iL CiRCo Drapes

I don’t know if you are familiar with iL CiRCo, but if you aren’t, you should definitely check it out.  Based in San Diego but appearing throughout the world, iL CiRCo is a troupe of singers, dancers, acrobats, and a variety of performers that put on amazing shows!

We were pleased to be asked to make custom stage drapes for the troupe earlier this year, and were really excited recently to receive a short performance video from the client showing our drapery “in action” in Panama.  Unfortunately, I am unable to attach the video to this post, but I was able to pull out a still photo from it.

Isn’t the drapery gorgeous?  I really think it fits the mood of the show – ethereal, whimsical, and just a little fantastical.  The drapery is made from FR Crushed Glimmerene in Magenta.  Glimmerene is a gorgeous fabric with a beautiful shimmery, almost iridescent quality. 

I love the way the fabric drape hangs in a serious of swags and openings, with the height of the drape ranging from 34′ high in the center down to 22′ high on either side.  And I am even more happy to say that the client, Imagination Entertainment, was so pleased that they have recently ordered a second identical drape!

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Pipe & Drape – Beyond Banjo Cloth

The most common fabric used for exhibit booth drapery is Banjo Cloth.  It is lightweight, durable, permanently flame retardant, and relatively inexpensive.  For these reasons, it is used in Convention Centers throughout the country, usually in a neutral color such as black or blue.

However, more and more exhibitors are looking for ways to make their booths “stand out from the crowd,” and one of the easiest ways to do that is to bring their own drapery to the show. 

There are a number of different drapery options available to exhibitors.  The easiest option is to purchase your own Banjo Cloth drapery panels in a different color than that offered by the Convention Center, perhaps  a color that coordinates with your company logo. 

Better yet, take it a step further and purchase traditional exhibit drapery but in a different fabric.  Traditional exhibit drapery panels are manufactured using a single width of fabric (generally 4′ to 5′ wide, but occasionally up to 9′ wide, depending on the fabric selected), with a pipe pocket sewn on the top.  Panels are sewn flat (unpleated) and are “pushed together” on the drape support to create “natural” pleating. 

With traditional exhibit drapery, it is a simple matter to substitute the drapery at the show.  Simply unhook the drape support from the uprights, slide off the Convention Center’s Drapes, slide on your own drapes, and hook the drape support back on the uprights. 

These traditional exhibit drapes can be made from a wide variety of fabrics, depending on the desired look.  One option is to use a synthetic velour/velvet, such as DFR 15oz Encore or PFR 8oz Super-Vel.  These offer a rich “theatrical” appearance and are available in a variety of colors.  They are also durable and can be cleaned without losing the flame retardant properties.  As a matter of fact, Rent What? includes both fabrics in their Pipe & Base Drapery inventory and have recently posted some terrific photos on Flickr.  If the look of velour isn’t quite what you are looking for, single-width panels can also be made many different types of fabrics, from RB Cloth to Satin to Voile, and much more.  The sky’s the limit!

If you want a highly customized look, however, consider moving past the traditional single-width panel to a custom drape manufactured to size.  With custom drapery, not only do you have a wide selection of fabric choices, but you can also choose to have a single (wider) drape for each booth “wall,” you can choose to have the drape pleated, you can even choose a different top finish, such as Hidden Sewn Ties, to give that extra polish to your booth. 

Want something really different and individual?  Consider a specialty custom bias-cut drape or a drape digitally printed with your company’s logo or another image.

As you can see, there are numerous drapery options available that allow you to personalize your exhibit booth and make it stand out in the crowd – options for just about every budget and style.  So consider going “Beyond Banjo Cloth” for your next show!

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Fabric in Shanghai

During Megan’s trip to Shanghai for the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network conference, she had the opportunity to meet up with a friend who lives in China and visit Shanghai’s garment district (including a few fabric mills).

She reported that it was a fascinating experience, seeing how fabrics are made and sold in China.  She also had a chance to take some great pictures. 

To me, the most interesting was to see the twists of yarn ready for weaving – quite reminiscent of the yarn used for home knitting and crocheting.

Working in a company that manufacturers custom stage curtains, I am around fabric all the time – and yet pictures like this continue to educate and inspire me.  They remind me that the textile industry operates in so many countries – there are fabric mills and suppliers in so many countries around the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, India, and many more.  It really is a small world!

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Does IFR mean it is “more flame retardant” than FR?

I have posted a number of times on the issue of flame retardancy of stage curtains, in part because it is one of my areas of expertise (though I still have a lot to learn) but mostly because I find that it is not only an important topic, but also an area about which there are many misconceptions.

Last June, for example, I posted about the differences between IFR, FR,  NFR and other related terms.  The primary difference between FR and IFR is the method in which a fabric is made flame retardant.  Either it is made flame retardant in the fiber stage (IFR) or it is made flame retardant after weaving (FR). 

