# Continuing stage curtain saga....



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Last night next door neighbor came to Ice Rink to help me cut the lengths for the Stage Curtain. I figured 140 yards would give me 28.45 cuts at 177 inches (14ft 9in). I need everyone of them. 

The fabric is heavy and beautiful all rolled out on the hard industrial carpet over concrete floor. 

We got 21 lengths, 12ft 3in length that had holes poked in it during shipping that I'm not using as it would allow rips to happen, and 60 inches left on the last roll, and 11 inches left on the first roll.

This leave me short by 30.709 yards of fabric.

Guess who is getting email and probably a phone call today! Yep the company that I bought it from. I bet they had it drop shipped (manuf. label inside the rolls), and don't know they were shorted on their order.

But I do have enough cut to start on the first 1/2 of 12 panels wide.
So the heavy duty (Janome 6500P) machine is in the car waiting to go start living at the Ice Rink for awhile. (the conference room is almost always locked, so reasonably safe for the machine).

Angie


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## Glenda in MS (Sep 15, 2007)

Good luck! That is a big sewing job!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Good News - 
I did a spread sheet of all the numbers. I have 110.291 yards, minus 30.709.
I've contacted the business I bought it from, and they're looking in to shipping the balance (and I hope the ruined 12 feet) today or asap.

Angie


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

I don't guess we see as many posts from you for a while. You're going to be busy as a beaver. Good luck getting your fabric order corrected.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

CountryLady - that is one of the reason's I volunteered to do this curtain. 
1. The ice rink needed and really really wanted it.
2. I've been going home and staying in the sewing/computer room after work and weekends for months. I was getting stale and stoggie, and didn't want to be a bump on the log. So I'm doing something about it rather than sitting and rusting out.!

(Now I may be working with the engineer designing and making the growing Christmas tree, green side/white side/and collapsable to almost nothing).

Angie


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

AngieM2 said:


> (Now I may be working with the engineer designing and making the growing Christmas tree, green side/white side/and collapsable to almost nothing).
> 
> Angie


Didn't I warn you about that tree? I have a friend that painted one for our ballet company. Oh my! 

Remind me not to ever call you a coward!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Callie - okay, not a coward - just a glutten for enchantment. even if I have to make or help make it myself.

We (my next door neighbor is helping me) have 5 of the sections sewn together. And if you get lost in it, heavens help you! 

Angie


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## prairiegirl (Nov 2, 2004)

Angie, what a job you have taken on! Glad to hear you have a helpful neighbor.


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## PETSNEGGS (Oct 7, 2005)

Angie, I have another word for you...:stars:crazy!!!!!!!!!!! Only kidding.. I think what you are doing is wonderful. It is also nice to hear that you have some help. I would hate to have to call in the coast guard to come find you...lol
thanks for keeping us posted on how you are making out, sorry to hear abut the fabric snag, glad they say they are going to make good on it for you.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Me with the 5 panels of fabric rolled up, starting to put panel 6 on it.





This shows the sewing machine and the fabric spread out, this is about 8 of the panels with the first 5 panels still rolled up.



From the other side of the desks
This is the 12 panels (one half of the curtain 66ft x 14.75 feet here) and about 2/3 of it is rolled up.




folded up until I get ready to finished the top and bottom.

Not bad considering we cut it out Wed night. I'm getting faster at this, and Pat (my next door neighbor) is a really BIG help.

Angie


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## sewtlm (Mar 22, 2006)

It really takes at least 2 people to do big stage curtains. We sometimes had 3, especially hand sewing the pleats at the top.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

I'd hate to think what I'd have those curtains looking like.  I'm sure you're doing a great job. Don't forget a photo when they're all finished and hanging.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

sewtlm said:


> It really takes at least 2 people to do big stage curtains. We sometimes had 3, especially hand sewing the pleats at the top.




sewtlm - I'm lucky, no pleats. We are haning with grommits across the top and onto a 'flying' chain effect across the rink. So S hooks from curtain to the carrier portion of the bits that are on the chain and travel. 

Also, I don't hang it. I just make it. I don't know how many it takes to get it hung. And I think this one is heavier than the black one that is of a light weight black denim.

This fabric is making me want to make a nice jacket out of it.

Angie


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

I love the color! It's going to look gorgeous!


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## Jaclynne (May 14, 2002)

Its a beautiful color! 

Angie, in that first photo, is your sewing machine lost behind all that fabric? You be careful, we wouldn't want to loose you in there too.

