30-Minutes with Workroom Tech: Episode 23 / Italian Stringing

In episode 23 of The Sew Much More Podcast: 30-Minutes with Workroom Tech (air date September 18, 2019), Ceil DiGuglielmo and Susan Woodcock discuss a draping style called "Italian stringing". It's not a method that's used very often and it has a little bit of mystery. When you see a drapery with Italian stringing you might think... "how does the drapery do that"?

Listen to the podcast here: Italian Stringing Episode 23

What is Italian stringing?

Italian Stringing is where the drapery is pulled up with cords on the back, behind the drapery. It’s similar to how a soft shade works. Rings are sewn to the back, and lift cords are threaded through the rings to pull up the fabric. This allows a drapery panel to be pulled back without the use of tiebacks or holdbacks. It can be functional, opening and closing with the use of lift cords, or fixed at an attractive level.

The origins of the name most likely come from the theater where this technique is known as "opera drapery" or "tableau", and workrooms who specialize in theater drapery will also call this "tab" drapery. The photo below shows the ropes and rings used to lift a heavy, stage drapery, and the video shows an animation of how the drapery lifts up and to the side.

Photo credit: Wikipedia / Grand théâtre d'Angers