Category: Guides and Tips

As part of Bridports Fashion Revolution we are bringing you some handy tips to help you re-use, recycle, mend or transform your clothing and accessories.

Every year some of our fabrics are discontinued by the suppliers and this means that the hangers we hold for them are no longer of any use to order from. Some of you will probably know that we sell off these hangers when this happens for anywhere between five and ten pounds. They are a real bargain because as well as all of the smaller samples on the hanger, you will also get a large piece of fabric at the back as well, usually a metre or more squared.

All this rain makes us think longingly of summer sun and road trips.

Now is the perfect time to get your camper or caravan fixed up and ready for the road. We’re making a whole load of seat / bed cushions for a couple who are off on a big trip. They will be living in their camper and comfort is high on the list so we are covering 5″ deep foam with a thick, soft layer of wadding and then stockinette so they will be super soft and comfy. We’ve written about how you can do this yourself here.

As yet we don’t have foam listed on our website but we are happy to process telephone orders, you can contact us on 01308 456844 or 01935 422651 to place an order or discuss your requirements.

Curtains fulfill many uses in your home. As well as being decorative they also help to reduce echoes, making your room more welcoming. At this time of the year most importantly they can really help with heat retention which saves you money on heating. Even a double glazed window will feel like a big expanse of cold in your room once the sun goes down. So, what should you take into consideration when choosing curtains for warmth?

1. Fabric choice. Heavier fabrics will keep in more heat, although all woven fabrics will allow in some drafts. An example is our range of tapestry fabrics, which are all suitable to make heavy curtains. Some heavy fabrics are not suitable, however, especially if they are upholstery fabrics with a back coating as these are too stiff. Ask our staff if you are unsure which of our fabrics can be made into curtains.
2. Interlining. This is a layer with thermal properties which is inserted between the main curtain fabric and the lining, and is also known as curtain bump. It feels a little like a blanket and makes the curtains more luxurious. It can even be used with very lightweight fabrics such as faux silk and makes your curtains feel like a million dollars. Interlining can be cotton or polyester and comes in both light and heavy weights. There is an additional charge on the making up because the interlining has to be tacked into the main fabric before adding the lining. If you do not have much room to pull the curtains back off the window or door, interlining will affect this as it makes the curtains considerably thicker.
3. Thermal or blackout lining. If you don’t want to add interlining to your curtains you could use the option of thermal lining. This is an ivory coloured coated polycotton lining which prevents air getting through the lining, thereby stopping drafts. This creates a colder pocket of air next to the window whilst retaining the heat in the room. This lining is lightweight and will not add to the bulk of the curtains. Thermal lining will not stop light coming through completely, though it is referred to as ‘dimout’ so it will reduce light to some extent. However if light is also a problem (from street lights or the sun in the summer) the good news is that blackout lining also has exactly the same thermal properties as thermal lining, it is just a little heavier and also blocks all light. Some light may come around the edges of the curtain (or through the stitching lines for a roman blind) but none will penetrate through the fabric itself.
4. Length of curtains. If you are trying to cut out drafts with a full length curtain, you can choose to have your curtain come right down to the floor to ensure that air cannot get underneath it. You could also consider making a shorter curtain long enough to tuck behind a radiator to stop heat going up behind the curtain.

If heat retention is a priority, do mention it to us when you consult about your curtain project. Many of the same factors can also be applied to roman blinds as well. We are happy to make up curtains and blinds for you with all of these options considered, or you can consult our guide to choosing a lining to see all the options. If you already have curtains but want to make things more cosy, you could always consider adding a loose lining with loose lining tape. This is really easy to do, as the thermal lining does not even need hemming as it does not fray when cut. You can find instructions on how to add a loose lining here.

This week Monday 3rd – Sunday 9th June 2019 is child safety week.

Child safety week is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) which is the UK’s leading charity working to raise awareness of the risks of child accidents and how they can be prevented, to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents.

This year the theme is “Family life today: where’s the risk?” It highlights the new dangers facing families today from our modern lifestyles and offers simple solutions to keep children safe.

They have loads of great information on how to keep your children safe from many different dangers that come with everyday life. The danger that we are focusing on here at Livingstone Textiles is the dangers of roman blind cords to children.

Roman blinds are a great way dress your window and can be more practical than curtains in some windows. As we all know they are operated by a string pully system whether they are on the traditional system on a cassette system, these stings can be a potential danger if the blind are not hung correctly and/or are not fitted with safety devices.

What is a safety device?

The safety devices we sell here at Livingstone Textiles are small sprung toggles that are fitted to the bottom of a roman blind to hold the end of the cords. In the event that a child or someone gets caught up in the blind cords then then the cord will be pulled out of the safety devices releasing whoever has been caught up in it and therefore the danger of strangulation is significantly reduced. Because the safety devices are sprung if they are pulled out for any reason then the cord can just simply be re-threaded through them and the blind is undamaged.

All blinds made by our makers here at Livingstone Textiles are fitted with safety devices as standard. Another added bonus of having safety devices fitted is that it makes levelling and adjusting your blind really easy

How a roman blind is hung is also another important factor in reducing the
risk to children. You should consider the pull cords that hang down (if a traditional system is used) and the chain (if a cassete system is used) these both hang down and can create a strangulation hazard to children if not installed properly.

To install the traditional corded system correctly there should be the safety devices fitted to the bottom of each of the cords on the blind as mentioned above. There should also be a cleat fitted to a surface close to the cords, this should be fitted 1.5m or higher from the floor and the hanging cords should be wrapped around this in a figure of 8 ensuring all the spare cord is wrapped around it, this should leave no dangling cords.

To install a cassette system again the safety devices should be fitted to the bottom of each cord. As cassettes have chains instead of cords there are two options with chains, there is a cord that has a join in which will break if a force is applied and can be put back together afterwards. The other option, which is the one we supply here at Livingstone Textiles, is to have a chain tidy and tensioner. These devices are again fitted to the wall just like the cleat and they hold the chain taught so that the loop is smaller and harder to get caught up in. It also makes pulling the blind up and down easier and gives a finished and smart look.

If you would like any advice on how to hang or blind correctly or on how to make your excisting blind safer then please get in contact with us as we are more than happy to help.

For more information on child safety week, click here to follow the link to their website which has lots more information on keeping childeren safe from everyday hazards.