Curtain Tiebacks or Holdbacks - Traditional and Contemporary Approaches Part 2

A Contemporary Twist

A more contemporary approach is to use a less structured tieback in a contrast fabric to the

main curtains. This gives a more relaxed, less formal feel.

Soft, feminine and informal - a piece of the curtain fabric with a contrast pink ruffle. This tieback is easy to use on a daily basis.

Using Hardware Holdbacks

Using hardware holdbacks can be a lovely and dramatic statement.

The pairing of the holdbacks and the finials in this scheme adds elegance to the overall look. Although the hardware is not large and imposing the window treatment as a whole is very dramatic with the silk lining and the grand sweeping drape of the curtains.

This pole shaped holdback has very clean, modern lines but it is softened with the use of the luxurious silk and the soft drape of the curtain.

Ombres are a lovely choice. They are very easy to use on a daily basis as the curtain is just placed behind the “arms”. There is huge selection of styles available on the market from which to choose and often are found in ranges thus enabling curtain poles, brackets and finials to all match with the ombre.

Clip Holdbacks

Easy to use Clip Holdbacks are quite effective. They don’t need any installation and are usually quite reasonably priced.

They are available in a range of sizes to suit the curtain they are intended to hold back. This one is quite large since the curtain is full and a lot of fabric is being gathered into it.

This is another example of a clip holdback with a bright sunflower as the feature.

Increasingly more modern forms of tiebacks are becoming popular.

The coffee coloured curtain in this photo has been wrapped with a contrast colour of the same fabric and knotted at the bottom. This curtain is intended as a dress curtain not a traversing one sothe tieback is an integral part of the design.

This is another example of a knot being used but here the knot is actually the tieback. Again this is just a dress curtain -

there is a pair of traversing curtains behind.

Tiebacks may be very simple affairs.

This tieback is just a very simple piece of cord - colour matched to the curtain of course.

Here a piece of the curtain fabric has been sewn into a rectangular strip which is tied around the curtain. The striped fabric makes this quite effective.

Similarly, in this example a strip of the curtain fabric has been made into a long band but this time it has been gathered which gives the rather frilly effect. Wrapping the tie around the curtain twice adds extra substance to a light weight curtain.

This is a very simple band of curtain fabric which has been wrapped around the curtain to draw the curtain back from the window to allow the stunning view to take centre stage. Placing thevertical strip horizontally across the curtain gives the curtain a real “waist”.

Nothing could be more simple than this. A lovely satin ribbon tied beautifully around a pair of light curtains. The smiley face says it all!

Another option is to use a range of different materials and textures.

Here very large bright red twisted cord has been paired with a textured blue curtain. The effect is very contemporary and stunning.

For this window treatments leather has been used to make the tiebacks and tab top headings. Much about this window treatment is unusual but the overall scheme works.

Then there is the practical tieback or holdback.

Using the holdback bar on this dormer window prevents the curtain from hanging loosely away from the window. The curtain is not intended to be drawn but just to add some privacy. Note how the sheer helps to draw the eye away from the radiator but will not affect the heat flow into the room.

And finally, there is the “Just Beautiful”

A handmade flower to use as a tieback. In this example the colour of the flower and the curtains tone beautifully but the flower really stands out against the sheer linen curtains. In practical terms though this is probably not one to be handled every day.

Curtain Tiebacks or Holdbacks - Traditional and Contemporary Approaches

Part 1

Why Use Tiebacks?

Using tiebacks on curtains provide several different uses and offer the ability to solve design difficulties which sometimes crop up.

Aesthetics:

Tiebacks may be used to dress the curtains so that they frame a window and the view beyond. They allow the curtains to fall in a soft drape which is sometimes more pleasing than the curtains falling in a straight, vertical line.

Practicality:

Using tiebacks can increase the light from a window when the curtains are open as they hold the curtains away from the glazing.

Tiebacks can help to control the drape of curtains which will help the curtains hang neatly.

