Interesting use for Pipe and Drape

In the past, I have posted about different ways to use Pipe and Drape, in addition to traditional exhibit booths (such as for trade shows).  Well, recently we were contacted by Aaron Valdez, who asked for our help in creating a unique item using pipe and base hardware and custom drapery.

Aaron Valdez is the owner of “Perfect Shot Photo Booth.”  He had a great idea – utilize pipe and base hardware and custom drapery to create a portable photo booth for use at weddings and special events.  Aaron had the vision, but he needed help in figuring out how to achieve his vision. 

Gwen Winter (Sew What? Senior Sales) worked with Aaron in designing his “perfect” photo booth.  The hardware is simple – pipe and base hardware including uprights, bases, and telescopic drape supports.  It is the drapery that turns it into a photo booth.  We utilized Black 15oz Encore, which is not only a blackout fabric, but also has an attractive back, so that no lining was required.   The drapery was sewn so that the hardware was concealed both inside and out, and included a custom top as well.  Doorway openings were made on both sides, creating an entrance and an exit, and Pewter 15oz Encore was used as a trim, to make the entrance and exit easily identifiable to guests inside the booth.

I think it turned out great – what do you think?

I am also happy to say that Aaron was so happy with the process that he sent a great note of thanks:

I wanted to write and tell you thank you so much for all of your help in tending to our project. Your customer service as well as that shown by the entire staff at your company has been unparalleled. I was immediately impressed at the warm reception we received when we entered your office. What started out as a curious visit ended in you creating a design that was even better than I had ever imagined possible for our company’s application. The photo booth is now in full operation and is working excellently. It looks very professional thanks to your design ideas and your company’s implementation of it. Thank you so much for your help in our endeavor and you have certainly made us a lifetime customer.

I’d also like to add that I was especially impressed at how my designer, Gwen, sat down with us and made sure she understood exactly what my vision was and then created a design to fit my specific application. So many other companies only had a generic answer for me while Sew What? Inc. worked with me to design something that was exactly what I needed.

Aaron Valdez

Owner, ”Perfect Shot Photo Booth”

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!

Focus On: Side Finishes

Periodically, I have been posting on the mechanics of stage drapes – fullness, top finishes and, most recently, bottom finishes, where I promised to post on side finishes next.

Initially, one might wonder, “What is there to talk about in regards to side finishes?  It’s just a hem, isn’t it?”  Well, yes, in most cases, the side finish is a hem.  But not always.  And even when it is a hem, there are different styles and sizes of hems, depending on the drapery style, the fabric used, and how the drape will be used.

Selvage

In some cases, the fabric itself has a clean edge (selvage).  As a result, for some drapes utilizing those fabrics, no side hem at all is required.  This is often the case for simple one-width drapery panels (such as Exhibit Booth drapes or special event drapes).  Encore Velour is one fabric that, when sewn into single-width exhibit drapery, is generally made with a selvage side finish.  Voile drapes are also made with a selvage side finish, especially when sewn as single-width panels for special event usage.  However, selvage sides are virtually never used for traditional stage drapes and are rarely used for multi-width panels (i.e. drapes that are unioned together to create a drape that is wider than the width of the original fabric).

Standard Double-Turned Hem

The standard side hem for most custom stage curtains and backdrops is a 2-2.  This means that 2″ of fabric is folded in on the side, and then another 2″ is folded over and then the hem is sewn.  This creates a clean finished edge to the hem with no chance of fraying.  In some cases, the hem may be slightly different, such as 3-3 or 1-1, but the standard is 2-2.

Half-Width Turnback

Another option for a side finish is a half-width turnback.  This involves folding the side edge back 1″, folding it again so that approximately half the width of the fabric is used for the side hem, and then sewing the turnback in place.  For example, if the fabric is 54″ wide, then 27″ of the fabric would be used for the side hem.  This side finish is typically used for the onstage edge of bi-parting traveller curtains (where the curtains meet in the middle).  If the onstage edge of the curtain should flip open slightly while the curtains are being opened or closed (thereby exposing the back of the curtain), the audience will see the “good” side of the fabric rather than the back of the fabric.  This side finish is also more durable due to the double thickness of fabric - the center point where bi-parting curtains meet is often subjected to more wear and tear, especially if the curtain is a walk-along (hand-operated rather than rope operated). 

