Roman Shade Blog

January 11 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

PhotoView Technique

I am often asked to cover a window that has a beautiful view. Perhaps the client wishes they had a beautiful view. Pieced Roman shades can be designed to create a realistic view using simple straight-line sewing and off-the-shelf fabrics.

These two shades were made for a sunny bathroom. The homeowners collected art and were frustrated with this room, which had no wall space for paintings. They had just returned from a trip to Brazil, where they had taken many photographs of the landscape and old buildings. Reproducing two of those photographs on their windows seemed to be the perfect solution to their dilemma.

Many art quilters have perfected techniques to depict scenes. I am a collector of quilting books and like to take classes from innovative teachers. I modify and unify all of the information I've learned and end up with a technique that works best for me. My PhotoView technique creates a straight-line piecing pattern by simplifying an image into pie-shaped pieces.

I start with a photograph. Ideally, it is correctly proportioned for the window. This photograph was taken by my client, but I usually take my own picture with a point-and-shoot camera.

I use a simple computer drawing program (CorelDraw) to create a straight-line sketch that reproduces the image. You can even blow up the photograph and use tracing paper. I color in the drawing to make fabric selection easier.

I blow up the line drawing to full size. Sometimes I go to a copy shop that has a blueprint copier (up to 400% magnification and 3-foot wide paper). For my last shade, I printed out 16 legal-size sheets and taped them together. It actually worked just as well as the blueprint technique.

I lay freezer paper with the shiny side up on top of the drawing and trace the entire pattern. I cut the freezer paper into separate pieces and end up with "freezer-paper templates" for my design.

I iron the templates onto the wrong side of the fabric and add ¼" seams when I cut the pieces out. The pattern pieces are now sewn back together and create an exact replica of the full-size pattern. I trim and border the piece and make it into a Roman shade or wall hanging. You can see lots of examples of shades made using this technique in the Terrell's Shades section of my Gallery.

My Windows aren't Level

Sara S recently sent this message: "I am attempting to mount three valances over the three sections of my bay window. I used a level to make sure the boards are level, which they are. Well, it turns out that the windows are not level. The ceiling also is not level and it is at a very slightly different angle from the windows. What do I do?"

Many older (and not so old) houses have these "issues". If the house settles or the trim carpenter was in a hurry, your windows are probably not level. You need to stand back and decide what your eye will notice after the window treatments are hung. If the shade or valance is relatively close to the ceiling, I would mount them so that they are parallel with the ceiling. This will certainly work for a valance. If you are hanging a shade, you also need to check how it looks next to the window trim. I'd still place the board parallel to the ceiling and adjust the angle of the shade slightly using the Velcro if necessary. If the shade is being mounted well below the ceiling, I'd place the board so that it is parallel with the top trim of the window. Ultimately you have to say "Good enough!" and appreciate your unique home, even with its mismatched angles.

December 28 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-28T12:14:00.001-07:00

I love the holidays. My customers are busy with family and friends so our business slows down. I do the most sewing for myself in December. Luckily, this year was no different. I finally completed a pieced Roman shade for the bar area in our Family Room. The shade is made using freezer-paper templates. There are almost 1,000 pieces of individual fabrics sewn together to make the front fabric. You can see more photographs of this shade by clicking on the picture.

I'm sure you will enjoy seeing the photographs of some bedroom shades that were sent to me by a customer. The second article describes how you should join multiple panels of fabric for a wide shade.

Hybrid Mount Shades

These photographs show the two hybrid-mount Roman shades made by Alyssa T of Merion Station, Pennsylvania. She sent this message:

"Thank you for your website and all of the information on it. It was great to be able to order the supplies from you and they arrived so quickly. The hardest part for me was sewing on the rings. I finally hung it from my fireplace and sat on a chair or on the floor to sew them. Maybe you could add a video of how exactly you sew them. But I'm really happy with how it came out! And I love the velcro idea. So simple!

These were my first shades I've made. Not sure if it's beginners luck or more likely all your helpful advice on the website, but they came out just about perfect!"

Alyssa used a hybrid mount for her Classic Roman shades. This means that the shades are made the same size as the window trim and mounted on the trim. This was a great choice since she also has inside-mount cellular shades. You can see larger photographs of Alyssa's shades by going to the Gallery Section of my web site

Joining Fabric Widths

If the required Cut Width of your fabric and/or lining is wider than the width of your fabric, you will have to join two or more fabric widths. Standard practice is to place one full width in the center of the shade and two smaller widths on each side. This is shown in the drawing above. If you will have a lift line running down the center of the shade, it is okay to have a center seam instead. I use a 1/4" seam and press to one side. Don't press the seam open since you might see light through it.

