Advice on curtain making gratefully received

[GrendelsMum]

I'm making my first fully lined pair of curtains, which will have pencil pleats.

I wanted to check about sewing the curtain tape onto the curtains. My instructions say to pin the curtain tape in place, tack it on, and then machine sew it on.

I have two queries

1. do I really need to tack the curtain tape on? If so, why?
2. do I really machine sew it straight on to the top of my curtains? Won't I end up with visible stitches on the front of my lovely curtains? Should I be sewing it onto the turned-over hem instead, so that you can't see visible stitches?

Much appreciated!

I don't tack the tape, just pin it in place, but you need to sew carefully and relatively slowly over the pins to avoid damaging sewing machine needle. You might find it easier and quicker to tack in place. If you don't temporarily secure in place by pin/tacking, then the tape may move during stitching and be uneven. You don't want wonky curtains!

I just sew straight on top of curtain as I don't mind the stitching showing, anyway you can hardly see it if the colour of thread is well matched. This method gives a secure top to the curtain. Also you don't want too many layers of material. ( remember you already have a layer of curtain and lining) When you pull the strings on the heading tape up to make the pleats, too much material will make the pleats sit poorly.

Thank you! I didn't see your message last night, and so discovered the issue about sewing on top of the pins through the purpose of trial and error, and then felt extremely stupid when I realised I had actually got some pins stuck under the heading tape.

For anyone else that reads this, you also need to make absolutely sure you're not sewing over the strings on the heading tape, if any of them have come a little loose and baggy. I shall unpick and re-do one row of stitching tonight.

As you say, it does give a very secure top to the curtain, and the stitches shouldn't be visible once it's all in place.

I saw a list of the ten commandments of sewing a couple of years ago, one I always remember was
"Thou shalt always place the pins perpendicular to the direction of sewing, not parallel to it"
Much easier to sew over them that way.

Ah. That would make a great deal of sense.

Thank you very much for that tip!