Often a traveller curtain will have different side finishes on the two sides - the onstage edge will have a half-width turnback and the offstage edge will have a standard 2-2 hem.  However, in some cases, a half-width edge is designated for both sides of  bi-parting traveller curtains.  The benefit to this option is that, if the onstage edges of the two traveller curtains becomes frayed, the curtains can be reversed – the stage right curtain becomes the stage left curtain, and vice versa.  Suddenly, the frayed edges are on the offstage edges (and are therefore less noticeable), with the more pristine edges now on the onstage edges (more visible to the audience in the center of the stage). 

Twelve Inch Turnback

A 12″ turnback serves the same purpose as the half-width turnback – but is sometimes selected due to budgetary concerns, as this option saves a little money as less fabric is needed (just about 1/4 of a width of fabric vs 1/2 a width).

Baby Hem

A very small hem (usually 1/2″ – 1/2″) is generally used for very delicate fabrics, especially sheers, when it is important that the hem be clean and finished but not noticeable.  This side finish is often used for special event drapery that may be seen close-up (as opposed to traditional stage drapery that is generally seen from a distance).

Marrow

Marrowing is a technique in which the actual edge of the fabric is sewn to provide a finished edge and prevent fraying, without actually folding back the fabric.  This finish is often used for table linens.

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.

What is FR? IFR? NFR? Here’s the Scoop.

The issue of flame retardancy for stage curtains, trade show drapes, and other hanging drapery is one that I am sure is confusing to many people.  I have been educating myself on this subject for a number of years, and I still feel as if I have just scratched the surface.  I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for a novice trying to figure it all out, so I thought I’d pass along a little of what I have learned .  There are many different topics related to flame retardancy, so I’ll start with the basics and cover more topics in later posts.

DEFINITIONS OF FLAME RETARDANCY TERMS

FR (Flame Retardant):  Fabric has been topically treated with a flame retardant chemical, which is water-soluble and will be removed by laundering.  Even without laundering, the chemical will dissipate over time, requiring that the drapery be re-treated.  Cottons, other natural fiber fabrics, and some synthetic fabrics are topically treated.

DFR (Durably Flame Retardant): Fibers have been manufactured with a flame retardant process prior to being woven into fabric.  As a result, the fabric is typically flame retardant for the life of the fabric.  This is the case for many polyester fabrics (though not all).

PFR / IFR (Permanently Flame Retardant):  The fibers themselves are non-combustible.  Therefore the woven fabric is considered flame retardant for the life of the fabric.  This is the case for most Avora™ polyesters, Trevira™ polyesters, some other polyesters, and some other synthetic fabrics.

***DFR, PFR, and IFR are often used interchangeably, because the effect is the same – all are considered flame retardant for the life of the fabric.

CBFP / CBFR (Can be Flameproofed / Flame Retarded): The fabric is not flame retardant, but can be topically treated with a chemical to make it flame retardant (FR).  This might include a cotton fabric that is usually sold as NFR but can be treated by a registered flame retardancy applicator facility.

CNFR (Cannot be Flame Retarded):  The fabric is not flame retardant and cannot be topically treated with a chemical for flame retardancy.  This includes most fabrics that have metal in the weave.  Acetate is another fabric that usually cannot be flame proofed.

If you’d like further details on these terms, you can find it here.

Pipe & Drape – It’s Not Just for Trade Shows Anymore

You may not know what it is called, but you have probably seen pipe and drape at some point.  If you have gone to a home or craft show at your local convention center, if you have gone to a convention for your business association and there was an exhibitor hall at the hotel…chances are, you’ve seen pipe and drape systems (also called exhibit supply).

“Pipe and drape” is the common term for the components used to make trade show booths.  Depending on the components selected, pipe and drape can be used to make a single back wall, an individual booth or even a series of connected booths.  And they are easy to put together.  Simply place the bases on the ground, insert the uprights, thread the drapes onto the telescopic drape supports, and insert the drape supports to the top of the uprights.  No wonder they are used for trade shows – they are quick and easy to set up and take down and they are relatively inexpensive.

These same features of pipe and drape make it a great alternative for many applications outside the trade show circuit.  With just a few components, a church can have a 3 foot high privacy screen in front of the choir onstage.  If the choir isn’t singing for a service, the privacy screen can be quickly dismantled and placed offstage.  A high school can use pipe and base to decorate the school gym for the prom.  Instead of looking at gym walls and bleachers, the students could be looking at beautiful satin or voile drapery, easily displayed around the entire perimeter of the gym on pipe and base hardware.  A retail store could use pipe and drape as a backdrop to an open window display.  Radio stations could use pipe and base, along with digitally printed backdrops displaying the station’s logo, to make promotional booths outside rock concerts.

The possibilities are endless.  All it takes is a little imagination.