Appliqué is the process in which pieces of fabric are sewn or stuck together, and where beads, ribbons or similar are added to create a larger picture or pattern.

Burn out is a type of pattern for curtains where the pattern is achieved using a time-consuming burn out process. This takes advantage of the different chemical behaviour of various natural and synthetic fibres. Mixed fabrics/knitted fabrics made of polyester/cellulose are mainly used to produce burn out curtain fabrics. The pattern, which later appears transparent, is achieved by applying corrosive liquids or protective chemicals. These burn out the cellulose content of the fabric while the resistant chemical fibre remains unchanged. The durability and care properties of the base fabric remain fully intact during this process. This technique makes it possible to achieve attractive, large-scale breakthrough effects that create a particularly impressive effect when used to decorate large window spaces

There are blackout fabrics, which cut out 99 per cent of light with their coated fabrics. And there are dimout fabrics, which cut out 80 to 98 per cent of light with their closely woven decorative fabrics.

window, based on the institution of the Viennese coffee house. A rod is threaded through the top of the curtain and it hangs in soft folds. The finish is often arched and decorated with fringes.

Chenille is a fabric where a caterpillar-like yarn with protruding thread ends is used for the weft. In terms of look and feel, chenille is similar to velvet: It features high durability and insulating properties (keeping the warmth in). Chenille fabrics help reduce energy costs and improve a room’s acoustics as a decorative fabric.

ADO Cordon^® string curtains are made using (machine) crocheted yarns where the individual threads hang down loosely. This curtain fabric can be cut to the desired measurements and is used at trade fairs or exhibition rooms in professional settings. It is also suitable as a room partition. ADO Cordon^® keeps it shape particularly well and is characterised by a very flat drape. After trimming, the cutting edge remains smooth and flexible.

‘Crash’ is the German term commonly used to refer to material that is known as ‘crushed’ in English. When it comes to textiles, ‘crushed’ refers to synthetic fabrics that produce the desired wrinkled effect upon shrinking/pressing and thermal fixing or following chemical treatment. It is best not to use weight tape if you have a strong crash effect. You should not iron crushed fabrics; otherwise, the effect will be lost.

Cheesecloth is fine, web-like, transparent linen. As the name suggests, cheesecloth used to be used to strain whey during cheesemaking. Its transparency and fluid texture make it a very popular choice for making decorative curtains today. Its natural unevenness adds to the character of the fabric, which has a grainy feel and falls beautifully. Cheesecloth is white – it is often used in this colour, but it can be dyed as well.

The term ‘dip dye’ originally referred to a type of dyeing technique used to create harmonious colour gradients. The fabric is dipped into a bowl of dye, generally resulting in a dark shade on the dipped sections and a lighter colour at the other end of the material.  This dyeing technique has developed into a huge trend, not only in textiles, but also in hair styling, for example.

Double-weave fabrics are woven textiles that are (partially) interconnected to produce a two-layered cloth in a single process on the loom. When transparent double-weave fabrics are held up to the light, they reveal a beautiful and elegant moiré pattern.

Embroidered curtains may be classic, modern or anything in between. Embroidery patterns get special effects based on the base material selected, for example, organza, voile or special decorative stitching.

A double-rib fabric with knitted fabric that features a lace-like pattern, like a ‘broche’ relief design. The pattern vividly shows overlying accent colours in fine threads as a border or main pattern and finer pattern wefts as hues on the background of the net-like fine base fabric.

A fabric that can be used both as a curtain and a decorative fabric due to its fabric construction. It is more transparent and lighter than a decorative fabric and more tightly woven than a conventional curtain.

Jacquard fabric features a pattern that is woven onto the fabric and can only be produced on Jacquard looms. The technique is named after the inventor of the Jacquard loom, Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard. It enables this type of loom to individually raise warp threads, creating patterns at the fabric production stage. Modern looms and very finely woven yet very dense warp arrangements make it possible for extremely complex patterns to be created, including painted aquarelle effects.

Macramé is an Oriental knotting technique for making ornaments and textiles. The word ‘macramé’ comes from the Arabic word ‘miqrama’ and means ‘knotted veil’. Modern macramés make use of this look by reinventing the traditional technique and producing it in a new way. ADO macramés are knotted onto a water-soluble base fabric, which is washed away after the knotting process. Macramés are used for finishing window decorations, such as at the base or finish of a curtain.

A lightweight mesh for curtain fabrics in a leno weave, traditionally made of cotton; however, it is now produced using fibres of polyester.

Real organza is a very thin, transparent fabric made of silk in a linen weave with a slight stiffness. Due to improved light fastness and washability, this type of fabric is generally produced using synthetic filament fibres (polyester, for example), which bear a close resemblance to the look of real silk. Organza is very fine and more susceptible to wrinkling, meaning it can be damaged more easily. Displaced threads stand out more readily on the finely woven surface. The fabric is often used for elegant window decorations, decorative table runners and even decorative pillowcases.

Satin fabrics have a smooth and glossy surface, which is created using a special weaving technique (atlas weave). Any number of fibres (filaments) such as silk, viscose or polyester can be woven together to further increase the glossiness, although satins can be woven using any fibres. Weft atlas is a fabric with a very dense weft, which means that the weft fibres are pushed very closely together, making the warp threads virtually invisible. It results in an elegantly shiny, soft fabric with a very beautiful drape. The warp atlas is characterised by a very high warp density.

Scherli fabric mostly consists of a lightweight base fabric in which motifs are woven by following a specific pattern. These effect threads can be made of a fuller or other fabric and float between the motifs. The floating patterns are cut off at a later point using a special machine, resulting in motif borders with a fringe-like look.

Shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique that is more than 1000 years old. It was traditionally used for kimonos and is now also popular in Europe. By folding the fabric, tying it and sewing over, light patterns are created where the indigo dye can’t permeate the fabric. In the 70s it became popular as part of the hippie movement, and was known as “tie-dye”.

Taffeta is a high-end fabric despite the simple linen weave. It was originally woven using pure silk. Modern taffeta is produced using synthetic silk-like fibres such as polyester. The fabric is very dense and has a solid feel with a tendency to wrinkle in a fashion typical of taffeta. It has a characteristic plain, yet vibrant sheen that can be varied by changing the yarn colour.

French for ‘veil’. Voile is a light-weight fabric made of very highly twisted yarns that is used for curtains. Voile is a lightweight, semi-transparent, sheer fabric in a linen weave that was originally produced using rigid cotton yarns. Nowadays man-made fibres are generally used. The fabric is characterised by a grainy texture with good slippage resistance due to the rigid yarn weave. The benefits of voile fabrics lie in the flowing drape and resistance to wrinkling when compared to organzas.