On completion of Course ONE, TWO, THREE & Making of Cushions students will be awarded an Accredited Certificate ‘Diploma in Professional Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings‘.

Master Soft Furnishers are award- winning Interior Design and Soft Furnishing Specialists, established 2001. Our Academy offers accredited training courses face to face and online. We are registered with UKRLP as a Learning Provider and also an approved member of other reputable organisations, including the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers.

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COURSE PROGRAMMES

ONSITE Course ONE – Professional Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings

Through discussion, demonstration and making samples, this course provides students with the skills to make window dressings with confidence. It is suitable for absolute beginners as well as those wishing to enhance their current skills (no hand sewing or sewing machine experience is required). This course also covers how to set up and run a successful curtain making business.

Day One

Preparation & Pencil Pleat Curtain

• Design presentation and discussion about curtain styles, decorative hardware, pelmets, and blinds, covering current trends in the Interior Design world.
• Students will practice how to seam lining, interlining, plain and patterned fabric. And make samples of each.
• Students will make a lined sample curtain with pencil pleat heading, which will ensure that you will thoroughly learn and practice traditional hand stitching and curtain making methods.

Day Two

Measuring & Calculations

• Students will learn how to assess windows and plan and design a window treatment, including accurate measuring, bay windows, suitable curtain hardware, and estimation of fabric quantities for plain and patterned fabric.
• Comprehensive discussion on how to calculate accurate measurements for curtain hand headings; Triple (French), Goblet, Cartridge & Double pleats.
• Students will learn how to measure windows, reviewing various scenarios, followed by curtain calculation exercises.

Day Three

French/Triple pleat interlined curtain

• Students will make an interlined sample curtain incorporating the hand heading Triple (French) pleats.
• Demonstration on how to make other hand headings; Goblet, Cartridge & Double pleats.

Day Four

Business & Hardware Fitting Seminar and Upholstered Pelmets

• Comprehensive session on setting up and running a successful curtain making business, including advice on suppliers, costing, client liaison and presentation skills.
• Onsite seminar provided by leading industry supplier, Evans Textiles, with focus on the Roman blind mechanism and motorised systems.
• Professional fitting seminar; students will learn how to specify and fit curtain and blind hardware including awkward window shapes (poles, tracks, blinds, and pelmet shelves).
• Discussion on designing pelmets, their proportions and shaping the base line to work with the pattern repeat of the fabric. Demonstration on how to make a hardboard upholstered pelmet sample with piping detail.

Day Five

Roman blinds

• Discussion on function and design of the Roman blind, and also other blind styles available such as London, Austrian, wood venetian, roller and vertical blinds. Accurate measuring for various window shapes including bay windows.
• Fabric estimation and accurate calculations for rod pocket spacing for standard fold and waterfall/cascade folds. Demonstration on suitable hardware, fixtures and fittings.
• In our opinion Roman blinds look and function better if there is no visible machine stitching to the front. Students will make a fully operational hand-sewn Roman blind sample fitted to supplied chain mechanism, compliant with blind regulations.

ONSITE Course TWO – Professional Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings

This course provides further training for students who have completed our Course ONE cementing skills and techniques already learnt. Students will learn advanced techniques and design options inspiring them and providing them with confidence to offer a wide range of bespoke window dressings. 

Day One

Making of a Full Size Curtain & Business Seminar

• This is an important refresher day after completing Course ONE. Students will take part in making a full size curtain (including how to move a curtain on the table). This involves measuring of a window on site, calculations, designing curtain style, choosing fabric, make up, fitting and dressing of the curtain to existing fitted pole.
• Accurate pattern joining and how to match the patten line to Pelmets. Explantion of Pleating to Pattern and Horizontal repeat calcualtions.
• Further comprehensive advise on preparation of an Estimate of Costs for window dressings, when running a business.

Day Two

Eyelet Curtains

• Students will make an Eyelet heading sample curtain designed with mitred contrast borders to leading edge, hemline and outer edge. This technique can also be applied to blinds, cushions and other soft furnishings.

Day Three & Four (half day – morning)

Trimmings & Embellishments & Valances

• A comprehensive session on trimmings and embellishments available in curtain making.
• Discussion on valances (soft valances fitted to a pelmet shelf and integral curtain valances) and their proportions.
• Students will design and make a sample curtain with an integral valance, incorporating hand-sewn heading Goblet pleats, with inserted fringing detail and covered buttons.

Day Four (half day – afternoon) & Five

Advanced Roman Blinds & London Blinds & Relaxed Blinds

• Make an operational interlined Roman blind with no visible stitching fitted to supplied chain mechanism, compliant with blind regulations. Including trimming detail to lower edge, integrated side returns, integrated rod pockets and cascade/waterfall folds.
• Accurate calculation exercises for making of a Roman blind with cascade/waterfall folds.
• Demonstration on how to make sheer/voile Roman blinds, London blinds and relaxed/scalloped fold blinds.
• Workroom demonstration and discussion on motorised blind systems.

ONSITE Course THREE – Professional Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings

On completion of this course students will be fully trained in the design and making of window dressings and soft furnishings. Having attended Course ONE, TWO & THREE and ‘Making of Cushions’, students are then awarded a ‘DIPLOMA in Professional Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings’.

Day One

Wave Curtain

• Silent Gliss will provide an onsite technical seminar on their wave system, so students have a full understanding on the system’s components and how it operates. The wave curtain has become increasingly popular; it’s a neat and very stylish window dressing.
• Students will make a sample ‘wave’ curtain in sheer (voile) fabric, that can be fitted to the Silent Gliss system.
• Sheer curtains are traditionally used behind heavy curtains to provide privacy while letting in some light. Nowadays interior designers will specify sheers as the main fabric, when curtains are not required to provide insulation or block light. There are some stunning sheer fabrics, which create a delightful, airy effect to a window area.

Day Two

Bed Dressings

• Discussion on how to approach the design of the bedroom, where the window and bed dressings compliment each other.
• Students will make a lined bed valance sample with kick pleats.
• Discussion on bed covers, bed runners and other bed dressings supported by full instructions on how to make up.

Day Three & Day Four (1.5 days)

Swags & Tails

• This historical and traditional window dressing is back in fashion, and can make a beautiful statement to a window using modern fabrics and trimmings. Discussion on swags and tails; various designs that can be applied, proportions, construction and fixings.
• Students will learn how to create and construct their own perfect swag template, and go on to make a contrast piped interlined swag.
• Students will learn how to create and construct their own perfect tail template, pattern matching to their swag sample, and go on to make a contrast lined and piped, interlined tail.

Day Four & Five (1.5 days)

Arched Windows & Italian Stringing

• Discussion on the complex arched windows and dormer windows that are shaped into a triangle.
• Students will template an irregular shaped arched window and explode the template.
• Students will go onto make a sample interlined single arch shaped curtain with a Goblet pleat heading.

ONSITE Cushion Making Course

Basic hand sewing and machine skills are required for this course.

• Discussion on different cushion shapes and styles and how to design for a room scheme.
• Over the two days students will make three different cushions:

1. A square cushion with trimming detail.
2. A bolster cushion with starburst ends, and piping and button detail, incorporating a concealed zip.
3. A box cushion with piping detail incorporating an invisible zip. As well as being used as a scatter cushion, box cushions are suitable for window seating and chair padding and outdoor seating.