If you are like me, you could think that gathered curtains or draperies seem so much superior if every pleat is consistently identical. Accomplishing that is easier than you may think. There are essentially three diverse methods to approach the problem and I guarantee that, one way or another, you can achieve it. Sometimes even pleated window treatments need coaxing if the material is spongy or firm and, of course, the best method is to pick a silky pliable textile in the first place. This is not always doable so lets chat about how to create ideal pleats in spite of what material is applied even including curtain tiers or lace fabric or a stiff old-fashioned satin.

When the drape material is fairly bendable the easiest first effort would be to fit the curtain, pull each section to single side and physically assemble the pleats equally. Then tie them back moderately loosely together near the peak and at the base edge. Once this is completed you can cover the face and rear  of the pleats softly with a solution of water with a small quantity of alcohol added. Do this with a very subtle spray without soaking the textile. You simply want a mist on the surface. You might also massage your fingers lightly on each pleat while they are still moist forming them into a nice round figure. Leave them for a few days. The form of the pleats will very much increase, with any luck to the stage that they are well without further fussing.

In case the pleats are still flaring the next approach is to have what in the long curtains trade is referred to as “shot tape” or in textile stores as “leaded weight tape”. It consists of a extended, very tiny diameter cotton cylinder that is crammed with a single column of about 1/8 inch lead balls to form a uninterrupted string. Place this cord in the bottom hem from one side of the section to the another one. That adds weight to the curtain. You can now arrange the pleats a large amount more effortlessly. As soon as you have set them equally they have a tendency to remain where you have placed them because of the extra weight and the relative refusal of the string to unbend.