We found that the JC Penney draperies were not very full (1.5X fullness instead of 2.5X); they were made with single hems, not double hems; and that the side hems were pillowcased and not anchored to the panel. This means that the lining will have a tendency to roll out, since it is not inset. In addition, the bottom hems were sewn in such a way that the stitches were very prominent and visible.

The JC Penney lining was very lightweight and was 70% polyester/30% cotton instead of being 100% cotton. There was no interlining, which will make silk draperies last much longer. Silk is easily damaged by exposure to sun, and we recommend that all silk draperies be interlined.

The JC Penney pinch pleats had only 3 inches of fabric in the pleat–while Calico makes their pleats using 6 inches of fabric. Their pleats were spaced 5.5" apart, while Calico pleats are spaced 3.5" apart.

So there is definitely a difference in quality! The JC Penney silk panels were less expensive than the custom panels from Calico, and they were also the lowest quality of all the panels purchased, in both weight of silk and construction details.

Compared to other sources, we were surprised to learn that the custom Calico silk draperies were LESS EXPENSIVE than silk readymades from Williams-Sonoma Home, Restoration Hardware and Ballard Designs–sometimes by half!

FYI, all fabrics are 20% off at most Calico Corners – Calico Home stores or online through March 26. Look for TITAN and DUPIONI styles for solid silks–they come in dozens of colors.

Custom labor is also on sale at 20% off so that you can have beautifully made silk draperies that will fit your windows perfectly. Calico also can make extra deep pleats in the case of very tall drapery panels, so that they are proportional to the windows.

Many things that look pretty good in a photograph may not be the desired quality when viewed up close. If you care about these things, caveat emptor!