What if your fabric is just a little bit narrower than your shade? Let's say you are making a 56" wide shade and your fabric is 54" wide. It will look pretty silly having a 1" panel on each side of your shade. That will also make sewing your side seams very difficult. I like to have at least 6" side panels. For a 56" wide shade, I would use 6", 44" and 6" panels. That adds up to 56". When you cut the panels, you have to add in the seam allowances. If everything were perfect, the side panels would be cut 7.25" wide (6" + 0.25" seam + 1" side seam ) while the center panel would be cut 44.5" (44" + 0.25" seam + 0.25" seam) wide. However, fabric never sews up perfectly. I cut the center panel to the exact size (44.5" in this case) and I add at least 1-inch to each side panel. That way, if my seam doesn't press completely flat or my one-quarter inch seam is a little bit more than one-quarter inch, my completed front panel won't be too small. After sewing the side seams and pressing the seams out, I put a straight pin at the center of the panel at both the top and bottom of the shade, measure out half the distance for the cut panel (58"/2 = 29" for our example) and trim the excess fabric at each side.

An even easier way to do this is to fold the panel vertically so that the two side seams are laying on top of each other. Measure over half of the cut-width (29" in our example) and trim both sides with one cut.

I use the same rules when joining widths for the lining. However, if I can turn the lining side-ways and "bury" a seam in the hem, I do that. I still use a 1/4" seam and press to one side.

December 14 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Black Toile Shades

This photograph shows three of the seven Roman shades made by Linda M of Mundelein, Illinois, USA. She sent this message: "Although I am an advanced garment sewer, I had never attempted shades. Your clear and concise directions gave me the confidence to tackle the 7 windows in my living room."

Linda continued: "I think they turned out beautifully. I ventured into adding a lower border with a braid insertion."

Linda made a "practice" shade for her Powder Room before making these seven shades. Since she had never made window treatments before, that was a very worthwhile activity. You can see more photographs of Linda's shades by going to the Gallery Section of my web site

InstallationTips

I recently had a question from a customer about installing Roman shades on high windows. I install all of my shades myself. The one exception is if I don't have a ladder that is big enough to reach the top of the window where the mounting board will be attached. In that case, I hire a professional installer.

The "standard" installation method requires crawling under the shade to get at the mounting board. This is because the "standard" construction method staples the shade to the board. I did this only one time and switched to using Velcro to attach the shade to the board. This is a little more expensive (Velcro costs more than a few staples) but dramatically changes the installation experience.

The easiest way to install a shade made with Velcro at the top is to attach the mounting board to the wall or window, partially mate the shade to the board and then string the cords through the flat pulleys or screw eyes. Many of my clients request a cord lock pulley for their shades. Although you can string the cords through the cord lock while standing on a ladder, it is easier to do it on your work table. I cut the lift cords a few yards longer than required so that I can pull the shade off the mounting board and lay it on that little shelf on my step ladder with the cords still threaded through the hardware.

Your window may be so high that you need an extension ladder to reach the top of the window. You can still use this method, but now you need a helper to hold the shade. Make sure to add enough extra lift cord so that it is not pulled out of the hardware. I have even done this alone by placing a couple of chairs under the window to hold the shade. I really hate to ask a client to help me with installation.

This is a great method to use when hanging a Top-Down/Bottom-Up shade. All of the cords can be confusing and pre-stringing your shade on your work table or floor makes installation a lot easier.

November 23 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-13T08:20:00.001-07:00

What Size Lift Cord should I Use?

We offer lift cord in three diameters: 0.9 mm, 1.4 mm and 1.8 mm. That gives you options, but also means you have to decide which is the correct lift cord size. The Hardware Calculator tells you the required yardage but not the diameter of cord required for your shade. In general, I use the 1.4 mm white lift cord for all of the shades I make. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule.

You have to consider the entire "package" of your particular shade: number of lift cords, weight of fabric, cord drop type, and any hardware limitations. I have just added a new page in the FAQs Section that will help you choose the correct size cord for each shade.

Many of you purchase the lift cord at a local store so let's talk about the other properties the cord must have. It has to be resistant to ultraviolet light, e.g. 100% polyester. Don't use nylon cord (like fishing line) or a cotton/poly mix. The cord should be tightly woven which prevents abrasion and stretching.

Great Room and Kitchen Roman Shades

Sharon C of Bee Cave, Texas USA sent this photograph of the Roman shades she made for her Great Room. The outside mount shades are used for insulation, decoration and to help darken the room. They are hung just under a soft cornice for a more formal look.

