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Curtains Galore > Curtains

The Basics

Curtains (also known as panels), like valances, generally have a "rod pocket" through which the curtain rod is inserted and a fabric heading.

Some curtains have a panel, or lining sewn onto the back of the fabric. Others are unlined, meaning they are just fabric with no backing. Lining adds extra weight and body to curtains, adds privacy and also helps to keep heat in. In addition, lining often gives one the opportunity to make your window treatment into a balloon by stuffing it. Unlined curtains offer a more "airy" look and can allow more light into the room.

Kinds of Curtains

Draperies

Technically, a drapery only means a heavy piece of fabric used as a curtain. However, common usage of the term "drapery" is to refer to a curtain that is lined.

Tab Top Panels

Tab top panels are curtains that hang by a series of fabric loops ("tabs") instead of the standard rod pocket (See Figure 1). This allows the curtain rod to show through, which is why we recommend using a decorative curtain rod instead of a basic curtain rod. Examples of tab top panels: Weaverscloth, Marrakesh, Whisper.

Figure 1. An example of tab top curtains.

Pinch Pleat Panels

Pinch pleat panels are curtains that have pleats (like pleated pants) which provided uniform fullness to the curtain because each pleat is the same size (see Figure 2). Pinch pleat draperies can hang from a traverse rod or a decorative curtain rod. Example of a pinch pleat drape: Uptown

Insulated/Lined Curtains

Lined curtains refer to curtains that feature a lining on the back of the curtain. This lining can be made of fabric or chemically treated material (like "foambacking") designed for even better insulation than plain fabric. Advantages to lined curtains are better insulation in winter and summer months, reduced drafting, and additional privacy (since less light can get through). Examples of lined curtains can be found on our Insulated and Lined Curtains section. Examples of foam-backed curtains include the Andrea Toile, the Debbie, and the Fireside.

Jabots

Jabots (pronounced "jab-OHs") are vertical side panels placed on either side of a swag (See Figure 3). Example: Stacey Three-Piece Jabot Set

Figure 3. An example of jabots. (click to enlarge)

Figure 2. An example of pinch pleat curtains.

Fullness

If you take a piece of string that is laid out straight and bunch it up, the string will take up less horizontal space - less length - even though the string itself is of course the same length it was before you bunched it up (see Figure 4). Makes sense, right? But the same principle applies to window treatments, and very often people don't realize it until their order arrives and they discover to their dismay that they have too little fabric to cover their window. You see, window treatments are rarely flat. It's certainly not unheard of - our Branford and Sela Cornice are good examples of flat valances - but the vast majority of window treatments are gathered, meaning that the fabric is bunched up like the string in our example.

The degree to which a window treatment is gathered is not standard - there are curtains that are only slightly gathered and curtains that are significantly gathered. What's the right degree of "gathered-ness" for you? It really depends on your personal preference, what you think would look best on your window.

Figure 4. The two blue lines are the same length. Notice how if you ordered a window treatment that is the exact width of your window and the window treatment is gathered (as in the top line), it won't be enough to cover the entire window. In this case, we'd have to multiply the window width (the black line line) by about 1.25x to 1.5x to find out how much fabric width we'd need to fully cover our window.

So how do you take this into account when picking out treatments for your window? Well a good rule of thumb for most window treatments is to use 2x your window's width in fabric. For very thick fabrics, you'll generally need approximately 1.5-2x your window width, and for very thin ones you'll probably need to go up to 2-3x your window width to achieve the proper fullness (and thus the intended look for your window. After all, that's the whole point, right?).

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