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BIG PICTURE
Finishing
at the Top
A tip using upholstery technique to create a high-quality look.
by Cheryl Strickland
There are
several ways to finish off the top of board-mounted treatments.
This upholstery-type technique is one of the most popular, and it’s
my personal favorite. This method provides a neat, no-staples-showing
look.
STEP-BY-STEP
• Wrap the fabric of the treatment onto the top of the mount
board and staple.
• If desired, staple cording or twist cord onto the front edge
of the top of the board for a neat, higher-end finishing touch (see
Workroom Operations, page 62)
• Cut a strip of fabric equal in width to the width of the
mount board plus about three inches. Cut its length equal to the
length of the mount board plus about two inches.
• With the right side down, lay approximately one inch of fabric
onto the front edge of the board down the entire length. Leave a
little extra fabric hanging out at each end of the board.
Lay a cardboard tack strip on top of the one inch of fabric and
staple along the length of the board. See photo 1. Be sure to put
staples right at the ends of each tack strip so that they do not
lift up.
To create finished edges, fold in the extra fabric on each end of
the fabric strips.
• Flip the strip of fabric over, covering the top of the mount
board. Using tack strips allows you to staple into the strip at
any given spot, while the tack strip forms a perfectly straight,
neat edge when the fabric is flipped over. If no strip is used,
the staples themselves would have to be exactly straight and aligned
because they would be the only thing creating the edge when the
fabric is flipped over. Because of this, using a tack strip provides
a much higher-quality finish.
• Staples can be placed along the ends of the strips on top
of the board, but they would show. A much better look can be created
by gluing the ends down, or securing them with two-sided tape. The
folded ends are shown in Photo 2.
• Wrap the back edge of the strip of fabric to the back edge
of the board where it lies against the wall. If the mount board
has fabric-covered end-leg boards, the ends of the fabric strip
can be mitered for a nice look. Fold under the excess fabric to
create a finished edge. Staple. Glue gimp over the staples to cover
them.
• Done!
 Cheryl
Strickland is owner of Professional Drapery School, Swannanoa, NC,
and is an internationally acclaimed speaker with 20 years experience
in the window coverings industry. She is the publisher and editor
of Sew WHAT?, an international monthly newsletter for professional
drapery workrooms. |
