June 22 2011 Newsletter

I am moving along quickly on completing the front of a shade for my Family Room. It is a pieced PhotoView shade of a tree on a tile background. I find myself sneaking downstairs to sew and really have to set a tight schedule with "Time-to-Sew Rewards" for getting other tasks completed. I am already planning my next project. We have beautiful views out all of our windows, so I haven't covered many with shades. However, the bathrooms really need to have the wood blinds replaced. All of the shades for these windows will be the Top-Down/Bottom-Up variety. Since my mind is already wrapped around this subject, I thought it would be the ideal topic for this newsletter.














Arts and Crafts Top-Down/Bottom-Up Shade





The first Top-Down/Bottom-Up (TDBU) shade I made for a client was for a stunning Master Bath remodel in Lone Tree, Colorado in 2005. I don't know what the rage is in your part of the world, but here in Colorado it is a large bathtub surrounded by windows. Unfortunately, the windows often look out onto the street or a neighbor's back yard. Hello postman and playing children! Don't mind me soaking in the tub with my glass of champagne. I'll pretend I don't see you if you do the same. I really don't want to bathe in the dark, so I'll leave my shades pulled up.

A Top-Down shade is a much better solution for this situation. The top drops down and the lower part of the window remains covered. If the shade also has a bottom-up function, you can raise the bottom of the shade, either all of the way up, or just enough to access the cranks to open the window. These shades also work great for windows onto the street, allowing light and views out the top of the window yet still offering privacy.

Nomenclature: a Roman shade is classified by "How it Opens". A Top-Down shade opens from the top, dropping down as it bares the window. A typical Roman shade is actually a Bottom-Up shade since it opens from the bottom and rises up as it bares the window.

A TDBU shade has two sets of operating cords. One set is used for the Top-Down function and the second set is used for the Bottom-Up function. I normally have a pull cord on each side of the shade, but you can have both cords exit the shade on the same side. I have lots of information on my web site about TDBU shades:

• Gallery of TDBU shades made by customers and myself
• Complete instructions on how to make a TDBU shade (as well as a Top-Down Only shade)
• YouTube video on TDBU shades
  

Using a Cord Lock on a Top-Down Bottom-Up Shade

A cord lock is a special hardware item that is attached to the mounting board of a Roman shade. It allows you to lock the shade into position without winding the lift cord around a cord cleat. The cord lock is located at the end of the mounting board on the side where the lift cords exit the shade. For a small piece of hardware, they are rather complicated. The cord goes between two rollers, one of which is notched. Swinging the lift cord from side to side allows the notched roller to hook into the cord and hold it in place. We sell these items in our online store and they come with a two-sided instruction sheet containing threading directions and troubleshooting tips.