Calculating pleat placement
It’s up to you how many pleats per width of fabric you choose to have. For double and triple pleats, my preference is 5 pleats per width, sometimes 6. I try to aim for a pleat size between 12cms and 17cms. Larger pleats on longer drop curtains. If I have really larger curtains I sometimes push the pleat size up to 20cms for triple pleats. You musn’t make your pleats too small otherwise it will become difficult to create beautifully defined pleats.
How to calculate your pleat placement:
For this example my finished curtain size is 180cms and my fabric width to be pleated is 450cms. This Finished curtain width x 2.5 fullness.
Fabric width to be pleated = 450cms – 180cms (finished curtain size) = 270cms.
450 cm = 3.5 widths
5 pleats on each width plus 3 pleats on the half width = 18 pleats
270cms divided by 18 pleats = 15cm pleats.
Your gap size will be created out of your 180cms (finished curtain width)
180 cm divided by 18 = 10cms.
This leaves 5cm gap on each end of your curtain and 10cm gaps between each pleat with each pleat being 15cms. This sits perfectly in my preferred pleat size. If it’s not quite right, try again with less or more pleats.
You don’t have to have a half gap size at each end of your curtain panel. You can go with a measurement that works better for the projection of the pole.
Breakdown confirmed
18 x 15cm pleats = 270cms (Fabric to be pleates)
17 x 10cm gaps = 170 (Fabric to form the finished width of your curtain)
2 x 5cm half gap size at ends = 10cms (Added on to the fabric to form your finished curtain width)
Total = 450cms of fabric
Finished width of curtain = 180cms
Boom! Perfect pleats xxx
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