Using The Pull Thread Method To Cut & Hem Voiles & Sheers Perfectly

[@johnd942]

Thanks for talking through it WITHOUT annoying background music that is often so distracting (and irritating). Well done! 👍👍👍

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Oh! Time to admit that I do have some videos with music 😬 .... but never when I'm talking 😃 it's a fine balance between complete silence and royalty free elevator music sometimes 😍

[@SusieQuhNOT]

You have GOT to be kidding me! 😱🤯 How could something so simple have eluded me? This has to be the best thing since sliced bread! For decades I've wrestled voile fabric, hanging and rehanging, over and over. Thank you so much for sharing this tip. I think I love you 💝 Btw, i love the way you take your thread snips and scraps and fling them. Too funny!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Oh heck how frustrating for you 🙈. I can't take credit for the method unfortunately , I learnt it that many years ago that I can't remember who from now. I do know that KZbin wasn't available then 😂

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Oh, and I do have a bin I fling bits into...... I've had a change around since though and moved the bin to the opposite side of the room so now I have a pile of bits on the floor where the bin used to be 😂

[@mothersmoonchild]

Wow this is a fantastic tutorial! I'm going to give it a try.

[@anndalynnketellapper8296]

Thank you, sooooooo much for this video. Like @dawn, how did this trick elude me??? I hate working with sheers, but had to research an easy way to hem them to help a friend who is a novice sewer. Now after 46 years of sewing, I’ll look like I know what I’m doing when it comes to sewing sheers! 😂 Cheers!!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

There's always something new to learn isn't there? 😁

[@anndalynnketellapper8296]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom yes there is! Oh btw, my friend was thrilled with the results…so was I! She felt so confident, that she took the curtain home to finish!! Cheers.

[@kylieunsw1613]

This saved my sanity today! Thank you so much, what a brilliant tutorial and I would never have known about this technique before I googled in desperation! My sheers look like a professional hemmed them not me, I’m so happy thank you!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're very welcome!

[@vegababes123]

I always pull the threads to striaghten it but never to make the hems thanks for that ideas much ease

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Yes it was a 💡lightbulb💡 moment one day realising I could pull the thread for the hem fold too. So much easier. 💛

[@bonnielarson6431]

So we’ll done! Thank you! Mom taught me the same technique, but I didn’t use it much, so the refresher is great. I wasn’t sure I’d find it! She also drew a thread near the end of clothing weight fabric to check if it was on grain. If not, we would have a tug of war with opposite corners of the yardage! We did this until the fabric could be folded square at the end the thread was drawn from. The result was way better than if we hadn’t done this. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on your channel!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Thanks for your comments Bonnie. It's such a great technique isn't it and can be used on so many fabrics to ascertain a good and straight line 👍

[@larryd3870]

I just used this technique after watching your video. It worked a charm and I'm very very pleased with the results! Thanks so much for this video!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Oh marvelous, I'm so glad it helped 😀👍

[@OnlineMathsAcademy]

At last someone shows how to shorten a voile the correct way, thanks ❤️

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Glad you liked it!!

[@lucillemotley4655]

Wow!!! I've decided to sew sheer linen curtains for the summer. THIS IS A GAME CHANGER!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're very welcome Lucille, I hope you get on OK with the voiles x

[@trishasargeant6435]

Well!!! I am so happy to have found your video today, I have had a piece of net belonging to my sis in law, she has a long piece of net that she has asked me to cut in half and then hem to make a wide short net for a tiny window. I have had this piece of net for weeks and weeks now, she has been nagging me and getting a bit cross that I have put other projects ( for grandchildren nieces and nephews) ahead of her net!😂. Tbh I was worried about cutting it as I haven't don't this before. But now!! Well..... Tomorrow, I feel confident that I can give this way a try. Thank you for putting this up. I'm actually excited to start it now. Kindest regards Trish x

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Great! I hope it works for you. It might be worth using the same method to get one edge completely straight first before you commit to cutting down the centre. 👍

[@trishasargeant6435]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom Great idea thank you, I'll try to remember to ping you and let you know what happens....xx

[@darkestserenity6775]

that's clever thanks for sharing a great tip new voiles arriving today and they are slippery subscribed