Look closely at the photograph. Sharon made TWO sets of Roman shades for each window. The cream-colored inside-mount light filtering Roman shades have button holes at the top so she could feed the cords to the front of the blind. This eliminates "fishing" for the cord. This solution is described in detail in the FAQs/Variations on Roman Shades Section of the website.

Sharon also made a shade for her kitchen. She commented: "I love how the Kitchen shade turned out. I wanted to add some creative element to the Roman shade and decided on a scallop with trim and a tassel in the middle." You can see more photographs of Sharon's shades by going to the Gallery Section of my web site

November 11 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

It has been an extremely busy 5 weeks. So busy, in fact, that I did not write the October 26th Newsletter. I mentioned briefly in my October 12th Newsletter that we were moving our warehousing/packing operation. On October 7th I learned that the Fulfillment House that has been doing a great job of packing and shipping our orders was closed, perhaps due to a gas leak or other safety issue. The next day we learned that the business had been seized by the State of Colorado for non-payment of taxes. They packed and shipped items for over forty companies, whose inventory was now locked up. It took 2 weeks to get into the building. Meantime I set up temporary packing operations in my garage. Talk about a giant step backwards. We're finally up and running in a new location. We're still a bit disorganized and are taking a few more days to fulfill orders. Every day things get a little better and I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've been running this small business since 1994. It allows me great flexibility to do the things I enjoy. I've been thrilled with the growth, particularly over the last three years. But let me tell you, that growth has resulted in many sleepless nights. One just has to keep adapting to new Safety regulations, changing operations, new technology, and new competition. Each challenge that is overcome, results in a feeling of accomplishment. Now if I could just find some time to sew.

Readers' Roman Shades

I am always so pleased when a reader takes the time to send me photographs of her shades. These pictures were sent by Sherry L who lives in the Pacific Northwest. She wanted to maximize the light coming into her kitchen which is on the north side of her home. She also wanted to keep the beautiful molding. Sherry came up with a great solution by using a hybrid mount. The mounting board is attached directly on the top window molding just below the curved portion. The width of the shade was made as if it were an Inside mount. This is a great solution to her situation. Windows are so much fun. Each and every one is unique. You can see a photograph of the entire room by going to the Gallery Section of my web site.

Shawn M of Sparta, New Jersey USA sent this photograph of her first Roman shade project. She used a heavy decorator fabric and did a great job of centering the pattern. She is now embarking upon making five shades for her Family room: 4 windows and a sliding glass door. I hope she sends photographs once she is done with them. You can see a photograph of the entire room by going to the Gallery Section of my web site.

Comment on Prior Newsletter

I got a cute comment from a reader of my September 28th Newsletter.

Dear Terrell, I want to thank you so very much for your web site and all your info in the newsletter. I just finished two Roman shades for our new home, with your help...one on a French door in a bedroom and one on an awning window in the bathroom, using your hardware and battens. I used rip stop fabric to keep with the nautical feel so you are able to see the battens. These being my first shades, I was disappointed until I read over your story about Europe and the pictures that show the battens in France.....what fun! Thank you so very much....if the French can do it....well so can I. Keep up your fabulous work....we love it...you're the greatest! Barbara S .

October 12, 2011 Tips from Terrell Newsletter

2011-10-26T16:14:00.003-06:00

We had our first snow last weekend. I actually enjoyed staying indoors, cooking soup and reading in front of the fire. It is now back in the 70's, which is perfect. A little taste of winter is more than enough this time of year.

We are in the process of changing our warehousing, packing and shipping location. This was rather a sudden decision that I will write more about later. For now, it might take a few days longer to receive an order. Also, since I am spending a lot of time on the transition, I'm way behind answering E-Mail questions. Just when I thought that things were running so smoothly that I was getting bored … Sigh.

Mock-Roman Shade Valance

A Mock-Roman Shade is a cross between a Window Valance and a Roman shade. It is also called a Faux Roman shade or a Stationary Roman shade. It looks like a fully raised fabric blind, but does not operate. I have received so many requests for instructions on how to make this window treatment that I have added an entire Instruction Section to my web site. These instructions are for a Mock-Roman shade with two stationary "flaps". This gives a nice full look with the minimum of fabric. You will fix the two flaps so that an inch of fabric shows below the bottom flap and also between the first and second folds.

As you can see from this drawing of the back of a Mock-Roman Valance, there is very little hardware required for a Mock-Roman Valance. You need a board, screw eyes, lift rings and several yards of lift cord, or even string. Once your shade is made, you fold it up, string the cord through each column of two lift rings and tie it to the bottom ring and the screw eye.