Occasionally, we have clients who request an IFR fabric because they believe that it is “more” flame retardant than an FR fabric.  For example, they will state that, because the drapery will be near pyrotechnics on a rock show stage, they prefer to use an IFR fabric.

The reality, though, is that a brand new IFR fabric is neither more nor less flame retardant than a brand new FR fabric, and vice versa.  Both fabric have been tested and certified to meet specific flame retardancy standards, such as NFPA 701 and California’s Title 19. 

Now, there is a difference in longevity of flame retardancy between IFR and FR.  Typically, an IFR fabric will remain flame retardant for the life of the fabric (regardless of whether it is laundered, dry-cleaned, etc).  However, an FR fabric will eventually lose its flame retardancy (usually due to laundering, repeated dry cleaning, or extended exposure to high humidity conditions).  Once it is retreated, though, it again is “equal” to the IFR fabric in terms of flame retardancy.

And remember, there are instances in which a drape made from a flame retardant fabric will lose its flame retardant properties.  One way is if dust is allowed to accummulate on the surface of the drape.  Did you know that dust (as it is composed primarily of organic matter) is flammable?  In such a case, it doesn’t matter if the drape is made of IFR fabric or FR fabric – if there is a layer of dust on the surface, the drape might not be flame retardant.

So, when choosing the fabric for stage curtains, there are many factors that are important to consider – budget, longevity, cleaning options, durability, and much more.  But choosing IFR over FR because it seems “more flame retardant” should not be one of the factors.

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Carrie Underwood at the CMA awards

Did you happen to catch the Country Music Awards last night?  If you didn’t, you missed a beautiful performance by Carrie Underwood (Entertainer of the Year). 

I am proud to say that our sister company, Rent What? Inc., provided the beautiful White Voile swags and drapes (made by Sew What? Inc., naturally) that provided the gorgeous backdrop for Carrie’s performance.  The combination of the soft floaty fabric and the terrific lighting techniques really sets the mood.

If you missed it (or just want to see it again), check out this video of Carrie singing “Temporary Home” at the 2010 CMA Awards.

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Sheers and Silvers for Celtic Woman

Last spring, I was lucky enough to see Celtic Woman live at the Orange County (Calif) Performing Arts Center, and it was really a lovely show. Well, Celtic Woman is back in the US with a new tour, “Songs from the Heart,” and Sew What? was proud to be asked by production manager Scotty Ross to provide custom stage curtains to the tour.

The focus was on an ethereal look that could be transformed through lighting.  We started with the unique drum risers, which were comprised of three layers.  The top layer was White Voile, digitally printed with the client’s artwork (modeled after the “Songs from the Heart ” album cover art).  In the middle was White Iridescent Sheer, gathered at 200% fullness.  The bottom layer was Black 16oz Commando Cloth to ensure that the drum riser behind was masked from view.

The same White Iridescent Sheer fabric was used for upstage sheers, complemented by a swagged border and midstage swagged legs in Silver Velvet, along with legs in a White-Silver Sparkle Velvet. 

As I’ve mentioned before, silver  or grey fabric (along with white fabric) is ideal for colored lighting.  Check out how the drapery looked under a purple / blue lighting scheme:

And then how it looked under a red / gold lighting scheme:

It’s hard to believe that these are the same drapes – and that under natural light, they are actually white and silver!

I think the drapes turned out just gorgeous, and evoke just the right romantic, ethereal mood for the beautiful music of Celtic Woman.  Want to see (and hear) more?  Check out this video of the tour at Radio City Music Hall.  And if you’ve never seen them live, try to get out to see them this spring – they really do put on a great show.

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Stretch pieces for The Shins

Awhile back, we did a project for production designer Stanley Elleflot, for The Shins, and Stanley was gracious enough to recently send us some photos.  It was one of those deceptively simple projects that turn out to be amazing in production.

Using 120″ wide FR White Stretch Fabric (similar to Cambio! fabric), we slit 12 strips of the material to a finished size of 30′ h x 18″ w.  The tops were finished with webbing, grommets & ties, as well as 1″ Velcro, while the bottoms had open pipe hems.  The sides were left unfinished.

Sounds simple, right?  Well, take a look at how dramatic these simple stretch strips look in concert:

Photo Courtesy Stanley Effelot

The strips were hung from truss at with pipes at the bottom for weight.  I think that the impact of the repeating element of the strips, along with the gorgeous lighting of yellows and oranges, is really gorgeous!  Here’s a close up shot:

Photo Courtesy Stanley Effelot and The Shins

I also love the way the lighting designer is able to constantly change the colors of the strips throughout the song in this video – check it out!   This really is a versatile option for set design, whether as the primary design for or as one element in a more complex set design.

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Electronic Samples??

Do you need to touch a textile in order to fully appreciate it?  Or is there a way to photograph it or shoot video of it in order to show off the properties of the cloth?

In this super-digital “I wanted it yesterday” microwave kind of world, it comes as no surprise that many of our clients don’t have time to approve samples – there is just no time to wait for samples to come in, be mailed or Fed Exed.  The projects ships next week – or worse yet, tomorrow!

