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Things You'll Need
Instructions
Measure the rod and include the returns. The rod returns are the angled sections of the rod beginning at the front straight edge of rod and going to the wall. Determine the number of pleats your curtain will have. Divide the rod measurement by four. This is how many pleats will be made.
Add together the rod measurement, four inches for every pleat you will make and 2 1/4-inch for the side hems. This is the fabric width.
Measure from one inch above the top of the mounted rod down to the length the curtain will hang. Add six inches for the bottom hem. This is the length of the fabric.
Cut the fabric in accordance with the dimensions. Hem the top, sides and bottom of the curtain. Turn the bottom edge up 3-inches twice and stitch. Hem the top by turning the top edge 1/4-inch twice. The side hems will each be formed by turning the side edges in 1/2-inch twice.
Begin at the left edge and mark the measurement for the rod return. This is the starting point for the first pleat. Place a pin at this location. Measure to the right four inches and place another pin. This pair of pins creates your first French pleat. Repeat this process from the right edge. Space additional French pleats evenly across the width of the fabric.
Lift each pair of pins with the wrong fabric sides touching and draw a stitch line with chalk. The line position will be where the pins are located. Draw the line about 6-inches down the fabric from the top edge. If your fabric is a light weight cotton, the line can be reduced to four inches long. Pin the pleats together.
Stitch along the stitch line with thread that matches the fabric color. This creates one large pleat that is on the front of the curtain. To form the French pleat, hold push two lines in the large pleat with your thumb and finger. This will shape three smaller folds of fabric. They should all be equal in size. Stitch the pleats securely in place with a hand stitch that goes through all layers about three inches from the top.