The online directions aren't quite finished. I have done the math for you and provided tables showing unfolded shade length for each folded Stackage as well as listed the hardware requirements for all sizes of valances. The section should be finished in November.

Simple Roman Shades

SN of Boynton Beach, Florida, USA sent this photograph of her beautiful Classic Roman shade. Her striped valance, which she made by joining different fabrics, really finishes off the room and coordinates perfectly with her bed linens.

You can see a larger photograph of her shade in the Gallery Section of the web site.

PL of Houston, Texas, USA sent photographs of her shades. These simple Roman shades made out of linen and lined with Thermalsuede work perfectly in this beautiful dining room.

You can see more photographs of her shades in the Gallery Section of the web site

September 28 2011 Newsletter

2011-09-29T12:09:00.001-06:00

I've been back from France for two weeks. It was a wonderful trip with great weather, lots of bicycling and time sharing the experience with friends. After a brutal week with jet lag, I now feel refreshed and energized.

I did manage to examine the window treatments as we moved across the country. I saw lots of Roman shades. They were all custom-made with fabric, but there was very little hand-sewing going on, even with the lift rings. One set of shades had tiny lift rings with little cloth loops that were sewed to the shade at the batten pocket. Another set had lift rings with clips that slipped on to the battens. The bottom rings were hand sewn. Now I just need to find those clips.

Reflections on French Window Treatments

Southwest France was full of lace and sheer fabrics on the windows. The public rooms often had no window treatments at all, or simple sheer Roman shades. Many of the homes that we pedaled past had stationary lace panels on the ground floor windows. Almost every hotel room we stayed in had lightweight Roman shades for subtle privacy combined with heavy drapes for total privacy and darkness. The shades were unlined and made with linen or sheer fabric. They all had another thing in common: battens in pockets on the Up Folds (where the lift rings are sewn) and no battens on the Down Folds. I did find myself dressing the Down Folds when I raised the shades to look at the gorgeous view.

This shade was in the Breakfast Room of our first hotel in Libourne. It is a large unlined Roman shade covering a double sliding door that is made with a horizontally-striped sheer fabric. This photograph shows the front of the shade early in the morning. You can see the battens shadowing through the shade.

The plastic battens were inserted into pockets on the back of the shade. You can see the batten pockets in this photograph of the back of the shade.

A close-up of the back of the shade shows the pocket and also the lift ring. The batten pocket was made by simply folding the fabric back and making a small horizontal tuck. I have directions in a Blog entry on this technique. It is a great way to make an unlined shade with battens.

This photograph shows a close-up of the lift ring. It has a small loop of fabric that passes through the ring. This fabric loop is sewn to the shade while making the batten pocket. Clever!

Lift Rings with Clips

Our hotel in Les-Eyzies-De-Tayac had simple unlined linen shades with both a back tucks for the battens and larger decorative front tucks.

I can't tell you how often I get calls or e-mails asking if I have a source for lift ring/batten-clip combinations. These lift ring/batten clips were simply pushed onto the batten pocket on the back of the shade. I really don't see any advantage of this option over the lift ring with the fabric loop. Since you are already sewing pockets, you might as well attach the rings at the same time.

Since the rings clip onto the back, they couldn’t be used for the bottom row. The bottom rings carry all of the weight of the shade when it is raised. A clip would pull off so the bottom row of rings were sewn on. These bottom sew-on lift rings had a slit at the top. You tie a knot in the lift cord and then pull the cord up into the slot. You can also see the weight rod in this photograph. I pulled it out from the side of the shade. It is an aluminum slat. The end of the pocket had a narrow strip of Velcro that held the pocket closed. I'm guessing that was so the slat can be removed for laundering. The battens were just inserted into the pockets, so they could easily be removed also.

What I did NOT see in France: I saw no internal wood shutters, wood blinds, mini-blinds or cellular shades. These are what I call "manufactured" shades and are usually made in China. Our American homes are full of these products. When I think about hotel rooms in the United States, I recall double or even triple draperies that provide filtered light, blackout conditions and lots of color. I don't remember any US hotel room using Roman shades. I also didn't see any cord lock pulleys in France, just cord cleats. In some cases, as is shown in this photograph, there were two cleats spaced about 6-inches apart. The pull cord was looped around both cleats. This works well on a long window since there is lots of cord when the shade is raised.

Another thing I did not see was any evidence of child-proofing the exposed cords. There was no cord shroud, cordless shades or even continuous loop systems with the loop attached to the wall. In fact, I found only one continuous loop shade and the loop was hanging beside the shade.