Halo


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Halo- you can see the sewing machine a little bit better here. It's my 6500P by Janome. I'm needing every bit of the space under the harp area for when I roll the new panel as I am opening the two panels and top stitching every seam to make them extra long lived.

I'm using jeans (heavy duty) needles and jeans strength thread. (from CTS).

Also, used the 'walking foot' for the first time yesterday and it's working very well. I'll be using it more.

Angie


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## bopeep (Apr 2, 2007)

:cute:Looking Good Angie.:cute:
:bouncy:I am sure they are going to turn out just Beautiful!!!:cowboy:
I love that color.
bopeep


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I can hardly wait to see them UP!


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## notenoughtime (Aug 13, 2007)

What a big job, after you are done you will be able to see just how much work you did when they are up. You will have stand and look at it and smile for awhile.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Yep, that stand back and smile is what I'm going to do.

The other 40 yards is at the rink, and hopefully I'll be sewing on it most of Saturday. (and I just pray that the die lot is the same or similar enough, you never know for sure with navy).

There will be photos of it (and any other Nutcracker project that I sew) put on this or a new thread when done.

Angie


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

AngieM2 said:


> Yep, that stand back and smile is what I'm going to do.
> 
> The other 40 yards is at the rink, and hopefully I'll be sewing on it most of Saturday. (and I just pray that the die lot is the same or similar enough, you never know for sure with navy).
> 
> ...



I thought of the dye lot too! Even if the colors might be a bit "off", it might not show under artificial lighting.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Dye lots can be a headache. We did roman shades for the country club dinning room. When they shipped the fabric it was in 3 different pieces all on one roll. Two pieces were one die lot the other piece was several shades different. It took sending it back and reordering 3 times to get it all one color.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Oh wow, that's a heck of a project! I was very glad to see all those tables bunched up to support the weight of that fabric, yowza!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

More about the curtain.

I went to work on it with the additional 40 yards.

Rolled it out and I thought it looked slightly lighter. So I got a piece of the original fabric, and the new is a bit lighter and it has a different hand to it.

So the original fabric was sewn a 12 panel section, and then an 8 panel section that I was hoping to add more from the new fabric. 12 panel would make it about 66 feet a side and the original request was for 100 ft across the rink (85 ft wide). 

So, I sewed 5 of the new fabric sections together and will use it on the 'wings' side of the rink. Between the ice area enclosure wall and the upper stands wall (17 ft width) - so that will be rather gathered when hung since that should be 25 ft approx.

Then - I went to the 12 panel 1/2 total curtain and took a two panel section off and put it on the 8 panel section. The top of that panel is hemmed and ready for gommits to be bought and installed. It is not hemmed yet on the bottom as I want to measure the length one more time.

As Pat (great next door neighbor and my helper in moving this fabric around) and I were figuring out how to fold this last huge bit up. I noticed that 4th panel from the left edge - it's looking darker than all the rest. Yes, this fabric has nap. --- that part is laying over those desks. Pat and I looked and thought and talked, and held it up to see if the nap difference would show. Not too badly at 12 feet, but I'd know. 

Tomorrow - I'm tearing two seams out, and turning that one panel that is different nap laying, then sewing it back. I can only do several stitches in the seam, but I cannot roll 24 feet of this so I can put it under the harp section of the 6500P to make it top stitched as I have all the rest. Ratz! It will stand up, but no one will probaby ever notice if I do enough extra stitches in the seam.

Got to do it well enough that I can 'live' with it when I look at it.

Angie


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## BusyBees2 (Dec 10, 2004)

Oh good grief, Angie!! Darn...I'd always be able to see that one panel with the nap going the wrong way too!! But darn...that's a LOT of work to redo that panel! 

Sounds like it's all getting pretty close to done! Do you have to do the grommets? Or is that someone else's job? That's going to be tough work! Is there a plan?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I have to do the grommits and hem it.

The grommits were not too bad on the first curtain. I'm about to start getting the grommits and hopefully next weekend do the grommits. Or maybe even some during the week. 

The concrete floor, a hammer, and maybe a block of wood will probably be the tools for this effort.

Angie


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

We did get the offending panel out, and turned and back in yesterday. I'm really glad we bit the bullet and did that.

Now I need to double check the other half to see if that has a boo-boo in it. That will be this coming weekend, and start the grommits.

Angie


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

I'd be having nightmares about those curtains if I were trying to make them.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Wow Angie! Such a huge project. And I thought it was a pain making curtains for the kids' drama... only about 6 king size sheets needed a casing on one end, hem on the other... and to think I belly-ached about it!
Your one dedicated gal!


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