems are usually 4".
Weights: We don't routinely include weights in our draperies, because weights add bulk and usually cause bulk and irregularity in the drapery. If you would like weights, please contact us to discuss their suitability for the drapery planned.
Lead time: At least 4 weeks are required to receive materials and make custom drapery panels. Lead time is more typically 5 weeks. However, availability of materials and surges in production contribute heavily to the amount of time required to make custom draperies. It is increasingly difficult to hire seamstresses as most other jobs pay higher. We are primarily owner/ operators with few employees, so adding staff for surges is not usually possible. If the fabric of your drapery order is expected to take more than 3 weeks to receive, you may select another material, cancel your order, or choose to wait for the material. If a backorder is lengthy, we will want to refund a portion of your purchase so that only a deposit holds the order while we are waiting on the material to arrive. Custom orders may not be canceled except with our approval when materials are not available for a lengthy period of time. If timing is important to you, please inquire about the material before you order. Please note that lead time estimates we provide are only estimates, and that these estimates are based on projections we are given from suppliers, shippers, and seamstresses. Any estimation of lead time is not a promise to produce the drapery in a specific amount of time.
Payments: Our online checkout can only collect full payments. However, you may pay for draperies over $900 in 2 or 3 parts. Contact us for this option.
Warranty: We will repair seams that come apart during regular wear within 2 weeks of their delivery. This is sufficient time to install the draperies and draw them across a rod several times so that any weak place becomes apparent. By their nature, draperies are intended to float, suspended in the air. As such, there is no standard of actual wear. Draperies should not receive wear. Drapery hardware, on the other hand will be subject to wear and under its own warranty.