In case you are thinking like me, you could think that gathered curtains or draperies seem to be so much superior if every pleat is uniformly equal. Achieving that is easier than you may perhaps think. There are in fact three diverse methods to tackle the difficulty and I promise that, in one of these ways, you can achieve it. From time to time even pleated curtains require coaxing if the textile is squashy or firm and, of course, the best method is to pick a soft flexible material in the first place. This is not always doable so lets chat about how to create perfect pleats in spite of what fabric is applied even including tier curtains or lace material or a rigid antique satin.

In case the drape material is quite workable the easiest first effort would be to fit the drape, drag each section to single side and physically position the pleats evenly. Then fasten them back moderately loosely together near the peak and at the base hem. Once this is ready you can drench the front and rear  of the pleats gently with a mix of water with a tiny amount of alcohol added. Do this with a extremely faint spray devoid of soaking the textile. You simply want a haze on the surface. You might also massage your fingers evenly on every pleat while they are still moist forming them into a fine curved shape. Leave them for a few days. The shape of the pleats will significantly improve, with any luck to the point that they are fine without additional fussing.

If the pleats are yet flaring the next method is to utilize what in the drapery craft is referred to as “shot tape” or in fabric stores as “leaded weight tape”. It consists of a extended, extremely small diameter cotton tube that is packed with a single line of approximately 1/8 inch lead balls to outline a continuous cord. Position this string in the bottom hem from one side of the panel to the other. That adds mass to the drape. You can now assemble the pleats a large amount more easily. When you have set them equally they have a propensity to stay where you have positioned them because of the extra weight and the comparative reluctance of the string to uncurl.