Pinch pleats or French pleats as they are sometimes called are classic. The elegant pleating will allow the curtain to fall into graceful yet disciplined folds. A traditional pinch pleat appears in groups of three separated by flat spaces. Before the pleating is sewn, the heading is stiffened with a special interfacing tape such as buckram which keeps the pleats stiff and regimented. Pleating is the way in which fullness is added to the fabric forming into narrow vertical folds as it hangs. The pleats are spaced at equal intervals which controls the fullness. The more fabric that is pleated into the drapery panels, the fuller the draperies become. For the beginner there are tapes specially marked that will pleat the heading for you and takes the guess work out.
by Susan Dorbeck