Focus On: Bottom Finishes
Recently, I blogged on fullness and top finishes - today I thought I’d give a little insight into bottom finishes.
The most common bottom finish for stage curtains is a lined hem with raised chain. A 6″ bottom hem is sewn to the bottom of the curtain. This hem is lined with a 4″ pocket (generally of muslin). Jack chain is then threaded into the interior pocket. Because the interior pocket is 2″ shorter than the hem, the chain floats above the bottom edge of the curtain hem. This prevents the chain from dragging on the floor when the curtain is opened or closed and also helps make a “seal” between the bottom edge of the drape and the (often uneven) stage floor.
A standard hem (2″, 4″ or 6″) is used primarily for drapes that will not travel, especially smaller drapes in doorways and drapes used for exhibit booths. This hem is similar to the previously mentioned hem, but does not include the interior pocket or the chain.
Theatrical backdrops and cycloramas are generally made with either a lined pipe hem or a pipe pocket with skirt front as the bottom finish. Both allow for a metal pipe to be inserted in the bottom of the backdrop, which allows the piece to hang “flatter.” The pipe hem appears very similar to a standard hem, but is open on both sides to allow the pipe to be inserted.
In the case of the skirted pipe pocket, the skirt hangs 1″ to 2″ below the pipe pocket. Like the Lined Hem with Chain, this bottom finish helps seal the drop to an uneven stage floor.
Next up – Side Finishes…
Link to this pageIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!
No Comments yet »
RSS feed for comments on this post.