There are various types of curtain headings and ways of both holding curtains up and securing them to the curtain pole or track

The traditional method is that of using a curtain tape that is sewn (and sometimes glued using an iron-on adhesive) into the top of the curtain. There are various different types and styles of curtain tape depending upon the desired look or effect and the application, ie type and weight of curtain. The most popular has been "pencil pleat", which comprises columns of pencil-sized ruffs packed together that slowly open up when the curtain is closed. The curtain tape achieves this through a series of cords that run through it and are sewn into the tape at the point of manufacture by the loom.

Meanwhile, the tape secures the curtain to the pole by means of sewn pockets (that are also part of the make-up of the tape) into which are inserted the curtain tape hooks, typically made of injection-moulded plastic or plated metal in brass or steel, which in turn loop into the curtain pole ring eye or curtain track runner eye. The pockets are typically arranged in columns of 3 in a 75mm wide tape, which is the industry standard. Sometimes a multi-pocket tape is used, which has up to 7 pockets in a column, for use for example in an old house or cottage where the floors and ceilings are uneven. Here it is possible to position the hooks in pockets to minutely change the curtain drop in order to compensate for uneven floors and ceilings.

Other types of tape heading include Triple-pleat, which can be achieved using a triple-pleat tape (although some workrooms prefer to create this heading by creative sewing alone) combined with a special triple pleat hook. There are also many more decorative headings that can be created using tapes, such as box-pleat (square blocks that zig-zag under and over each other) and goblet-pleat (where the tape is manufactured to ruche up into goblet-shaped pleats). Many of these have to be static headings that do not move, as they could not easily be bunched up when the curtain is opened, and so are often used on dress curtain for hotels and pubs where the curtains are never drawn.

The foremost brand of curtain tapes is Rufflette, which means "small ruff" or pleat. However, the fortunes of the Rufflette company are fading, as curtain tapes give way to other forms of curtain heading, that we will be exploring in part 2.

Derek Brown
17 Montserrat Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire,
UK - RG24 9PF
Tel: 0800 011 4322
Email: d.c.brown@ntlworld.com
URL: http://www.curtainpolesunlimited.co.uk/