Flash from the Past

I recently had a fun unique project to make. I was asked by a designer to remake some drapery panels to fit her clients new home. The client told the designer she had some draperies she just loved and would like to be able to use them again. The draperies had been stored in a box for several years. The draperies were new in the 70's and the fabric cost a $100.00 a yard back then. Can you imagine what they would cost today? The fabric was a very soft velvet. The colors in the photo is a very close to what the fabric looked like.

We turned the pinch pleated panels into rod pocket panels. The original drapes weren't lined, and that's the way we left them. I was surprised to see the original drapes were made with monofiliment thread. The hems were sewn by hand. The pleats were tacked by a tacking machine. The fabric looked as clean as the day they were originally made. We were afraid to have them dry-cleaned in fear that they would fall apart. The only real stress in the fabric is where I took the stitching out for the pinch pleats.

I thought it was fun to look back in the past at the old fabric and to see how they were made! I see a lot of older fabric and techniques when upholstering antiques, but not so much with draperies. (by the way 70's aren't that far back, I graduated from high school back then!)