What Kinds of Batiste Are Made for Sheer Drapery Panels?

Types

• Batiste describes the weave of the fabric rather than the fiber content. Because of this, batiste may be composed of a number of different fibers. Cotton batiste or batiste that is a blend of cotton and polyester are the most common, while batiste made of pure silk or wool is rarer and more expensive. While all types of batiste are light and can be used for your sheer curtains, choose a cotton or a cotton-blend for the best results.

Considerations

• When you want to make sheer drapery panels out of batiste, cotton batiste and a poly-cotton blend batiste are the most appropriate choices due to their durability and their color-fast qualities. Consider whether the panels will be moved every day or whether they will remain mostly stationary. For panels that will see a significant deal of wear, use polyester batistes or a poly-cotton blend, which will hold up more firmly. Cotton batiste drapery panels do well when they will only be drawn once in a while.

Warnings

• While wool and silk batiste has a beautiful sheen and drape, it does make for elegant drapery panels. Wool and silk are natural animal fibers and can attract moths. Moths lay eggs in natural fibers and when they hatch, the larva chews holes in the fabric. For this reason, and also because silk and wool tend to fade in sunlight, a manufacturered blend is a better choice.

Sewing

• When you are ready to start sewing your batiste curtains, choose needles that are intended for a light cloth. These needles, whether they go in a sewing machine or whether they are hand-sewing needles, are smaller and finer, allowing you to make a smaller hole. This prevents snagging or tearing later on. Batiste curtains can be made by simply folding over one edge and sewing it flat to make a pocket. This design allows the batiste to fall in attractive natural drapes.