And even when there is (a little) time to send out samples, think about what they may be costing us – all of us – in terms of the environment.  Let’s take a single sample pack with 4 different fabric swatches inside as an example.  As a Just-In-Time provider and a non-stocking manufacturer, putting together just one sample kit for a customer goes something like this:

• Call the fabric mill / supplier and check availability of fabrics in question
• Order a yard of each fabric from the mill / supplier to be sent to our location via Fed Ex Overnight for labeling
• Dispatch the sample kit to the client via Fed Ex Overnight

At this point, there is not even an order yet!  And at least two Fed Ex packets have been sent.  If the fabrics came from multiple mills / suppliers, or if the customer required multiple sets of the sample kit to be sent (perhaps 1 to the set designer and another to the lighting designer), there could have been 4 or 6 or 8 Fed Ex packets sent for this one project alone.  And if none of the fabrics work out, or if the design changes, the whole process may start again.

It is not about the financial cost – which could be as little as eight dollars or as much as $150.  It is about the cost to the environment to send all of these Fed Ex packets flying throughout the country (and even worldwide).  The gas, the emissions, the traffic conjestion.  Last week we sent out 7 sample kits via Fed Ex Overnight – and that’s just what went out from here – it doesn’t count incoming Fed Ex packages with samples from our suppliers.

So – perhaps the answer is to have a video archive of all commonly used fabrics – showing them in a controlled environment, subjected to the same lighting and motion.  While it would not combat the fact that the color you see on a video is probably not true to the fabric, it would give a designer a better idea of what the cloth is going to do and how it will react to lighting.  If I were a marketing student, or perhaps studying textiles, I think this would be a fascinating project to tackle.

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Focus On: Voile

Have you ever wondered what “voile” is?  I am sure you have seen this fabric many time, but you may not have known that you were looking at voile.

Voile is a fine plain weave (no nap) lightweight sheer fabric, similar to organza.  It is used for both apparel (typically women’s blouses and dresses) and drapery.  The name “voile” is a French word meaning “veil,” and so the name describes the appearance of the fabric – sheer and filmy like a bridal veil.  Voile may be made from a variety of fibers, including silk, cotton, rayon and polyester.

Drapery voile is typically made from polyester fibers, including Trevira ®, Avora ® and other polyesters.  It is a wide fabric, typically measuring 118″ wide.  Often, residential window sheers and canopy bed draping are made from voile, but voile is also used in professional applications. 

One professional application of voile is as custom stage curtains in music tours, selected by production designers for its beautiful romantic feel (especially when pleated) and the way it lights so beautifully.  As a matter of fact, we made voile drapes for the Rod Stewart Tour, and they were gorgeous – with the colored lighting, it is hard to believe that these drapes are actually white.  Surprisingly enough, it can also be used as a projection surfac, such as in the Beyonce tour, or even as a Twinkle-Light Drape.

Due to its terrific draping qualities, voile is frequently used by event planners to line and drapes tents and otherwise decorate venues, especially for weddings.  We have also seen it used for exhibit booths – a few years ago, we provided voile drapery to Heaven Hill Distilleries, for use in their exhibit booths in a major trade show event. 

Voile comes in a wide variety of colors, though we find that shades of white are the most requested, as the fabric lights so well.  Voile can also be digitally printed, and is particularly effective with an ethereal image such as shown in the Luna Guitars booth.

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Focus On: Velour vs. Velvet

Rather frequently, we are asked the difference between velvet and velour.  On that note, I thought I’d offer an explanation.

Velvet usually refers to an apparel (lighter) weight fabric.  It is a woven napped (cut pile) fabric that historically was made from silk, but today can be made from a variety of fibers, usually cotton or synthetic fibers (such as polyester or nylon).  Some velvets are used for theatrical drapery, most notably Crushed Velvet.  Apparel velvet is typically not flame retardant, but velvets intended for theatrical use often are treated for flame retardancy.

Theatrical velour (sometimes referred to as theatrical velvet), also a napped (cut pile) woven fabric, has a similar feel and appearance to velvet, but it is typically of a heavier weight, usually ranging from 16oz up to 32oz per linear yard.  Cotton velour has been the standard in theatrical drapery for many years, but recently synthetic velours are being used more frequently, due to the inherent flame retardancy and greater durability of the synthetic fabric.

Knit velour, typically made from cotton, is often used in apparel (remember that velour lounging suit you had in the ’70s).  At first glance, knit velour may appear similiar to velvet or theatrical velour, as it has a soft nap feel.  However, it is actually quite different.  As a knit fabric (rather than a woven fabric), it is soft but has a great deal of stretch, making it comfortable to wear but not generally appropriate for use in theatrical drapery.

As a side note, the word “velour” is originally a French word translating to  “velvet” in English.  No wonder it is confusing here in the U.S.!

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