How to make a triple pinch (french) pleat heading using heading tape

The heading tape used to achieve the triple pinch (french) pleat (and indeed the goblet pleat), contains deep vertical pockets spaced about cm apart across the width of the tape. Special 4-fingered metal pronged curtain hooks are inserted up into the pockets. This naturally draws the heading tape together at regular intervals creating groups of triple pleats.

This is an easier alternative to creating a triple pinch pleat heading by hand using buckram. Purchase enough heading tape to fit the flat width of both curtains (allowing a little extra for tucking in raw edges). The heading tape has deep pockets to fully accomodate the depth of the fingered hooks so the shape of the triple pleat stays in place.

Pin and tack the heading tape firmly in place across the top of each curtain, lining up the first pocket on the heading tape with the inside edge of the curtain. Make sure you have turned the end of the tape under to hide the raw edge before you start sewing.

Make one line of stitching across the top of the tape, and another line across the bottom of the tape. Always sew in the same direction to avoid puckering of the fabric.

If you want to, you can hand stitch each end of the heading tape closed. Be careful not to stitch closed the opening of the first pocket as you will need to insert a curtain hook here to hang the curtains.

Starting at the inside edge of the curtain headings, leave 2 pockets free, then insert the first finger of the curtain hook into the next pocket. Now insert the second, third and fourth fingers into the following pockets, one finger in each pocket.

This means that each finger of the four-fingered curtain hook is inserted into a pocket, one after the other.

Leave the next two pockets free, and repeat using the next curtain hook, leaving a gap of two pockets between each curtain hook.

Repeat across the width of curtain heading tape. Do the same for the second curtain, again start by leaving two pockets free at the inner edge of the curtain - this means that when you have created at many pleats as you can, any excess fabric is on the outside edge of the curtains. This excess can have a curtain hook mounted into the pockets flatly and attached to the runners or rings on the curtain track or pole.

The beauty about using heading tape, is that at this stage you can view the position of the triple pleats without yet stitching them in place. If you are unhappy with the fullness or placement of the triple pleats, then you can remove the curtain hooks and try again. If you want the gap between each triple pleat to be narrower, than only leave one pocket free between starting the next triple pleat, instead of the two we recommend above. Remember, though, this will mean you create more triple pleats across the heading, and therefore you need to make sure your finished curtains are wide enough to meet when drawn together across your window.

Turn the curtain over with the wrong side of the fabric downwards. To make the first triple pleat, hold the curtain hook in place firmly with your hand behind the curtain heading, so that the fingered hooks are set as deeply as possible into the pockets of the heading tape. Hold the base of the created triple pleat with your fingers, just below the base of the heading tape on the right side of the fabric.

Pinch the fabric together and stitch the three small pleats together with a single firm stitch back and forth through the same place in the fabric.

The top of the triple pleat should not be stitched, as the pleat should fan out at the top.

Hang your curtains.

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