Custom Sewing for the Entertainment and Event Industries

Custom sewing. It’s our passion, our bread and butter. It’s how we got started and what we live for. Our custom-sewn drapery products have graced the stages of many of the biggest names in music and theater, dressed some of the top fashion show runways, and brought color and drama to major trade show exhibits here and abroad.

We serve these main market areas: Theatrical Drapery Manufacturing, Touring Draperies for Concerts, and Custom Sewn Products for Special Events & Trade Show Exhibits. The portfolios below display many examples of our custom sewing work and may offer you some ideas on what’s possible with custom drapery.

Sewing Portfolios:
Theatre, Stage, and Backdrop Portfolio
Special Events Portfolio
Rock and Roll Portfolio

How to start with your project:

  1. Need ideas? Visit our various Portfolios below or our Flickr Gallery for past projects, and then review fabric choices.
  2. Check out our numerous Product Categories. Want some background information on drapes? Check other links below.
  3. Questions about your project? Call us at (310) 639-6000 or contact us online with questions or for a free quote.

Our Portfolios:
Draperies for Theatre and Stage
Sew What? Inc. specializes in theatrical drapery manufacturing, so your needs can all be filled with just one phone call. For professional theatres, schools, churches, universities and even cruise ships! We ship our drapes to U.S. and international theatres, providing both the draperies and the theatrical supplies needed including curtain track and hardware.

Touring Draperies for Rock & Roll Shows
Madonna, Don Henley, Sting, Foo Fighters; we have draped and masked stages for them and many others. Giant painted stage backdrops set the scene, masking hides tech areas from the crowd, borders dress the floating trusses to hide the lighting instruments, and skirting surrounds the stage and risers. Soft goods, as they are known to the “roadies”, are a major part of any touring set. Sew What? Inc. stocks hampers, curtain track, and other production supplies. Our staff and sewing machines can travel to shows or rehearsals. Production managers know about on-site emergencies and how Sew What? Inc. can help.

Draperies for Special Events & Exhibits
New model reveals, award shows, inaugural balls, and in exhibit hall displays. Fabric treatments are everywhere and so are Sew What? drapes. Browse through our online inventory of event related items available for order and their wide use. Digital printing and graphic design services are available also to make your event and exhibit truly one-of-a-kind.
Tension Fabric Shapes for creative event decoration.
Event Drapery Panels for Pipe and Drape Systems – choose from a wide selection of fabrics too.

custom sewing - made in the USA

More Drapery Information and Resources:

Theatrical Drapery Manufacturing Standards:
Pleating and Fullness – What is Fullness, and how will it look?
Top Finishes – Which top finish should I choose for my particular application?
Bottom Finishes – Which bottom finish is best for backdrops? What about velour drapes?

Learn About Stage Curtains and Their Uses:
Grand Drape (house curtain or act curtain)
Stage Backdrop (flat curtain, often used for theatrical scenery)
Traveler (often two overlapping curtain halves)
Tableau (Tab curtain, two curtains overlapping)
Contour (full curtain with vertical draw)
Austrian / Braille (front curtain, vertically lifted)
Teaser/Tormentors (horizontal and vertical masking pieces)
Legs / Border (for masking, additional stage depth)
Scrim (transparent stage curtain)
Cyclorama (Cyc, largest piece of scenery)

More questions? Check out our White Papers Overview for more information.

Please call us (310) 639-6000 with any specific drapery or special events product questions that you may have – we would love to assist you and do some additional research for you if necessary.