How to Line Drapes With Flannel

Put your existing drapery panel face side down on the work table. Remove any drapery pins attached to the buckram. If your drape is pleated, untie the cords on the right side of the buckram.

Turn the drapery over and use a seam ripper to remove the basting stitch at the bottom of each set of three pleats. If the pleats are hand sewn, rip the seams holding the pleats together until your panel lays flat. Open the seams along each side of the drape and iron the fabric flat.

Launder, dry and iron your flannel to shrink it to working size. Measure the width of your drapery panel and subtract 4 inches. Measure the length of the drapery panel and add five inches. Cut your flannel lining to this size.

Place the drape right side up. Position the lining face side down and aligned along the top edge. Pin the sides together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Sew your side seams with 1/2- inch seam allowance. Stop 2 inches above the bottom hem on each side.

Turn the drapery panel right side out. Set the panel right side down. The drapery fabric should overlap the side of the lining by two inches on each side. Smooth out the fabrics and iron along your sides. If your drape has buckram, a type of thick header tape sewn along the top edge, trim the top of the liner fabric 1/2-inch over the buckram. Turn the edge under 1/2 inch and hand sew the liner to the bottom of the buckram using an overcast stitch. The sewing should not show on the drapery fabric front side.

Fold the top edge under 1/2 inch and sew the liner to the drapery fabric for drapes with no buckram header. Trim the bottom edge of the liner so that it is 1 inch longer than the hemmed drape. Fold the bottom edge under 1/2 inch and iron. Fold the fold under 1 inch and sew the hem to the back side of the liner using a hem stitch. Do not sew the liner to the drape. Finish any incomplete seams so that the drape panel is tidy.

Pull on the cords of your buckram and slide the fabric back into pleats. Tie the cords when the drape is at the width you need. Wrap the cords into a small bundle and pin the cords to the back of the buckram with a safety pin. Turn the drape over. Straighten out your pleat sets. Sew a tack stitch through the bottom of each set of pleats to hold them properly.