September 14, 2011 Newsletter

2011-09-23T05:20:00.001-06:00

I have an advanced degree in Physics. Who would have guessed that would be of benefit in designing Roman shades. Perhaps one of the reasons I have gravitated towards this particular window treatment is due to the requirement for both math and mechanical skills. Every window is different and I thoroughly enjoy figuring out how to cover each situation with a stunning Roman shade. A day seldom goes by that I don't get to give advice to a home sewer on designing her shades. What a fun way to run a business. Today's articles concentrate on one very important design aspect: Stackage, which is the length of the fully-raised shade.

When you receive this Newsletter, I'll be bicycling around the Dordogne Valley in France with my husband and eleven other couples. The wonders of technology allowed me to write the articles in early September then set up an E-Mail Campaign to send out this Blast on September 14th. And yes, I'll be checking out the window treatments at each and every hotel and restaurant.

Stackage for Roman Shades

Stackage is a very important property of a Roman shade. Stackage is defined as the length of the shade when it is completely raised. When I work with an Interior Designer, they always specify the Stackage. Our online Hardware (and Folding) Calculator helps you determine the Fold Size of your shade. It does that by asking for the Shade Length and the Ideal Stackage. It then attempts to fold the shade such that your Actual Stackage will be equal to your Ideal Stackage. Have I lost you yet? Let's look at some pictures.

This first photograph shows a Bay Window. The inside length of the windows (and also the shades) is 46 inches. The Stackage is 10 inches. There are 6 folds (3 up-folds and 3-down folds), or 3 flaps. Since the shades are mounted inside of the window, the longish Stackage blocks a fair amount of the view. Still, I really like the fabric and I think the window treatment looks balanced for these windows.

This second photograph shows two corner windows. The inside length of the windows and shades is once again 46 inches. This time the Stackage is 7.75 inches. These shades have 10 folds, or 5 flaps. That is one of the major trade-offs with a shorter Stackage. You will have more folds.

Usually you will add at least one flap (which is two folds) to be able to raise the shade by one more inch. As you add folds, the shade tends to protrude from the window. These shades are mounted on windows that have a shallow space in front of the glass. The shade folds back into the window opening. If the opening were deeper, as is the case with the bay windows pictured in the first photograph, the shades would have stacked out of the way. You can read more about Stackage in the Measure and Sketch your Pattern Section of my web site.

Designing your Custom Shades

All windows are unique, which means making a truly custom Roman shade makes great sense. I recently got these questions from a customer who was in the designing phase of her project.

I have decided to tackle my living room 'bay window' with inside mount Roman blinds and have a few questions. The windows are as follows: left and right: 16" wide x 46.5" high; center: 61" wide x 46" high; these are set at right angles to each other forming a rectangle 'alcove' about 3' deep. The house was built in 1928 and nothing is uniform or square!

Question 1: For the center window, how crucial is it to make the mounting board 60.75"? Can't I get away with 60" and therefore use a standard 5' length board? The mounting board is usually cut 0.25" shorter than the Finished Width of the Shade. The shade overlaps the board by a mere 1/8-inch on each side. If a 61" shade is mounted on a 60" board, it will overlap the board by ½-inch on each side. That will work just fine, but the lifting hardware (pulleys and cord lock) will be further in from the edge of the shade. Remember that you have to hold the cord and swing it in or out to engage or release the cord lock. It is particularly important in this case to make the mounting board first and use the actual position of the pulleys to mark the location of the lift rings.

Question 2: The internal battens theoretically need to be 60.5". Can't these also be 60" long? Will an extra 1/4" less on each end of the battens create issues with the hang of the folds? It is recommended that the internal battens be cut 0.5" shorter than the Finished Shade Width. The battens are available in 2-foot, 3-foot, 4-foot and 5-foot lengths. If your shade is wider than 60", you purchase extra battens and use batten splints to join multiple units to achieve the required length. This customer requires battens that are only 0.5" longer than a standard size. If she uses 60" battens, they will stop 0.5" from each edge of the shade instead of the recommended 0.25". The main concern is that you sew the lift rings "around" the battens. Since the mounting board will also be a bit short, the outside columns of lift rings will already be further in from the edge.

Question 3: I was thinking of using a 7" Stackage. The shades should have a Stackage closer to 10" but I think that would be too much on the narrower windows. I don't want to lose any more view than necessary. What do you think? I played around with the Hardware Calculator using the shade sizes. I had trouble getting a Stackage of 7" without having a very large number of folds. I did get a Stackage of 7.75" with 10 folds, or a Stackage of 9" with only 6 folds. The comment "should have a Stackage closer to 10 inches" refers to the recommendation that you start with a Stackage of 15% to 20% of the Finished Length of the Shade when doing your design.

