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.

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…

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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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Focus On: Top Finishes

When new clients contact us for a quote on custom stage curtains, often they are unfamiliar with (and perhaps even a little overwhelmed by) the many decisions that need to be made to ensure that the stage curtains meet their specific needs.  Fabric, fullness, and top / bottom / side finishes are all factors to be considered.  I’ve posted previously on fabric and fullness, so today I thought I’d go over top finish options (I’ll cover side and bottom finishes in future posts).

There are a number of different top finishes, depending on how the curtain will be hung (and used).  For a drape that will be hung from a pipe or batten and is not intended to travel (i.e. will be stationery rather than moveable), the industry standard top finish is webbing, grommets and ties.  Heavy duty polypro webbing is sewn on the top back side of the drape.  The grommets (strong eyelets with washer backings) are then set mechanically through the face of the drape and the webbing, at the center of each pleat.  Grommets are generally set every 12″, but that may vary depending on the fullness of the drape.  A continuous 36″ length of heavy duty tieline is then doubled over and threaded through the grommet, leaving ample room to tie onto the pipe or batten.

When a stage curtain will be hung on a traveller track, to allow the curtain to open and close, one of the most common top finishes is webbing, grommets and S-hooks.  The webbing and grommets are set in the same manner as previously mentioned.  However, rather than utilitize ties, metal S-hooks are instead inserted through the grommets.  To hang the curtain, the top of each S-hook is threaded through the track carriers.  

Both of these top finishes are generally used when the top of the curtain will not be visible to the audience, generally because it will be hidden by the proscenium or by a valance or border.  In some cases, however, the top of the curtain will be visible to the audience, and therefore a hidden top finish is preferred.  With Hidden Flush Sewn Snaps, a self-closing snap is attached to the back of the webbing first.  The webbing is then sewn onto the top of the drape, leaving a clean appearance on the front of the drape.  The snaps are then attached to the track carriers to hang the drape.

Another hidden top finish, one which is quite durable, is hidden grommets and ties.  In this instance, a double set of grommets is inserted into the webbing.  The webbing is then sewn onto the top of the drape, and tie lines are threaded through the grommets.  Again, the front appearance of the top of the drape is unmarred.

Hidden sewn ties are a great way to not only give a finished appearance to the front of a drape, but also to hide the pipe or batten to which the drape is tied.  Strong cotton twill ties are sewn to the back of the webbing, which is then sewn to the drape.

There are a few more top finishes, primarily used for temporary installations.  For a border or teaser that will be stapled directly to a roof beam, a top finish of webbing only is used.  For drapes that will be threaded onto a pipe (most commonly used in exhibit booths), a pipe pocket open hem is typical.  This allows the user to create fullness from a flat drape, by making the drape wider than the pipe and then pushing the full width of the drape onto the pipe, thereby creating natural fullness.

I hope this post clarified top finish options a little bit.  If you’d like to see more photos and get more information, please visit the Top Finishes page on our website.

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2010 Pollstar Awards

On Wednesday, February 17, the 21st Annual Pollstar Awards were held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.  If you aren’t familiar with Pollstar, it is a leading trade publication for the concert industry, publishing both in print and online (I use their website almost daily - it is a great resource for information on music tours / concerts). 

Each year, Pollstar invites a group of industry professionals to provide nominations in a number of award categories, including venues, production, promotion, staging, lighting, and much more.  Once the nominations are finalized, Pollstar subscribers are invited to vote online, and the winners are announced at the ceremony.

This year, our sister company, Rent What?, was honored to be selected as the provider of rental draperies to the event.  Selected as the main drapes for the ceremony were the Moulin Rouge drapes that I have posted about before (part of Rent What’s “Timeless and Traditional” series).  These gorgeous crimson and gold pieces really are dramatic, aren’t they? 

Rent What? Inc. also provided all of the black masking drapes used for the event.  Although masking drapes are most known for onstage masking, they also are quite effective for masking sections of the seating area in larger spaces.  By masking off sections of seating, the space was transformed into an intimate setting that was especially fitting for this event.

I think the rental drapes provided a fittingly opulent and intimate setting for the presentation of these prestigious awards.  Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

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Check out our bags

Recently, a customer sent us a photo of our Sew What? Drapery Bags.  He snapped the pic last week during set up for a major U.S. sporting event.  Wow - take a look at this pile of bags - that is a lot of drapery!

I’ve shown you the Sew What? drapery bags in Qatar, and even as luggage on an airport carousel in Germany, but this pile of bags is the biggest yet! 

We used to pack our custom stage curtains and other soft goods in plain clear vinyl bags, but we found that, while the drapes were protected in transport, the vinyl bags weren’t very practical from a customer’s perspective.  The tops were just tied shut, so there was no easy way to carry them, and they didn’t work well for storing drapery (due to humidity issues). 

So, a few years ago, we did some research and ended up deciding to have these bags made.  They are a durable non-woven polyester (so they “breathe”), which works well for storage, and the drawstring top with locking clip makes the bags easy to pick up.  We pack our drapes in these bags (complimentary), and our customers find them really helpful for transporting and storing the drapes.  They certainly are popular, as the photos prove!