Tiebacks can also contain the curtains to keep them away from any activity in the room.

Tieback for Dress Curtains or Daily Use

Tiebacks which are used on dress curtains may be a little more time consuming to install and to dress the curtain properly. However, since the curtains will not be traversing on a daily basis this job need only be done once and then the curtains be left to hang beautifully. On the other hand, if the curtains are intended to traverse you may wish to select something which is quite quick and easy to use.

Available Tiebacks

The soft furnishing market today offers an enormous selection of tieback and holdbacks. This is a discussion of a few, but in reality if you can imagine it then you can use it as a tieback!

You could use tiebacks to create a design theme - for example string together shells or use a pair of large shells in a seaside house, use horseshoes for an equestrian theme or use old garden tools in a conservatory or garden room.

Tiebacks offer designers the ability to make each window treatment unique and interesting.

Traditional Tiebacks

Traditionally tiebacks have been made from the same fabric as the curtain. These look very smart and tailored.

This tieback has a very clean, simple line which is neatly

finished with a piped edge.

Being the same fabric as the curtains they can be quite understated or they can be embellished so that they become a significant design feature.

The multi coloured tassels used here add style and sophistication to the tieback as well as drawing in the colourful fabric of the right hand curtain.

A traditional ambiance is also achieved with the use of cord tiebacks; these range from those that have clean, simple lines to those which are very ornate.

This multi coloured cord tieback beautifully picks up the colours in the curtain and in the tasseled leading edge. The tieback also holds the curtain so that the design feature of the contrast lining is able to be admired

to be continued....

A New Lease of Life For Our Old Favourite Furniture

A New Lease of Life For Our Old Favourite Furniture

In these recessionary, penny-pinching times we have learn that buying cheap, disposable furniture can be a false economy.  Not only do these pieces end up piled in landfill, but recent investigations have discovered that they are often “not fit for purpose in the first place”.

Quality pieces of furniture, however, deserve to be loved and cherished over the years and passed from one generation to the next. What better way to show your devotion to these old favourite pieces than by giving them a new cover: like a new set of clothes!

Treating these old faithfuls to a new outfit not only brings them to life again but by using some of the latest fabric designs you will instantly update your interiors as well.

In short, it is definitely worth re-upholstering any furniture that was made well to begin with.  As an upholsterer I have seen lots of 19th century chairs and sofas that are not even beginning to show any signs of giving up the ghost.  Additionally, there is some modern furniture that is well made and worth owning which can often be bought at a discount due to marked covers or out of date fabric.  But, buy wisely:  there is a lot of furniture on the market that will not serve you as you would like.

If you decide to use a professional upholsterer then these are some points for you to consider:

• Ask for a quote before work begins.  Some upholsterers will quote from emailed photos but, usually they will include a caveat for any unforeseen problems - such as frame weakness or damage which will need to be put right before re-upholstering.  I’m rather wary of professionals who only give estimates as you don’t really know where you may end up.

• In Britain, the laws now requires that any post 1950 furniture be covered with fire retardant materials.  There must be a clearly visible label attesting to this.  If there is no label, or there is any doubt, then the furniture should be stripped and all flammable materials replaced with compliant materials.

• In some instances the furniture only needs to be re-padded rather than being completely stripped.

• Make sure that you know what work will be done on your furniture.  In my business, I invite clients to visit the studio so that they can see the progress of the work or I will email progress photos to them.  

I urge you to re-use the wonderful furniture that already exists.  Constant mass production of poor quality furniture is not helpful to the environment and is really not a wise use of your money.  

Should Traditional Upholsterers use Tacks or Staples when re-upholstering antique furniture?

The question of whether traditional upholsterers should use tacks or staples when re-upholstering antique furniture is frequently and, often, fiercely debated. So what are the two sides of this argument?

