Stashes, Holes and Headers

Ryco had a sale this weekend on precuts.  I went to pick up a few reds and darks.  Technically I succeeded; I got a few of each... plus a lot of colors I didn't need.  But I just kept picking them up and couldn't put them down.  Especially in the bargain bin area.  Those peacock feathers were so pretty!  I loved the watercolor greens.  The gold had bits of shiny specs.  So they all came home with me.

Monday was a cool, cloudy, rainy day - perfect for sewing.  I rolled up my sleeves and attacked the last of the sound drapes.  I recognized my handiwork on two of the drapes.  Some fixes had held better than others, so I adjusted how to patch holes/rips this time around.

I went through a lot of denim iron-on patches for the big holes and menders tape for little holes that hadn't quite frayed.  One tear was 30 inches long!  I patched over a dozen holes on another drape.  And I finally found a use for the Fray Block that has been sitting in my sewing box for decades.

Some drapes had instructions to fix the headers.  The jute webbing was old and ripped or pulling out from around the grommets used to hang them.  There was no simple way to reinforce around a stressed grommet.  So I suggested cutting off the entire strip of grommets, pull off the old header and replace it.  The whole drape would end up 2 inches shorter, but should give it a whole new life for hanging.

Ripped jute and pulled grommets; a cut off header with taped patches;
sewing in the new header, with the string of cut off grommets

The first drape was a struggle.  After cutting off the grommets, I had to carefully undo stitching over tape glued to the old jute.  The tape was stronger than the curtain material, and I didn't want to do more damage.  Once that was pulled apart, folding down the drape and installing the new jute webbing was a snap.  Doesn't it look great?

Seven fixed drapes plus one floral-patched bag

The next two drapes went much faster.  It felt a bit overkill to rip out the whole old header for just a few grommets that were pulling out.  On the other hand, the old jute easily pulled away from the drape - I didn't even need the seam ripper to remove it.  Once new grommets are set into the heavier jute webbing, it should be good as new. 

I tried my best to patch a couple of other headers that weren't quite desperate enough for a full replacement.  As long as the patches hold until the others start to pull out, I can replace those headers on some future date.  Since I've been crazy enough to agree to wrestle these drapes twice, I'm sure there will be a third time.  For now, I am so happy to have them done and bagged.  My sewing room floor is no longer a maze of blue velvet mounds!