(FYI, we also offer them on their own for sale.)

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Wondering about fullness?

When a customer calls us to request a quote on a custom stage curtain, there is certain information that we need in order to provide that quote - size, fabric, finishes and fullness.  Today, I thought I’d give you a little information about fullness.

The term “fullness” is used in relation to the amount of pleating in a curtain, and is typically described with a percentage.  A flat (unpleated) curtain is said to have zero fullness.  A pleated curtain would typically have anywhere from 50% fullness up to 200% fullness.

The fullness percentage refers to the amount of additional width of the drape in its flat condition, prior to pleating the curtain down to its finished width.  A curtain with 50% fullness will initially be sewn flat at 50% wider than the desired finished width, a curtain with 100% fullness will start out as an unpleated curtain that is 100% wider, and so on.  The extra fabric on the width is used to make the pleats.

Let’s say that you want a box-pleated drape, 20 feet wide, with 50% fullness.  Our sewing staff would start by sewing together widths of fabric until they have a flat drape that is 30 feet wide.  They would then pin the fabric to create the pleats. The top finish is then sewn and, with it, the pleats are also sewn in, and the finished width of the drape ends up at the desired 20 feet.

The percentage of fullness determines the size of the pleats.  With 50% fullness, the pleat is usually about 3″ wide.  With 100% fullness, the pleat is usually about 6″ wide.  In both cases, there is typically 12″ from the center of each pleat to the center of the next pleat.

The amount of fullness that is recommended depends on several factors, including budget, fabric type, and desired appearance.  Budget is a consideration because the lower the pleating percentage, the less fabric that is used on the drape, and therefore the lower the cost of the drape.  Fabric type and appearance also affect the choice in fullness.  Traditional theatre curtains made from velour are typically made with anywhere from 50% to 100% fullness, whereas specialty drapes made from voile (or similar lightweight fabrics) are usually made with between 100% and 200% fullness.

Want to find out more about fullness?  Check out the Pleating and Fullness page of our website, where we have photos and drawings for you to review.

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Hanging option - Easy Klips

A couple of years ago, we started selling a product that I think is a really nifty little item, especially for special event projects in which drapery is only going to be used for a single short-term event or for a tour in which drapery will be used in multiple venues.

It’s called an Easy Klip, and it really is ingenious.  It is a smallish glass-fibre reinforced nylon eyelet clip (less than 3″ long and about 1 1/2″ wide) that is quick to attach, reusable, strong (each can hold up to 220 pounds) and can be repositioned in moments.  This makes it ideal for touring productions and special events companies, in which the infrastructure of the location (trusses, battens, ceiling joists, etc.) may not be as uniform or standardized as in a traditional theatre.

Here is how it works.  Rather than having grommets installed onto the drape, the customer installs the Easy Klips onsite.  The Easy Klip slides onto the cyclorama, backdrop, drape, or even raw fabric, and locks into place easily.  The user decides where on the drape or backdrop to attach the Easy Klips (the top, the bottom, and even the sides) and how close (or far apart) to place them.  The user can easily remove and reposition them as needed during the installation process.

Then, through the use of either a length of tieline or (even better) an Easy Loop (a loop of bungee cord with a hook at the end) threaded through the Easy Klip eyelet, the drape can then be hung from or attached to a truss, ceiling joist, exhibit booth, or frame.

Here is an example of a project that we worked on, in which Easy Klips were the ideal solution:

Private Function, San Diego

For this special event, the dramatic ceiling treatment would normally have taken days to manufacture and install.  Instead, the panels were quickly made up (no need to spend time punching grommets into the panel), Easy Klips were attached to the ends of the panels onsite, and the panels were then attached to motorized trusses.  The use of the Easy Klips allowed the installation crew to easily and quickly manipulate the length of each panel as needed onsite to achieve the desired effect.

Since then, a number of our clients have used the Easy Klips, and have raved about how great they are.  Yes, for a longterm installation (such as a grand drape in a traditional theatre), grommets (with ties or S-hooks), sewn ties, or other finishes applied during the drapery manufacturing process are still better options.  But for many short-term installation projects, Easy Klips are a great (and affordable) solution.

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Exhibit Booths

I post a lot on traditional stage curtains as well as on the drapery we make for music tours, but I realized this afternoon that I have not posted on another element of our business - exhibit booths, drapes and supplies.

You may not know what I mean  by “exhibit booths,” but I am sure you have seen them (or perhaps even used them yourself).  These are the booths you see at trade shows and convention vendor floors. 

Commonly, the elements that are used to make up these exhibit booths are referred to as “Pipe and Base” or “Pipe and Drape.”  Often the booths are connected in a side by side and/or back to back configuration - a common configuration is to have a series of booths with 8′ backwalls and 3′ side walls (you can see drawings of these types of configurations on the “Wholesale Pipe and Drape Packages” page of our website).

In many cases, the standard booths are provided by the show organizer or venue - but booth holders often personalize them with their own drapery - or even bring their own hardware as well as drapery.