Those who are solidly in the Tack Camp argue that all re-upholstery should be authentic and true to the history of the piece of furniture.  They argue that staples are a modern invention and should not be used on old pieces of furniture, as to do so results in an unhappy blend of different eras.  Some even maintain that using staples will ruin the furniture.  To them staples are seen at best as unthinkable, at worst as almost sacrilegious.

Those upholsterers who are in the Staple Camp maintain that one of the foremost reasons for using staples is to protect the wooden frames of the furniture, as staples cause much less damage to the frames.  Without a doubt tacks create a much larger hole in the wood than do staples.  Staples make two little holes.  The pro staplers also maintain that putting in a staple is one hit to the furniture and the staple is home, where a tack require several hammer hits to knock it home.  For fragile pieces of furniture the less hitting the better.  It is also claimed that because the staple gun is placed in position before the staple is fired, there is no damage to the show wood. 

I think that both sides of this argument have merit and that the ideal situation is a happy blending of both tacks and staples.  In my work I do use both; though not always on the same piece of furniture.  

Staples are in fact not all that modern.  The first patent for a stapler was granted on August 7, 1866 for a device called the Novelty Paper Fastner.  This device allowed a single staple to be loaded and it was used mainly to bind papers or books, but was also used on carpet, furniture and boxes.  However, the earliest record of staples is from France in the 18th century.  They were developed for the use of King Louis XIV of France and each staple bore his name!

Staples were not originally created specifically for use in upholstery, but the upholstery trade has a tradition of ‘borrowing’ materials from other trades.  For example Calico, which is a bleached cloth used frequently in upholstery.  Originally this was a fabric brought to the UK from Calicut, India by the East India Trading Company for use in the clothing trade.  Very quickly upholsterers saw the benefit of this cloth to their trade and so Calico became a fundamental part of upholstery.

In practical terms often a long-nosed staple gun will successfully place a staple in a very tight area where a tack and hammer just won’t work.  Recently I was asked to re-upholster a Victorian chair whose tacking rail was in such poor condition that the only answer was to use staples or else have the tacking rail rebuilt.

One drawback of staples is that they tend to be a nuisance to remove when stripping off a piece of furniture. They often snap leaving a small piece of staple left in the furniture.  This though can be hammered flat which will cause no ill effect.  Usually the staples can be removed by hand with a staple remover and a pair of pliers.  This is beneficial to the frame since there is no banging as there is when using a ripping chisel and mallet to remove old tacks.  If you are careful about the placement of the staples then is possible to remove them without causing  any damage to the show wood.

Tacks still have a very worthwhile place in the upholstery trade.  I think that it is right to try to use tacks on very old and / significant pieces of furniture.

From a commercial point of view though staples greatly speed up an upholsterer’s job and at the end of the day we are running a business.  If it came down to making a choice, I would rather use staples than reduce the quality of my stuffing or webbing.

One final point to consider is that when re-upholstering any piece of furniture we should not try to hide the fact that the work has been done in the 21st century. After all this is another phase of the furniture’s life and in time it will also become part of its history.

Should Curtains, Blinds or Drapes be Interlined? What is Interlining? The Pros and Cons of Interlining.

Interlining is a soft, fleecy type fabric which is sewn between the main fabric and the lining of curtains, blinds, drapes and window treatments. Interlining is available in different fabrics and textures, some of which are natural and some of which are man-made. Below is a discussion of the different types of interlinings available and the pros and cons of using them.

Bump:

Bump interlining is a heavy, loosely woven fabric which is brushed to give a lofty feel. It is available as a 100% natural cotton fabric or a blended fabric of natural cotton and a man-made fibre, usually viscose . It is available as a pre-shrunk fabric which reduces the shrinkage after it is made-up as a window treatment. It also comes as a bleached option which is a lighter colour option.  A further consideration is the density of the bump fabrics.  Manufacturers assign gsm numbers (grams per square metre) to the bump.  These tell the user the density of the bump.  Finally, bump is available in widths of 137cm / 54 inches.

