Usually, pencil pleat curtains have a heading with 3 rows of pockets to insert hooks. For curtain tracks, it's best to insert curtain hooks into the middle or lower row of pockets so that they hide the track once drawn. For curtain poles, insert the hooks into the top row of pockets so they hang below the ring.
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. As pinch pleat is a fixed, sewn-in heading, it is important that you quote an accurate track/pole width when ordering pinch pleats.
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.
- 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.
Pencil pleat curtains can be hung from a track or a pole.
For the best results for this type of curtain heading aim for a minimum fullness of 2.25 times the rail width. This will give an adequate amount of fullness to the pencil pleats, across the full width of the window when the curtains are in the closed position.
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.
Sheer Curtains with hooks use a slightly different hook. The hook for a sheer pleated curtain is called a pin hook. We use pin hooks in sheer curtains so you can get the height correct.
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.
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.
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.
The curtain hook needs to be wider than the rod and leaving enough room to attach the curtains. Choose the size that will allow you to hang the curtains loosely, without leaving a large gap between the curtain rod and the top of the curtains. Curtain hooks are also used to hang shower curtains on a shower rod.
I convert a lot of eyelet curtains to pencil pleat while shortening them, it's almost always cheaper than buying fabric to have them made, especially when the sales are on. These are from Dunelm if you like the look of them.
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.
D. A - Pleated heading on a pole. Width of the pole between finials. Drop from the pole eyelets to your. finished length.
Pencil pleat curtains
Width of pole or track x 2 = Fullness. Fullness divided by width of fabric = Number of widths required. Drop length + 30cm for hems = Cutting length. Number of widths x cutting length = Amount of fabric you need.
Triple pinch pleat curtains have small groups of pleats separated by flat sections of fabric, pinch pleat curtain hooks are used at each pleat, so the curtains are suspended by the pleats with flat fabric between. Pinch pleats give a more formal look and the curtains tend to hang in uniform folds.
Double pleat curtains are also known as double pinch pleat curtains. They have a double fold at the top to create a double pleat. They are more contemporary than triple pleats and stack efficiently with a sleek line. Double pleats are a good choice for patterned fabrics as less of the pattern is gathered into the fold.
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.