The hardware includes uprights, bases, and drape supports.  We distribute a “slip-fit” system of hardware.  This means that the bottom of the upright slips right into the center of the base - no screws required.  Uprights have slots in two areas - at the top and at about 3′ from the bottom.  The final piece of hardware is the drape support (also known as the crossbar).  This is the “pole” that the drapes hang from.  These drape supports have “hooks” on each end which fit into the slots on the uprights.

Drapes are usually made with an open rod pocket at the top - the drape support slides through the pocket (similiar to a home window drape sheer).  The most affordable option is to purchase single-width unpleated panels that are unpleated and use extra panels pushed together to give a natural pleated appearance.  For example, for a 10 foot wide backwall, we would recommend 4 drapes at 4′ wide each (or a total of 16′ in drapery width).

“Pipe and Drape” system are truly a “do-it-yourself” option.  A single stand-alone booth with an 8′ backwall, two 3′ sidewalls, and an open front requires only a few components and can be put up in by a couple of people in 15 minutes.  We even sell a couple of single booth packages that gives the customer every thing needed for a 10′ x 10′ booth - bases, uprights, telescopic drape supports, drapes, along with carry/storage bags for everything.

But another option that can personalize a booth is to purchase custom drapes.  Perhaps you select a different fabric, a different color, have an image digitally printed on the drapes, or even do something fun like these two-toned angled drapes  that we made for ourselves, to use in our own booth at a trade show:

Yes, the huge corporations spend a huge amount of money having custom booths designed and built for them - and many of them really are amazing.  But for the rest of us, pipe and drape is a great option that is both affordable and easily customizable.

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Focus On: Poor Man’s Kabuki

Previously, I told you about the Single Kabuki and the Double Kabuki.  Now, as promised, here is the scoop on what is commonly called the Poor Man’s Kabuki.

Also called a Tearaway, a Poor Man’s Kabuki has two parts - the kabuki-style drape and the header.  The drape is sewn with loop velcro at the top in back.  Then, to make the header, a piece of webbing (usually 3″ wide) and a piece of hook velcro (usually 2″ wide) are cut to the same size as the width of the drape (for example, if the drape is 50 feet wide, a 50 foot piece of webbing and a 50 foot piece of velcro would be used). 

The velcro is then sewn onto the webbing, leaving room at the top of the webbing to add grommets and ties (which are usually spaced every 12″, aka 12″ on center). 

The header is attached to the top of the kabuki-style drape via the velcro and then the drape is hung on truss above the stage.  When it is time to “drop” (remove) the drape, someone from the crew pulls the drape - because the drape is attached to the header by velcro only, the drape releases from the header and falls to the ground.  The crew quickly bundles up the drape and takes it offstage.  At the end of the show, the webbing header is untied from the truss and stuck back onto the drape in preparation for the next show.

When would a Poor Man’s Kabuki be used rather than a traditional single or double kabuki?  Generally when the purpose of the drape is to hide a second band’s equipment while the first band is onstage in front of the drape.  Once the first band has left the stage and their equipment has been cleared, the crew member quickly pulls down the drape to reveal the second band behind it.

Yes, this could be done with a Single Kabuki - however, a traditional kabuki system is more expensive and more complicated to set up, since it uses a solenoid system - and so a solenoid-based kabuki system is generally overkill in a simple “hide the second band” situation.  The Poor Man’s Kabuki isn’t meant to be used for dramatic reveals, but more as a masking piece.

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Focus On: Austrian and Braille Curtains

Austrian and Braile Curtains are generally used as Front Curtains (aka Main or Act Curtains), when theatre personnel would like to fly the Main Curtain but have little or no loft space. 

When a traditional backdrop or curtain is flown into the loft, an amount of loft space in excess of the height of the curtain (plus the batten or whatever it is hung on) is required.  For example, a curtain that is 20 feet high might require at least 21 or 22 feet of loft space, or even more, depending on the sight line of the audience.  In the case of an Austrian or Braille, however, the drape gathers upon itself as it opens, requiring little space in the loft - when in the full open (raised) position, it can easily be hidden behind a proscenium or border, taking up very little loft space.

Through the use of a series of lift lines on the back of the curtain, the Austrian or Braille is raised and lowered, with the bottom of the curtain drawing up against itself as it makes its way to the top.  This is similar to the Contour Curtain.  However, in the case of the Contour Curtain, differing amounts of lift are used on the liftlines, giving the curtain the contoured effect.  With an Austrian, equal amounts of lift are given to all of the lift lines, so that the entire curtain raises and lowers in a smooth, fast, and even fashion.

What is the difference between an Austrian and a Braille?  Both use the same lift line system, and both raise and lower in the same manner.  The difference is in the fullness and how the drape appears in the lowered (closed) position.  When down, a Braille Curtain resembles a regular curtain with fullness (similar to a pleated traveller curtain).  An Austrian, however, has additional horizontal fullness created by gathering the fabric along the vertical seams, creating a series of swags even when the drape is in the lowered position. 

Typical fabric choices include theatrical satin and silky chiffon.  Austrian and Braille Curtains required motorized rigging systems to allow the liftlines to be raised and lowered simultaneously in a quick and smooth fashion.

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