How curtains are made
A pleating machine can work out how many folds a curtain gets from the cloth length typed into it.
- stations
- 8
- things upstream
- 22
- raw sources
- 9
- steps from the ground
- 8
The short version
Curtain cloth arrives on rolls and, in an automated plant, unwinds onto a table that spreads it flat and cross-cuts up to 4 layers at once. Rotary blades trim the selvedge, sewing heads run continuous hems, and a multi-needle machine folds evenly spaced pleats. Heading tape feeds in from a roller and is stitched across the back.
-
Unwind the rolls
Cloth comes in everything from silk to polyester to warp knit, often a cotton and polyester blend. An unwinder feeds up to 4 rolls at low tension while a motorized aligner keeps them square to the machine.
Goes in -
Cross-cut the lengths
An automatic table spreads the cloth and cuts it across, handling up to 4 layers at a time and widths up to 3.2 meters. A touch screen sets the length, speed and number of cuts.
-
Slit the selvedge
A lengthwise model uses 3 rotating blades to trim the woven edge and split the cloth along its length, cutting right along a thread.
-
Hem the long edges
Automatic units cut to length and hem in one continuous run. One drapery machine sews a decorative open stitch along cloth up to 900 mm wide.
up to 2 meters per minute on one hemming unit
Goes in -
Fold in the pleats
A multi-needle machine run by a programmable controller forms single or double pleats. Told the cloth length and finished width, it calculates how many folds to make, and a button switches the pleat type.
maximum 700 RPM on one pleater
Goes in -
Stitch on heading tape
A roller under the table feeds tape to the back of the pleated cloth, where it is stitched down. Wide-gauge machines handle 65 mm tape on cotton or velvet.
Goes in -
Tack the corners
An automatic machine sews small hidden tacks at the corners, and a binding attachment makes matching tie-backs from strips of cloth.
Goes in -
Fold and pack
Home furnishing lines end by folding and packaging the finished pieces.
Worth repeating
- Medieval English window coverings started as leather panels threaded onto iron rods.
- Mosaics from the second to sixth century show curtains hung from rods across arches.
Back to the ground
Follow every input upstream and curtains starts as these 9 raw sources.
Everything it is made of See it on the map
Open the whole family tree
Keep walking
Sources
Cite this page: "How curtains are made." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/curtain