# curtain repair



## jacobbiljo (Mar 5, 2006)

our back curtain tore a while ago and we have never had it repaired because it is never used. I am about to do a battle of the bands and need to use the curtain to cover painting on the back wall. the tear was in a L shape running across the curtain then down a seam, making a triangle of exposed wall. I was wondering of the quickest way to repair it before the show and still leave it in good enough shape to have someone come in and sew it up for good, later.

Jacob


----------



## AVGuyAndy (Mar 5, 2006)

The quickest way would definately be gaff tape.


----------



## Footer (Mar 5, 2006)

ya gaff it on the back..... if you dont know what you are doing with thread dont do it...


----------



## BillESC (Mar 5, 2006)

Actually there is a product one step better than gaff tape, DuvePro.

DuvePro is a gaffers style cloth tape with a black duvetyn material finish on one side.

No matter which tape you use it is best to iron it onto the repair, it will fuse the adhesive into the threads of the cloth for a strong bond.


----------



## CHScrew (Mar 5, 2006)

I agree with BillESC. Whatever tape you use, iron it to bond it to the thread.


----------



## ship (Mar 6, 2006)

Footer4321 said:


> ya gaff it on the back..... if you dont know what you are doing with thread dont do it...




Agreed and you never gaff tape any drape. Ever try to repair a drape that has been gaff taped?

Get out the needle and thread and whip stich the thing together and avoid the tape. Even if you don't know what you are doing with thread, once the fabric hits the sewing machine, either the gaffers tape in removing it will remove the fuzzy surface or will so gum up the needle that it won't sew. Avoid the tape please.

Instead, I recommend doing the best you can with thread or making a friend really fast of the costumer.

As quick fix otherwise I once gave out a gaff tape/duvitine combination (Duv Pro) tape to some shows to use for repairs. (Didn't know about the iron on concept, was more worried about the six inch parallel size of it showing up on the surface. This when stuck on the face of the drape - especially if cut into a other than rectangular shape might solve the problem or at least temporarially in later pulling off might pull off from it's strongest surface given the adhesive on the tape was not so much to stick well. DuvePro I had thought otherwise better for use in masking a short platform face.

Didn't find the results of the play test and I would still recommend a quick stitch. Gaffers tape does not work so well should you ever wish to really repair the drape. Been there, done that and that's where school educated tech people differ than roadies. Schools hopefull teach a whip stitch.

No offense if gaffers tape is to become the perminant fix - isn't there a perminant iron on seamer method also for this? But if on the other hand one wishes to sew the repair, gaffers tape is a really good way to trash the drape. This much less it often will stain it or by way of should it ever peel up or be removed, it does easily show up on the surface.

Guess it's time to also invest in a good set of scenery bumpers.

Anyone define what they are?


----------



## gafftaper (Mar 6, 2006)

Find someone with a really good sewing machine. I had a 20 foot wide drape with a bad cut in it. I found a mom of a student who was a hard core craft lady. She took my curtain home and sewed it up with her top of the line macine. 

Try you local college or university costume shop and see if they have someone with the equipment and skills to help you.


----------



## soundman (Mar 6, 2006)

I was working a load in for a show and one of the masking blacks had a large rip in it, the roadie grabed a can of spray adhisive and a piece of black fabric. sprayed the heck out of the peice of fabric then layed it over the tear, looked great in the air.


----------



## CHScrew (Mar 6, 2006)

If you go to any carpet where they do the install. Ask them for some carpet joint tape. They use it to glue the edges of two pieces of carpet together like in a dorway. It works swell.


----------



## jacobbiljo (Mar 7, 2006)

i agree with ship and so does the tech director. a iron on backing has already been tryed and i tore the remains of it off the curtain earlier this week, it held for about a month. The problem with getting out the needle and threat which i have already tryed is that its not just a straight cut , it has little off shoots running the same direction as the main tear and the edges of the tear are frayed, so a hand sewing job isnt very tidy because half an inch of fabric is lost to pulling the two peices together. The problem with befriending the costumer is that the costumer for our school is a cheque book and the local good will.


----------



## ship (Mar 9, 2006)

I would normally back a large cut or open cut with a scrap of drape. Sew it around the scrap than sew the cut to the scrap.

Normally I would also clean up the edges so they could not be seen. Adhesive or iron on between layers might be a good thing. 

This would normally be with a sewing machine. ON stage, perhaps sewing a scrap to the back might work sufficiently for the run than it could be removed afterwards and done better.


----------

