How to Make Jabots

Jabot on cornice at window.

A jabot is a tapered drapery valance section that often is pleated to resemble soft folds. It hangs on either side of a swag, appearing like a continuation of the swag. The jabot is usually highly structured, which provides a formal look. Together, the swag and jabot often are used in front of full-length draperies. A jabot can be designed to contrast with the main drapery fabric to pick up on accent colors in the room.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Straight edge
• 1x3 boards
• Table saw
• Brad nailer and brads
• Kraft paper
• Scissors
• Drapery fabric
• Lining fabric
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Pins
• Iron and ironing board
• Staple gun and staples
• Hammer

Instructions

Assemble A Cornice Board

1. Measure the window's width and add at least 3 inches to each side for windows without trim, or 1 inch to each side outside the trim (for windows with trim).

2. 

   Cut two 1-by-3 boards to the length you determined in Step 1 for jabots mounted over blinds. For jabots mounted over drapes, use 1-by-4 or 1-by-5 boards to allow for drapes and rods. The photos here show painted wood, but the boards also can be wrapped in lining fabric as an alternative.

3. 

   Place one of the cut boards over the other board in an L shape. Take a small piece of 1-by-3 board, fit it against the L shape and mark it. To create end pieces, cut two 1-by-3 boards to length at the marked measurement.

4. 

   Nail the end pieces using a brad nailer.

5. 

   Nail the long piece using a brad nailer. Use a hammer to tap in any jutting nails. The finished cornice should look like a partial box.

Cut And Sew A Jabot

1. Divide the cornice width by three, as most jabots are about one-third the width of the cornice. Measuring from where the cornice will mount, divide the window's height by three. The cornice should mount about 3 inches above the window for windows without trim or 1 inch above the trim for windows with trim.

2. Determine the jabot's height. The side drop should be about one-third the height of the window. The inside center drop should begin below the intended depth of a swag. Generally, this is one-third to one-half the height of the side drop.

3. Determine the width of the pleat to be used on the jabot. Wider pleats (3 inches) are common on standard Colonial-style windows. Measure the cornice return: the distance from the front of the cornice board to the wall. For 1-by-3 boards, this is 3 inches. The side of the jabot does not pleat. Add a one-half to 1-inch wrap around the corner to the first pleat. If the pleat is 2 inches, then add 4 inches to where the return of the pleat starts. The sequence is 4 inches, fold back a 2-inch pleat, 4 inches, fold back the next 2-inch pleat, and repeat. The last measurement in the sequence is after a fold-back pleat, extend the next 4 inches to create the inside finished edge. This allows the inside of the jabot to extend beyond the last pleat.

4. 

   Mark the jabot's width on Kraft paper. Add one-half inch to each side for a seam allowance. Mark the height of the jabot's side. Add one-half inch to the bottom for a seam allowance. Add 1 inch to the top for a fold-over hem and room for staples. Draw the triangular jabot pattern on Kraft paper and cut the pattern.

5. 

   Cut the fabric and lining to the pattern. Reduce the lining width by 1 inch on each side so that the facing fabric will wrap the edge of the drape.

Sew and Assemble the Jabot

1. 

   Sew the sides of the fabric and lining together with right sides inward. This will make a tube. Invert the fabric tube and iron it so that the facing fabric wraps the sides evenly.

2. Invert the fabric so that the right sides are touching and sew the bottom, taking care to retain the fabric overlap. Invert the fabric and iron it again to make the bottom seam crisp and to reinforce the wrapped side edges. Sew a one-third-inch fold-over hem at the top.

3. 

   Pre-fit the jabot to the cornice board using pins and a ruler to establish the pleat sequence. Adjust the appearance to suit your needs. Pleats may be widened or narrowed once the visual appearance is checked. Pin the pleats.

4. 

   Iron the pleats. Staple the cornice return of the jabot to the top of the cornice board. Wrap the corner and staple the wrapped portion along the top front of the cornice board.

5. 

   Staple the pleats, using a small hammer to tap down staples as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• For unpainted cornice wood, you can staple a white lining directly to the cornice to clean up its underside appearance before you attach the swag and jabots. The measurements for this project will be easier if you create and fold a paper pattern first. This will also allow you to check the jabot's appearance at the window to correct for height or width issues.

References

• HGTV