Curtain Masking Issues

Andy Haefner

Active Member
Hello, i'm new here at CB, i'm planning out a show in late march for my High School and we have this beautiful black velour 2 piece curtain which was purchased from a local theater years ago. I want to use it as a traveler but the problem i run into is that when it was originally purchased, they cut off one end about 5 feet to make it fit our stage, So if its hung on a batten for up/down movement it works, just the opening isn't centered. If i were to attach it to our traveler track, then one side would be off stage and another would be short. I suppose i just need the opinion of more experienced people, if i fold over one end to match the short end, would curtain legs be suitable for masking the edges? the only downside i see to this is that we don't have matching legs.
 
;)Go back in time and fold back the curtain instead of cutting it.

Assuming we are talking curtains with proper flame retardant in place:

Any chance you have an expert sewer that can cut the extra from the longer one and mend it all together? I bet there is someone in your area that could handle this professionally.

It seems like legs are a good option. If everything else on stage the same color as your legs, it won’t make a difference. If we are talking different Shades of Black, most won’t notice anyway, and you can always light to distract.
 
Last edited:
;)Go back in time and fold back the curtain instead of cutting it.

Assuming we are talking curtains with proper flame retardant in place:

Any chance you have an expert sewer that can cut the extra from the longer one and mend it all together? I bet there is someone in your area that could handle this professionally.

It seems like legs are a good option. If everything else on stage the same color as your legs, it won’t make a difference. If we are talking different Shades of Black, most won’t notice anyway, and you can always light to distract.
@Andy Haefner @AudJ With velour, be sure to keep track of knap up Vs. knap down. If you inadvertently end up with knap in both directions, you'll never get them to both appear the same color when lit. Personally, I'm voting with @AudJ 's 'time machine' camp.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
 
You COULD rig the traveler off-center, if you had enough track and wing space to allow the long side to travel all the way off (and the short side to travel extra far off, since it needs to travel the same distance as the long side).

um, or. . .

You could add a leg curtain to the short side of the traveler. If you overlap by one carrier, you'll likely never notice.
 
@Andy Haefner @AudJ With velour, be sure to keep track of knap up Vs. knap down. If you inadvertently end up with knap in both directions, you'll never get them to both appear the same color when lit. Personally, I'm voting with @AudJ 's 'time machine' camp.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
@Andy Haefner @AudJ @Van Let me tell you a sad tale of velour knap and misguided best intentions.
When Theatre Aquarius built their new space from the foundations up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1990, they shopped for three quotes on their lined main traveller / guillotine and all of their black velour masking. They received pricing from an established company in Montreal, Rose Brand in the U.S. and another established company in England. All three companies submitted fabric samples. To everyone's amazement, the British company had the best prices even after allowing for the greater shipping distance of the very heavy finished goods.
Included in the initial order were two, full-width, black velour travellers for mid and up stage, five borders and five pairs of legs plus the lined main drape, a flat, light blue, "cyc", a black scrim and an off-white scrim. All of the borders were sewn flat with pipe pockets on their lower edges, matte black grommets across their tops, black ties and a white tie indicating center. The legs had 2" lower hems with chain pockets on their up-stage sides raised a couple of inches above floor level to minimize wear and hang well. All legs and borders were ordered wide enough that they could either be hung flat with their ends turned back on the rear side OR be hung to drape with their fullness spread equally across their widths depending up the look any given set designer would want. A substantial quantity of matching black velour fabric was included with the initial order to permit a comparatively local seamstress to create any additional masking deemed necessary in the future. After the first year's operation, it was decided to order a sixth pair of black velour legs and the matching fabric was delivered to a local THEATRICAL curtain supplier for their creation. The comparatively local (Read: Toronto) THEATRICAL curtain supplier did reasonable work but used shiny brass grommets and delivered their pair of legs, one with the knap up and the other with the knap down. This rapidly became a huge pain and a running joke. It didn't matter where the sixth legs were hung, one of the pair ALWAYS stood out like a grey sore thumb the instant the work lights were dimmed out and the show lights faded up. I know less than zilch about fabric but I quickly learned the importance of the directionality of the knap when it comes to velour and theatrical masking draperies.
Bottom Line: DON'T be caught napping when it comes to your velour's knap.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back