Many people believe that pencil pleat curtains are old-fashioned when compared to eyelet curtains, which have ringlets incorporated into the fabric itself - but this is far from a blanket rule. Pencil pleat can look just as stylish as eyelet curtains in a contemporary apartment or new-build house.
Pleated panels are a classic style of drapery and so never really go out of fashion, although their popularity rises and falls with current trends. They look quite formal, so work best with formal or traditional decorating styles.
Pinch Pleat Curtains
If you're going for a traditional style, pleated curtains are your best bet. These curtains are typically made with thicker, heavier fabrics. Pinch pleat (or tailored pleat) curtains are the most popular kind of pleated curtains.
Pinch pleats use more fabric and are fuller than pencil pleats. The pleats are hand-sewn in and permanently fixed for more luxurious, tailored look.
To prepare to hang your curtains, scrunch them to half the length of the pole and tie off the cords at the top of the curtains to help them hold shape. Once the curtain is secured, even out the pleats by gently pulling the curtain along the string.
Pencil pleat curtains are …
Pencil pleat curtains are a classic. Folds of fabric are tightly gathered to create a semi-cylindrical heading that resembles a line of pencils. From the close pleats of the header, the fabric tumbles freely to the floor. You can choose pencil pleat curtains for either poles or tracks.
Why People Love Eyelet Curtains
The grommets allow the curtain to glide almost effortlessly along the rod, making opening and closing the curtains quick and easy. Eyelet curtains hang neatly whether open or closed, and they are available in a wide variety of fabrics, from thin and sheer to thick and blockout.
The beauty of pencil pleat curtains is that you have greater control over the finished look when you hang them. They can be attached to either a curtain pole or track made from your chosen material, and by adjusting the heading tape either up or down you can choose how prominent you want the pleats to be.
What hooks do you need for Pinch Pleat Curtains? These are the curtains that have the pleats sewn into the top. They come as either double or triple pleated curtains, can be used on either a track system or on a rod/pole with rings both use the same type of hooks.
When working with the recommended 1.9 to 2.2 fullness ratio (STEP 2) we suggest using 6 pleats for every fabric width used to make the curtain panel. For example if you have used 2 widths of fabric to make your panel we would recommend 12 pleats, if you have used 1.5 widths we would recommend 9 pleats etc.
Curtain tracks are made from either plastic or metal and are used to hang and draw curtains that have heading tape. You can't use eyelet curtains or tab top curtains with a curtain track.
Sheers are a must in 2020
The transparency of sheer curtains enables you to dress a window without limiting the entrance of sunlight into the room. Not only do sheer curtains look elegant but they also offer a light breezy feel and are perfect for living rooms, bedrooms and kitchen windows.
What curtain heading uses the least fabric? Curtains always need more fabric than the width of a pole or track might suggest. This is described as the degree of fullness. Fullness should be at least 2 for traditional pencil headed curtains and eyelets , so these designs are the most economical with fabric.
Eyelet curtains are very fashionable and make a dramatic feature of a window thanks to the deep folds of fabric, which run in uniform lines from top to bottom. Eyelet curtains always hang from a pole, which is threaded through metal rings.
Eyelet curtains, or indeed any type that fits your style, can be used to dress up your home and give it a stylish touch. In this modern era, utilizing eyelets to cover your curtains seems to be the newly fashionable style of curtain trying to hang.
Given they use less fabric, Eyelet curtains have less stack back. This means that when you draw them open, they take up less space than a pleated curtain would, maximising the amount of natural light you can let in your room.
As a general rule of thumb, the heavier the fabric, the heavier or sturdier the hook should be. If you're using a heavy to mid-weight fabric, metal curtain hooks or brass curtain hooks will be the most suitable choice. If your fabric is lighter, something like cotton for instance, you could use plastic curtain hooks.
- Along the track: place the hooks at 4' intervals The curtain or voile curtain is ready to be hung. Thanks to these fixtures, you can adapt your pencil pleat curtains to a track: position them along the top of the curtain at intervals of around 6' and tighten the screws firmly.
One ring goes at each pleat to hang the panels securely. For flat panels, you usually need one ring for every 4 to 8 inches of curtain rod length. Heavier drapes need more rings that are closer together, while lightweight fabrics are usually fine with rings every 7 or 8 inches.