Examples of available bump are:

Natural pre-shrunk 72% Cotton 28% Other Fibres 410gsm

100% Cotton Natural Bump 400gsm

100% Cotton Bleached Bump 400gsm

75% Cotton 25% Viscose Super Bump 285gsm

Superior 75% Cotton 25% Viscose 280gsm

100% Cotton High Quality Heavyweight Bump 410gsm

Domette:

Domette is a twill weave brushed fabric which is a lighter weight alternative interlining to bump.  As with bump, manufacturers assign gsm numbers to the domette.  The higher gsm numbers are a medium weight interlining which are suitable for curtains, drapes or blinds while the lower gsm numbers are a light-weight interlinings suitable for top treatments such as valences and swags and tails.  Domette is also available in widths of 137cm / 54 inches.

Examples of domette are:

160gsm Natural pre-shrunk 100% Cotton

260gsm Natural pre-shrunk 100% Cotton

200gsm Natural 100% Cotton

200gsm Natural Bleached 100% Cotton

Sarille:

Sarille is an economical lightweight synthetic interlining that will not shrink.  It is usually made of 70% Polyamide / Polyester and 30% Viscose which is heat-set during manufacture.  As with the other interlinings it is available in widths of 137cm / 54 inches.

Examples of Sarille:

160gsm Sarille White

180gsm Sarille White

220gsm Sarille White

The Benefits of using interlinings for window treatments are numerous.  Firstly, it improves the drape and hang of the curtains which gives a luxurious look and feel to the window treatment.

Secondly, it protects the main fabric from harmful sunlight.

It also provides insulation which reduces heat loss through the window thus saving energy and helps to keep the room warmer.

Additionally, interlining helps with noise suppression.

The Disadvantages of using interlinings for window treatments should also be considered. Firstly, the interlinings can add considerable extra weight to the curtains.  Bump is heavier than a light domette but which ever interlining is used you need to ensure that the hanging rail is sturdy enough for the weight of the curtains and that the wall fixings are adequate.

Secondly, not all interlinings are suitable for all climates.  If the curtains or window treatments are used in a humid or damp environment I wouldn’t recommend using bump as the natural fibres will absorb and hold the moisture from the air which may affect the main fabric.

And there is the question of the extra cost associated with using interlinings - both the purchase cost and the make-up cost.

If the window treatments need to be laundered the interlining should be separated.  I do not recommend either washing or dry-cleaning for made-up interlined curtains.

Interlining is prone to shrinkage and I recommend using pre-shrunk interlinings which limit the shrinkage to a maximum of 4% compared with 10% shirinkage for non pre-shrunk interlinings.

Don't get Stuffed on your Stuffing - know what different stuffings are available and their qualities

When a customer take a piece of furniture to be re-upholstered they often don't ask about what stuffing, or filling, materials will be used.  I'm sure this is due partly to most people being unaware that different types of stuffing are available and partly because they are unsure of the differences between the stuffings.

As a customer though you have a right to know what will be used in the re-upholstery.  In essence, you have a right to know what you are paying for.  There are many different stuffing materials available on the market and they are not all of the same quality nor the same cost.  However all the fillings satisfy Schedule 2 Part 1 of the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 relating to non-foam filling materials singly.

Two low cost natural fillings are GINGER COIR (COCONUT) FIBRE and BLACK COIR (COCONUT) FIBRE.  These are inexpensive stuffings but they do not have very much spring so the end result on furniture is rather hard with not much give.

Moving up the quality ladder the next filling on the rung is 50/50 HAIR AND FIBRE.  This is about twice the price of the Coir Fibres and has a little more give and softness because of the presence of the hair.