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome and I hope you're managing with the slippery voile 😬

[@PaulKalburgi]

This tip has been invaluable, thank you so much!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Great, I'm so glad it helped :)

[@skeepee]

Brilliant tip, thank you for sharing

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome. Hope it helps 👍

[@charlottehorn9923]

Thank you soooo much for all your valuable tips, I've learned a huge amount and feel confident to make my own now!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

That's what I like to hear 💪😀

[@sandrayoung336]

Perfection!! Beautifully made! ❤️

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Thank you

[@bring00change2]

exceptional thanks

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome 😊

[@lucillemotley4655]

Omg!!!! Thank YOU!!! for sharing!!!!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome

[@jankizkhanz]

Hello I’m working on a linen voile, pure 100% linen which is extremely thin like tissue paper thin and difficult to work with. It’s a wavy tape curtain! I machine the upper line with no problem but sewing the lower line on the tape is the problem! The issue is no matter how many pins i pin the fabric to the wavy tape it keeps drifting and making air pockets which doesnt look neat ! The only way it worked was to sew it upside down, meaning the tape facing down and the fabric up but it’s taking a lot of time to sew 1 piece but it’s worth it ! I also tried double taping the lower line instead of pins it also worked well but I don’t know if it’s ok to double tape this kind of linen cause the wavy tape is transparent and the linen is so thin you can see the tape slightly although the is also transparent but it’s not white like the linen it’s slightly yellowish ! What do you think?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there, it's just a matter of practice to be able to sew the tape on completely flat without puckering, I'm afraid. It all starts with how well you sew the top line of the tape on as to how you'll need to sew the bottom line on. You need to make sure the top line is sewn on correctly first. Remove the tape and lay the fabric completely flat on a table, the lay a piece of tape onto the top edge first. There should be no difference in fullness or tension. Use lots of pins to pin the tape on in place and sew on. If you find that you are gaining on your pins as you sew, then you need to improve your sewing technique or it could even be your machine causing the two layers to shift apart. Once you have the top row sewn on correctly, the bottom row will be much easier.

[@ia1930]

Thank you for this video - it is so helpful. I am attempting my first set of curtains using similar fabric. I wanted to ask - what foot were you using in your machine and also what size needle? I am new to all this so please excuse my ignorance.

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there, it's just a standard straight stitch presser foot and standard needles (I think these are 90/14) but it depends on your particular machine.

[@charlottehorn9923]

Hello again - do you know where I can find translucent triple pleat heading tape? I can only find pencil pleat. It's for sheer curtains. Thanks so much! Charlotte

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi Charlotte, I'm afraid I don't. I'm not saying it's not available but it's not something I've ever used as I tended to use translucent buckram and calculate the pleats to get an exact finish size. I have had a quick look through my suppliers catalogues but can't see any. Sorry. Jx

[@chrisw6544]

Thank you so much. I'm about to embark on voiles, and this is really helpful. If I'm using voile with a weighted gem, is the process the same for the remaining 3 sides?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi Chris, yes, just pull the threads on the remaining 3 sides and you should get lovely straight lines 👍

[@Floozwalsh]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom Thank you. I'm also assuming that part of the 'weight' in the bottom can be removed easily for turning side hems?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

@@Floozwalsh yes, the lead weight tape (looks like a string of tiny sausages) can be pulled out slightly from the overlocked casing it's in so you can snip a bit off. I usually pull out and snip off the same amount as my side hems so if my side hems are to finish 25mm wide I'll cut off 50mm of lead weight tape from each end. You can then easily turn your side hems without the weight in the bottom getting in the way.

[@Floozwalsh]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom Thanks for your tips, it's really helpful.

[@jennytaylor3324]

Ingenious 'hack'. Thank you! Do you think it could work on some medium weight open textured linen? Width is only 140cm, and I'm using the selvedge for a rustic edge. Just need to hem top and bottom.

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Yes definitely it works on linen and many other fabrics. As long as the weave isn't too fine and tight it's a great method to use to get a straight edge.

[@jennytaylor3324]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom Thanks. I tried sample piece and got a very impressive edge! Simple, but oh so nifty.