I ALWAYS draw the windows to scale when designing shades. After getting several Stackage options using the Hardware Calculator, I draw in the fully raised shades. The drawing above depicts the shades with the shorter Stackage of 7.75". The drawing below depicts the shades with the longer Stackage of 9". I had so much trouble telling the two apart that I placed the two narrower windows side by side. That drawing is at the beginning of this article. What would you do? If it were me, I'd go with the 9" Stackage since there will be fewer battens and lift rings. Six folds versus ten folds wins out for me.

August 24 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-31T11:16:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that summer is almost finished. The last three months seem to have flown by. It is all a blur of outdoor activities and heat. I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures of autumn. I'm even thinking about the possibility of a future snow storm when I'll be holed up at home surrounded by the peace and quiet of high drifts of snow. I do love the change of seasons, particularly as we are about to move into a new one.

My husband and I went to the Denver-area Parade of Homes last weekend. Four of the houses were patio homes; which means they have very small yards. The new trend is to have an interior courtyard that adds outdoor living space away from the eyes of the neighbors. Outdoor dining rooms were prevalent. These were usually a covered area with several walls of glass-less "windows" with a sunscreen that raised and lowered. Now I wonder if you could add Roman shades made with Sunbrella fabric.

Writing this Newsletter allows me to share some of the correspondence and photographs I receive from customers. I appreciate the ingenuity and artistic ability of do-it-yourselfers (is that a word?). I think you will enjoy today's articles about Decorative Rod Roman shades and installing shades over wood blinds.

Decorative Rod Roman Shades

You may have seen those shades that hang from a decorative rod yet operate as Roman shades. Now how do they do that? The lift lines that are used to pull the shade up and down have to somehow be threaded along a headrail and out one side. But you cannot see any cords at the top of the decorative rod. One of my customers was so kind to send me the photographs and an explanation of his joint project with his wife.

TC of Richardson, Texas sent photographs of the shades his wife made. TC, a retired engineer, figured out the installation aspect of these great shades. He placed a 1x2 board with the lifting hardware under the wrought iron rod. The shade hangs from the rod using decorative rings and the lift cords are strung through the pulleys on the 1x2 board. You can see larger photographs and more tips about making this type of shade inthe FAQs Section of my web site.

Roman Shades over Wood Blinds

Lynne L of Everett, Washington made nine Roman shades to cover the wood blinds in her condominium. Adding outside-mount fabric shades is a great way to soften your rooms and add color and character. It's a little difficult to see in this photograph, but the wood blind is mounted inside the window opening. The fabric Roman shade is mounted on the wall above the window.

Lynne sent this message: "I had never made Roman shades but have always admired them. When I moved into my new condo, I had blinds installed for privacy but I wanted an additional window treatment that would darken the room when needed for sun protection and for sleeping, and would act as a valance since I couldn't have draperies (I have baseboard heaters under each window) so Roman shades made sense. You can read the rest of Lynne's comments and see all of her shades in the Gallery Section.

August 10 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-11T09:22:00.005-06:00

The intense heat has continued for the last two weeks. It appears that a lot of you are spending your days inside sewing window treatments. I have received lots of photographs of completed Roman shade projects. The first article features pictures from three home sewers of their very professional shades.

I wish I could say that I am among those who finished a sewing project. As much as I had hoped to complete a very complicated pieced shade, life has definitely interfered. We always get house guests in the summer since Colorado is so beautiful this time of year. That is a wonderful diversion and I love to share our home with friends and family. My husband and I have also been traveling to visit our grown kids who have had a need for an extra pair of hands. We can go months without a hiccup and then have multiple "events" occurring the same week. Go figure. August looks like it will be relatively quiet. Right now I am cleaning up bits and pieces of incomplete items on my web site. Perhaps I can get back to sewing next week.

Three Great Sets of Roman Shades

It is really fun to see the fabric choices for Roman shades. This is the year of large prints. Blue has taken the place of green as the color of choice. Neutrals are tending towards taupe and away from gray.

CG of Yorba Linda, California sent photographs of the shades she made for the French doors leading out to her back yard. Roman shades work so well on French doors. They are mounted directly on the door. This very large Nouveau print is so striking on the white over-sized doors. You can see more photographs of these shades in the French Door Shades Gallery.

