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

It's already a well known technique in professional curtain and drapery workrooms to pull a single thread in voiles, sheers and net curtain fabrics to get a perfectly straight line to cut to. Most woven plain voiles can be accurately cut this way but did you know you can also mark your hem fold lines using the same method?
In this quick tip I show you how to accurately pull a thread to cut along, repeat the process to create the folds for a perfect hem and then I also show you how I machine sew the hems to get a super smooth stitch line.
Fabric featured is Ian Mankin Padstow Voile here: www.ianmankin.co.uk/padstow-l...
(No affiliation)
To skip to a particular section please refer to the timestamps below.
🕑 TIMESTAMPS 🕑
05:28 - Introduction
01:06 - Measuring and pulling threads to get size of voile
03:29 - Cutting along pulled thread line
05:11 - Pulling threads to mark side hems
06:58 - Turning & pressing side hems
10:30 - Pulling threads to mark bottom hem
12:11 - Turning & pressing bottom hem
15:12 - Machine sewing hems
18:17 - Final pressing of hems
20:42 -Images of finished voile
#HowToPullAThread #HowToSewVoile #HowToSewSheer #HowToHemVoiles
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[@Pepsi_Please]

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 😂

[@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 😀👍

[@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

[@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!

[@OnlineMathsAcademy]

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

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Glad you liked it!!

[@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 👍

[@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.

[@sandrayoung336]

Perfection!! Beautifully made! ❤️

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Thank you

[@PaulKalburgi]

This tip has been invaluable, thank you so much!

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

Great, I'm so glad it helped :)

[@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 💪😀

[@skeepee]

Brilliant tip, thank you for sharing

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome. Hope it helps 👍

[@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 😬

[@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

[@bring00change2]

exceptional thanks

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome 😊

[@lucillemotley4655]

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

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

You're welcome

[@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 😁👍

[@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.

[@careyostrer6193]

Very very useful video, for the thread pulling and how to sew the edges - thank you! I’m just wondering if a thread will pull well on all types of sheer slippery fabric?

[@WindmillCurtainRoom]

No, it doesn't work on all fabrics as easily as it does for the one in the video. Some fine, slippery voiles are very closely woven with a fine warp and weft that break easily when you try to pull them. The only way to find out is to try, I'm afraid. I have managed to pull 2 threads at once to make it stronger so that could be a an option if your voile is fine.

[@careyostrer6193]

@@WindmillCurtainRoom thank you, I will, trouble is I have to buy the fabric first LOL! We’ll see, if they’re a bit wonky they’re only net curtains ; )

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. 😊

[@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.

[@Ashuch1972]

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

[@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.