For quality re-upholstery NATURAL TEASED HAIR should be used.  Hair is an intrinsically fire retardant material.  In the natural hair category the first option is 80/20 hog hair/horse mane & cow tail.  This is priced at the lower end of the natural hairs but is considerably more expensive than the fibre fillings discussed above.  However the quality, spring, softness and comfort of this 80/20 hair is head and shoulders above that of coir fibres.  I use a lot of this type of stuffing in my work and am very pleased with the results.
 
Moving higher up the ladder there is CHINESE HORSE HAIR which is just a little more expensive than the 80/20 Hair followed by SUPER HORSE TAIL (100%).  Horse Tail is a lovely product with long hair strands which give great spring and therefore comfort.  However, it is double the price of the 80/20 hair.

The very best stuffing is WHITE CATTLE TAIL.  This is available in two standards, grade B and grade A.  These are superb stuffings which give first class results.  However they are very expensive, often have to be ordered in advance and I think are best suited for the very best quality furniture.

Other options available are RUBBERISED HAIR, HAIR PADS and GINGER COIR FIBRE ON POLYPROPYLENE. Rubberised Hair is hair and/or fibre which has been glued together and pressed into a sheet or roll.  It is available as hog hair with coir fibre or 100% hog hair.  It is often used on chair backs and arms or over sprung units as it is quick to use.  Hair Pads are often goats hair which has been needled on to hessian.  This is also used for chair backs or arms and is quick to use.  The Ginger Coir Fibre on Polypropylene is similar to the hair pad but uses coir in place of hair.  All of these three options are at the lower end of the cost of all fillings.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of stuffings.  Please ask what will be used on your furniture and make sure you are happy.  While it's always necessary to work within your budget I think it is good advice to use the best quality materials that you can afford.

 

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW - or should we?

As an upholsterer I often run into the situation where a customer is faced with the question of whether to re-upholster an old piece of furniture or pop to the shops and buy something new.  If the furniture in question is a family piece then often there are associated sentimental reasons why the decision is made to re-upholster it.  The debate becomes less clear-cut when the furniture has only been on the scene for a few years - perhaps having been bought at an auction or a house clearance.
 
In this case the customer naturally looks at the cost of re-upholstery compared with the cost of buying a new, modern piece from the high street - particularly if the sales are on.  The art of traditional re-upholstery is labour intensive with the cost of the materials ever on the increase. Consequently, traditional re-upholstery is not a cheap option to which the cost of the main fabric is added.  Therefore on a straight cost comparison basis the visit to the shops will likely win out each time.  However, there are many very valid points in favour of traditional re-upholstery which should be considered, and I'd like to address a few of them here.
 
Naturally if the furniture is a particular favourite of the customer's it may not be possible to replace it with like for like, so keeping the old piece and re-upholstering it is an attractive option.  Doing so means that in a few weeks the piece will be returned to the customer looking restored and rejuvenated.

Best quality upholstery uses horse-hair as the stuffing.  Horse-hair is a natural product which does not decompose and so a well upholstered piece should have a life span of 100 years.  Down the line when the main fabric becomes tired, soiled or just out-of-fashion it is a straight forward job to change the main fabric while leaving the underlying materials in place.  Good re-upholstery is an investment for the future.  Compare this with modern upholstery which uses foam as the stuffing.  Foam being a man made product decomposes over time and becomes pitted and powdery.  Reasonably we can expect the foam to last about 10 or 20 years depending on it's exposure to elements like light and water.

However it's not just the stuffing which have different life-spans.  The actual frames are also often considerably different.  Old furniture was often made of dried woods like mahogany or walnut while the modern frames are made with kiln dried timbers such as beech.  There are countless examples of frames which are hundreds of years old  that are still very serviceable today, however we can't reasonably expect the modern frames to go the distance.  The wood just isn't up to the job.

For many years we have been a disposable society for which the "out with the old and in with the new" idea was acceptable.  But with the advances of global warming and huge landfills I think we should seriously reconsider how we treat old furniture. In an effort to be more eco-friendly we should re-upholster our furniture and thereby reuse what we have.