MC of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania made these elegant taupe and cream shades for a bedroom. She used a Hybrid Mount, which means the shade covers the window trim. She mounted the shades just below the decorative top window trim. The shades will drop to the window sill when lowered. You can see a larger photograph of these shades in the Outside Mount Shades Gallery.

She sent this message along with the photographs: "Though I have a lot of sewing experience, these are my first window treatments (thanks to your directions/store). One note is that if you're doing side-by-side treatments with a large pattern they really need to line up or it could look funny. For beginner sewers or other first timers I recommend not selecting a stripe, really large pattern; it's much harder to work with." MC did a great job of lining up the pattern across the two windows.

WM of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania made two sets of French door shades for an Eating Nook. I love the paint in this room. I'm guessing that she started with the fabric because the paint perfectly matches the shades. The walls are taupe, the outside trim of the doors is lime green and the doors themselves are light blue. Very, very nice. I can just see myself eating breakfast in this room.

You can see a larger photograph of these shades in the French Door Shades Gallery.

Videos on How to Make Roman Shades

I have a growing library of videos dealing with making Roman shades. I finally added all of them to the web site. I thought it would be useful to summarize the contents of each video. These are overviews only and are meant to complement the extensive step-by-step directions in the Instructions Section. It is very helpful to watch the overview videos first. Here is a summary:

Make a Classic Roman Shade

Part 1 (9 minutes 32 seconds): why you should use internal battens, good lining and a weight rod; using the Hardware Calculator to create your own Roman shade pattern
Part 2 (4 minutes 7 seconds): how to cut out your front fabric and lining, sew hems and sew side seams
Part 3 (5 minutes 21 seconds): how to close the top of the shade using Velcro and glue internal battens
Part 4 (4 minutes, 47 seconds): how to turn your shade right-side out, mark the lift ring locations and string the lift cord through the lift rings

Make a Top-Down/Bottom-Up Roman Shade

Part 1 (3 minutes, 44 seconds): how a TDBU shade works, using the Hardware Calculator to determine the folds, allowing for the TDBU hardware at the top of the shade
Part 2 (4 minutes, 55 seconds): how to cut out your front fabric and lining, sew hems and sew side seams and make the top pocket of your shade
Part 3 (6 minutes, 10 seconds): how to add internal battens, turn your shade right-side out, sew on lift rings, insert the weight rod, string the lift cords and attach the valance to the headrail

How to Make a Roman Shade Headrail

Part 1 (4 minutes, 55 seconds): inside or outside mount decision, assemble your parts, cover board with muslin
Part 2 (6 minutes, 45 seconds): where to place hardware for an inside-mount or an outside-mount shade, attach hook Velcro and flat pulleys, brief demonstration of using a tandem flat pulley and threading a cord lock pulley, Top-Down/Bottom-Up headrail

Safety Issues for Roman Shades

Understanding Safety Standards for Roman Shades (9 minutes, 43 seconds): how the Second Provisional Corded Window Treatment Safety Regulations apply to YOU including labeling requirements, cord shrouding requirements, operating cord requirements
Adding Cord Shroud to Existing Shade (10 minutes, 5 seconds): how to make your old Roman shade safer by using a simple cord shroud to eliminate strangulation hazards of the cords on the back of the shade
Child-Proof Exposed Lifting Cord (8 minutes, 54 seconds): how to attach cord shroud to your shade. This is the ONE new added construction step required for a safety-compliant Roman shade.

Miscellaneous Videos

Double Roman Shades (9 minutes, 32 seconds): how to make two shades on one mounting board with a front fabric shade and a back sheer shade; how to make a sheer Roman shade
How to Make a Window Valance (5 minutes, 15 seconds): how to cut out your front fabric and lining, sew hems and side seams and close the top of the valance with loop fastener. How to make side tucks to assure crisp corners for an outside-mount valance that has a Return.
Add Internal Battens (1 minute 15 seconds): a very simple way to fix your shade folding problem

Pieced Roman Shades

Pieced Roman Shades Part 1 (5 minutes, 5 seconds): Terrell explains the concept behind pieced Roman shades and shows various patterns that work well as window treatments. Shades that are shown include Log Cabin, Four Diamond, Bargello and GardenView (a watercolor technique) patterns.
Pieced Roman Shades Part 2 (6 minutes, 6 seconds): A demonstration of the PhotoView technique used for a pieced Roman shade or wallhanging.
Four Diamond Shades (9 minutes, 27 seconds): how to make the Four-Diamond pieced Roman shade pattern.

All of these videos are easily access on the web site on the Video Clips page.