[@faybeazer5237]

Does this work on slippery net curtains?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there....well not always unfortunately. Some of the slippery voiles and sheers have such fine threads they're hard to pull and break easily. Picking up more than one thread to pull can sometimes work.

[@gemmawhittel4513]

Should I wash the voile before I start making the curtains? Thanks

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi Gemma, most voiles shouldn't need washing before making. The only time I would recommend it is if it's a cotton or linen and you plan to wash them a lot. Washing them first will enable you to pre-shrink them so you don't get any nasty surprises later on 🙂👍

[@bababvillanueva4600]

Hello. What needle did you use?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there, I used a glass headed steel pin, not a needle, to catch the thread

[@bababvillanueva4600]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom I mean the needle you used on your sewing machine. 😊

[@jankizkhanz]

Hi i tried this method it works great with bottom and side hems but when it comes to cutting the final length i found that there’s a 2 to 3 cm difference on long widths like 3 meters long! So I guess it’s always better to cut the final length by laying to fabric flat and measuring side to side ? I’m always having a problem with finishing the final length with pure 100% linen voiles 😢 it’s never a consistent bottom look 😢 ! Any tips for getting the perfect length of such voiles?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Yes, some of the natural fabrics, especially linen, can be very inconsistent in the weave. So you're right. The best way is to use this method to get neat bottom and side hems then lay the curtain out as flat as possible and measure up from the bottom to the finished drop all the way across the curtain at equal intervals. Pop pins in then turn the fabric over and crease/press to the pins to get a neat fold. The more pins you use the easier that gets. Then finish your heading as preferred. It isn't unheard of to have to redo the heading once the curtain has had chance to hang for a while, especially linen as it settles and can droop a little.

[@nochka2206]

Not sure what I am doing wrong but I have tried this technique on two pieces of voile now and the thread has pulled further and further away from the cut line to the point where I no longer have enough material to make the curtain. This has happened to voile bought from two different websites.

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there and apologies that it's taken me so long to respond. Unfortunately this is down to how the voile is rolled initially and then how the supplier cuts it from the roll. They should try to get at least somewhere close to the line of the weave by following the weave somewhat but often they don't. It's usually worse on wide width voiles that are folded before rolling. The only way to counteract the problem is to order an extra 1/4 or even 1/2 a metre or so. Then if you experience the same issue you'll at least have enough fabric to allow for it. I'm sorry I can't be more positive but it's a common problem unfortunately.

[@cc-xu3mc]

What number for the tension?~~cc

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there. I use a Brother industrial machine so there is no tension number I'm afraid. The tension does have to be very even and not too tight though when sewing voiles.

[@lisamiele5495]

This is such a useful tutorial. Thanks Justine! I sometimes sew weight cord into my bottom hem. Would that work with your method?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Thanks for your comments Lisa, it's good to know the video is if some use 😁👍. Yes, I also sometimes add leadweight tape so that it sits in the bottom hem. I then secure it at each end and then by stitching it to the back of the hem every meter or so (or on any seams you may have) just to gently secure it in place.

[@graces616]

best hint, I regret not knowing about it before I made my sheers....

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Oh no 🙈... That's just typical isn't it?..... Next time 😁👍

[@nicolasmith1460]

Love doing this but mine often break half way! 🤨 Yours... never!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Don't be fooled 😂.... I got lucky with this voile, it was pretty stable. If you get an annoying one that breaks though, try catching 2 or 3 threads at once to pull. That often works..... but not always.

[@superglo1000]

Surely it would be easier to just thread a piece invisible thread, I would never do what you are doing as it could possibly pull the material

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Hi there. The idea is to get a perfectly square edge to the weave by using the warp and weft. You could, of course, 'thread' (sew?) a piece of thread but you would still need to follow the weave by sewing between 2 warp threads or 2 weft threads to get the same result as the method in the video and that would take just as long, if not longer. You also wouldn't get the hinging effect the missing thread gives you. As I mention in the video this method doesn't work for all fabrics but I have never had a problem with pulling other than the thread I am purposely pulling, that is.

[@Ashuch1972]

Hi ! I have sent messaged you on Facebook, plz check the photos