How to Use a Heading Tape to Make a Goblet Pleat Heading

How to Use a Heading Tape to Make a Goblet Pleat Heading 

The heading tape used to achieve the goblet pleat (and indeed the triple (French) pleat), contains deep vertical pockets spaced about cm apart across the width of the tape. Special 4-fingered metal pronged curtain hooks are inserted up into the pockets. This naturally draws the heading tape together at regular intervals creating individual "goblet" shapes.

This is an easy alternative to creating a goblet pleat heading by hand using buckram. Purchase enough heading tape to fit the width of both curtains. The heading tape has deep pockets to fully accommodate the depth of the fingered hooks so the shape of the goblet is secure.

  Pin and tack the heading tape firmly in place across the top of each curtain, lining up the first pocket on the heading tape with the inside edge of the curtain. Make sure you have turned the end of the tape under to hide the raw edge before you start sewing.

  Make one line of stitching across the top of the tape, and another line across the bottom of the tape. Always sew in the same direction to avoid puckering of the fabric.

  If you want to, you can hand stitch each end of the heading tape closed. Be careful not to stitch closed the opening of the first pocket as you will need to insert a curtain hook here to hand the curtains.

  Starting at the inside edge of the curtain headings, leave about 2 pockets free, then insert the first finger of the curtain hook into the next pocket. Now leave two pockets free and insert the fourth finger of the curtain hook into the next pocket. This means the inside two fingers of the curtain hook are free and not inserted into any pocket.

  Leave the next two pockets free, and insert the first finger of the next curtain hook in the next pocket, leave 2 pockets free, and then insert the fourth finger of the curtain hook into the next pocket. And so on.

  Repeat across the width of curtain heading tape. Do the same for the second curtain, again starting at the inner edge of the curtain - this means that when you have created at many goblet pleats as you can, any excess fabric is on the outside edge of the curtains. This excess can have a curtain hook mounted into the pockets flatly and attached to the runners or rings on the curtain track or pole.

  The beauty about using heading tape, is that at this stage you can view the position of the goblet pleats without yet stitching them in place. If you are unhappy with the fullness or placement of the goblets, then you can remove the curtain hooks and try again. If you want the gap between each goblet pleat to be narrower, than only leave one pocket free between starting the next goblet, instead of the two we recommend above. Remember, though, this will mean you create more goblets across the heading, and therefore you need to make sure your finished curtains are wide enough to meet when drawn together across your window.

  Turn the curtain over with the wrong side of the fabric downwards. To make the first goblet pleat, hold the curtain hook in place firmly with your hand behind the curtain heading, so that the fingered hooks are set as deeply as possible into the pockets of the heading tape. Hold the base of the created cup with your fingers, and create a triple pleat just below the base of the heading tape on the right side of the fabric.

  Pinch the fabric together and stitch in place with a single firm stitch back and forth through the same place in the fabric. This creates the cup shape.

  The top of the goblet does not need to be stitched, as the deepness of the pockets which houses the curtain hooks draws the top of the goblets together sufficiently.

  Carefully stuff each pleat with tissue paper to make them appear full and retain their shape.You may like to do this after you have hung the curtains up, standing carefully on a chair. That way you can easily push the goblets into their correct cup form.