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You can make this look by piecing solid black and off-white linen into horizontal bands, then adding lining, a drapery header and pinch pleats. The documented project produced seven stripes in an 88.75-inch finished panel, but the panels were stationary decoration rather than curtains that close. Treat its measurements as a worked example: your window, hardware, fabric width and preferred hem determine your cut list.
What the finished project actually delivers
Kristi Linauer’s dining-room project, published May 4, 2016, solved a specific design problem: she could not find a ready-made horizontal stripe with the number and proportions of bands she wanted. She bought solid black linen and solid off-white linen, joined them into alternating horizontal sections, and finished the result as lined, pinch-pleated draperies. Her completed reveal is documented in the finished-project article.
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The panels were installed as decorative, stationary treatments. They were not intended to be pulled across the window, so they did not provide privacy by closing. If passersby can see the window after dark, plan a separate shade or another operable privacy treatment rather than assuming the lining solves that problem.
Design the stripe layout before cutting
Use your finished length, not the example length
Start by installing the rod and rings, then measure the distance from the floor to the pin loop on the ring. For a panel that ends just above the floor, Linauer measured to that loop and subtracted 1/4 inch. She noted that fabric can relax slightly after hanging and steaming, so a panel cut to that target may settle a little longer. A floor break or puddle requires additional length; the construction tutorial discusses those alternative finishes in its measuring guidance.
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Once you know the finished panel length, divide it by the number of stripes you want. Linauer wanted exactly seven bands, divided her 88.75-inch finished length by seven, rounded the band height, and then added the allowances needed for joining seams, the bottom hem and the upper header. The allowances depend on your own sewing method, so do not copy a number from her cut list without recalculating.
Linauer’s seven-stripe cut list
This is the cut list she described for one single-width panel. It is a project record, not a universal pattern.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| Stripe position | Color | Cut height for one panel |
|---|---|---|
| Top end stripe | Black linen | 21 3/8 inches |
| Interior stripe 2 | White linen | 14 inches |
| Interior stripe 3 | Black linen | 14 inches |
| Interior stripe 4 | White linen | 14 inches |
| Interior stripe 5 | Black linen | 14 inches |
| Interior stripe 6 | White linen | 14 inches |
| Bottom end stripe | Black linen | 21 3/8 inches |
The two taller black pieces became the end bands, while the four 14-inch black-and-white interior pieces created the repeated center rhythm. If your finished length or stripe count changes, keep the visual logic but recalculate every piece and allowance.
Square, mark and label the linen
- Square each fabric. Linauer squared the linen instead of tearing it. A straight reference edge makes the horizontal joins easier to align.
- Mark across the true width. Measure and mark the stripe heights from a squared edge rather than trusting a puckered or distorted selvage.
- Control shifting. Pin the layers together before cutting. This was her way of keeping stacked pieces from moving while she cut multiple sections.
- Preserve direction. Label the top and right side of each piece. Those marks keep the weave and any subtle face variation oriented consistently during assembly.
- Remove puckered selvages. Trim away edges that would pull the seam or make a finished band ripple.
Linauer also pressed the joined seams flat as she worked. Pressing is especially important when alternating dark and light fabrics: a raised seam can telegraph through the face or make a stripe look uneven even when the cut heights are correct.
Piece the horizontal bands
Join in a controlled sequence
Lay the cut sections in their final top-to-bottom order before sewing. Check that the black end bands are at the ends and that the white and black interior bands alternate as planned. Join adjacent sections one seam at a time, keeping the marked top edge and right side visible until the panel is assembled.
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After each seam, press it flat before adding the next section. This lets you catch a skewed join while the panel is still manageable. A dark seam allowance can show through a light stripe when the lining is thin; that is why the source project relied on blackout lining to stop light from telegraphing through the white linen. If you choose a lighter lining, make a small sample first and inspect it in daylight and with the room lights on at night.
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Keep the panel square
Measure the assembled face at several points. If the top and bottom edges are not parallel, correct the problem before hemming or adding the header. A small error at each horizontal join can accumulate into a visibly slanted panel, and pleats will not disguise a sloping outer edge.
Add the lining, hems and header
The finished-project reveal shows the result but does not reproduce every sewing operation. Linauer’s linked tutorials cover the construction sequence for lined, pinch-pleated panels, including hems, attaching the lining, building the header and forming the pleats. Use the double-width lined pinch-pleat tutorial, part 1, and part 2 for that process. A related lined pinch-pleat tutorial with accent fabrics provides another view of the finishing sequence.
Choose lining for the light you need to control
Blackout lining is optional, not a requirement for every drapery. In this project it prevented daylight from shining through the face fabric and making the dark seam allowances visible in the white bands. Compare the lining’s light-control goal with the face fabric’s opacity and care requirements. Whatever you choose, verify the combination with a sample before committing to all the yardage.
Build the header before pleating
The header establishes where the rings attach and gives the upper edge enough structure for evenly spaced pinch pleats. Follow the linked tutorial’s order for applying the header and setting the pleats; the reveal itself does not specify a transferable header width, pleat spacing or hook count. Those dimensions depend on your rod, ring hardware and the fullness you select.
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Understand fullness and the project’s deliberate compromise
For pinch-pleated draperies, Linauer gives a general rule of roughly 2.5 to 3 times the window width in total fabric. That amount creates folds when the panels are drawn. Her dining-room front window was wide, and she intentionally deviated from that rule to limit both material and the number of stripes: she used one fabric width for each panel.
| Measurement from the completed project | Reported result |
|---|---|
| Finished panel length | 88.75 inches |
| Stripe count per panel | Seven |
| Width after side hems, before pleating | About 51 inches |
| Coverage when pleated and fully extended | About 30 inches |
| Return at the wall | 2.5 inches |
Those figures describe her panels, not a promise of coverage for another window. To plan yours, measure the span you need to cover, decide whether the panels will move, and multiply the span by your chosen fullness. Then divide the total fabric width between the panels and account for side hems, returns and the width consumed by pleats. If you intentionally use less than the 2.5-to-3-times guideline, label the result as a decorative or low-fullness treatment so nobody expects it to close like a conventional pair of curtains.
Choose and install the rod for the actual load
Hardware used in the project
The completed installation used 1.5-inch cell-cast acrylic rods, polished-brass center-post brackets and end caps, and rings. The rod was selected for the stationary panels’ appearance, not as a tested heavy-duty system. The end caps did not fit perfectly over the rods, so Linauer centered them with hot glue.
| Hardware | Project specification or observation |
|---|---|
| Rod | 1.5-inch cell-cast acrylic |
| Supports and end treatment | Polished-brass center-post brackets and end caps |
| Attachment | Drapery rings with pin loops |
| Fit adjustment | End caps centered with hot glue because the fit was imperfect |
Why acrylic is a special case
Linauer’s warning is direct: “And most importantly (and I can’t believe I didn’t see anyone else mention this about these rods), yes, these rods will bow if you put too much weight on them.” This is a first-person observation from her 2016 installation, not a manufacturer load rating or an independent engineering test. The source provides no quantified capacity.
Use that limitation in your decision. Acrylic may suit light, stationary panels, but it is a poor assumption for heavy double-width lined drapes or curtains that will be opened and closed every day. For a movable or especially wide installation, select a rod and support arrangement with a published load rating, verify that the center support is compatible with your span, and confirm that the rings and finials fit the rod diameter. If a rod begins to bow after installation, remove weight promptly rather than waiting for the bend or a bracket failure to worsen.
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Separate historical cost from a current budget
The 2016 account mentioned approximately $69 for an eight-foot acrylic rod, a polishing charge of about $15 per rod and about $30 shipping for four rods. Those are what the author reported paying at that time; they are not current prices and should not be used as a present-day estimate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan privacy and daily operation before sewing
Because the finished panels were stationary, the central question is not whether the pleats can move along the rod; it is whether the treatment meets your privacy requirement. A lining can change light transmission and protect the face fabric, but it cannot make a fixed panel cover the glass. If you need privacy at night, add a shade, blind or another operable layer that can be closed independently.
Decide this before cutting. A stationary decorative panel can use the project’s one-width compromise, while a curtain intended to traverse the window needs enough total width, a rod designed for repeated movement and hardware that will not bind or overload the supports.
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Stripes do not meet cleanly
Recheck that each fabric was squared, that the marked top and right sides stayed consistent, and that the sections were pinned before cutting. Press every join flat before adding the next. If one band is already skewed, unpick and correct that seam before attaching the lining, when access is easiest.
Dark lines show through the white linen
Inspect a layered sample against a bright window and under interior lighting. The source project used blackout lining specifically because a thinner lining can allow dark seam allowances to show. If your sample reveals the joins, change the lining or adjust the seam treatment before cutting the full set.
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The finished panel is too long or too short
Measure from the installed ring’s pin loop, not from the rod, and account for the heading between the pin and the face fabric. For a just-above-floor finish, the documented method subtracts 1/4 inch from that floor-to-loop measurement. Steam and hang a test section before making irreversible hems; a panel can relax slightly once suspended.
The rod bows
Stop treating the bow as cosmetic. Remove the panels, check whether the total weight and span exceed what the rod and brackets can safely support, and replace or reinforce the system with hardware rated for the application. Do not infer a safe load from the rod’s diameter; no tested rating is supplied for this project.
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The panels cannot deliver the expected coverage
Compare your total fabric width with the 2.5-to-3-times rule of thumb. The documented one-width panels were a conscious visual compromise and produced about 30 inches of pleated coverage when extended. If your goal is a functioning closure, add width before sewing the header and pleats rather than trying to force more fullness into an undersized panel.
Complete workflow
- Install the rod, brackets and rings, then measure from the floor to each ring’s pin loop.
- Choose the finish (just above floor, break or puddle) and calculate the finished panel length.
- Choose the number and order of horizontal stripes; divide the finished length by that count.
- Add your own seam, hem and header allowances to every cut height.
- Square both linens, remove puckered selvages, mark across the width, pin layers and label orientation.
- Cut and join the bands in order, pressing each seam flat.
- Test the face fabric with the planned lining for light transmission and seam show-through.
- Attach lining, hems and header using the linked lined pinch-pleat instructions.
- Set pleats and ring positions to suit your rod and intended fullness.
- Install the panels, inspect the rod for bowing and confirm whether a separate privacy layer is required.
When this approach makes sense
- Choose pieced stripes when a ready-made stripe has the wrong count, scale or colors and you are comfortable joining multiple horizontal sections.
- Use blackout lining when controlling light and hiding dark seam allowances matters; test it first rather than treating it as mandatory.
- Use the one-width compromise for a decorative, mostly fixed display where reduced fullness is acceptable.
- Increase width and upgrade support when panels must close, span a large opening or move daily.
- Treat acrylic as a visual choice, not a load specification. Verify the weight, span, supports and ring compatibility before installation.
The result is a highly customizable striped drapery face with a clear construction path, but its measurements and hardware behavior belong to one 2016 room. Recalculate the fabric, lining and support system around your own window and operating requirements.
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