July 27 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-02T14:45:00.002-06:00

A large portion of the United States has been suffering with 90 to 100-degree temperatures. We have had several weeks with highs in the 90's. Fortunately, we drop down to the low 60's at night in Colorado, so only half of the day is unbearably hot. This is the time of year when I am reminded of an important function of a Roman shade. It is an excellent insulator against both heat and cold. Lowering your shades during the day provides great protection from the sun's heat. I once placed a thermometer behind a shade hanging in a southwest window. It was 124-degrees in the space between the shade and the window. The room was a comfortable 73-degrees. The shade was lined with ThermalSuede, which was developed as a dim-out insulating drapery lining. Try to keep cool and lower those shades.

Linen Roman Shades

RAA of Newport News, Virginia made these great shades for her kitchen. They are made with spearmint-green linen and lined with ThermalSuede.

The linen fabric creates a great effect when the sun shines through the shades. You can see the nubby texture and also the internal battens. I often get calls or e-mail messages from customers who are concerned that the battens will shadow through the fabric. I personally like the effect and think it adds to the beauty of the shade.

She sent this message along with the photographs: "I love my new shades. Thank you for instructions on making Roman shades. This was my first Roman shade-making project. They turned out great!" Well, I am truly impressed that RAA tackled such a wide expanse of windows for her first project.

When the shades are pulled up, they mostly disappear into a gathered Valance she placed at the top of the window opening.

RAA ordered hardware from our online store. She purchased plastic battens, weight rods, flat pulleys, cord lock pulleys, hook and loop fastener, lift cord and cord drops. That means that she got her lining, mounting boards and lift rings elsewhere. She spent $200 on the items she ordered from us. If we add in $20 for the boards and lift rings, $45 for the ThermalSuede lining and $60 for front fabric (4 yards at $15/yard), the total for the four shades comes to $325. I priced out similar shades on a popular custom shade web site with linen front fabric, ThermalSuede lining, tucks in the folds and a standard lift system. The four shades (46" x 40", 50" x 40", 24" x 40", 24" x 40") came to a total of$1,237. That's a savings of $912. I'm sure that you will agree that her shades look like they were professionally made.

You can see larger photographs of RAA's shades in our online Gallery.

Lift Ring Column Spacing

A Frequently Asked Question is "How do I know where to put my lift lines (vertical columns of lift rings)?" or a variation on that question "How far apart do I space my lift lines?" If you use the Online Hardware Calculator, it will give you the number of lift lines. "You simply space them evenly across the mounting board." Of course, that is the type of statement that drives me crazy. What does evenly mean? Where do I place the outside cords: at the edge of the shade, 1-inch inside the edge? Let's get a little more specific.

Many directions for Roman shades tell you to sew the lift rings onto the back of the shade before you make the headrail and to place the outside column of rings about 1-inch in from each edge of the shade. You then have to very carefully measure your mounting board and place your flat pulleys or screw eyes in the exact location of the lift rings. I find it is a whole lot easier to make the headrail first and use it to mark the location of the lift rings. That way they line up perfectly with the lifting hardware. I have detailed directions in the Instructions Section of my web site on how to make your headrail and use it to mark the location of the lift rings.

But wait, I still haven't explained how to decide where to put the flat pulleys or screw eyes on the mounting board. This determines the spacing and location of the vertical rows of lift rings and the lift cord. Okay, you know the number of lift lines, because the results were given by the Hardware Calculator. Now what? First you attach the outside pulleys on each side of the board. I place them so that they are just inside of the edge, about 1/32nd of an inch. If you have an odd number of lift lines, you will also have a flat pulley in the center of the board. If you have an even number of lift lines, the placement is a little more difficult, assuming you want to be exact. Let's say you have N lift lines. That means that you have (N-1) spaces between the lift lines. First you measure the distance D between the center of the two outside pulleys. Then you divide that distance by (N-1). That is the spacing between the flat pulleys.

Now on to the way I actually do it. I screw on the two outside flat pulleys. Then I lay the remaining flat pulleys on the board and move them until they look evenly spaced. Since I am using the actual pulleys to mark the ring locations, they don't have to be perfectly spaced apart by D/(N-1).

July 13 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-20T15:31:00.002-06:00

I was in an acquaintance's bathroom a few days ago. They had an inexpensive Roman shade on the window. I always thoroughly investigate other people's blinds to see how they are made. Maybe I'll come up with new ideas. This shade was obviously purchased in a Big Box store. It was made with muslin, unlined and pulled up crooked. I thought it looked cheap, which it probably was. On the plus side, it did have slats in the fold lines. A Roman shade is a good choice for tight spaces. My second article touches on using this treatment in the window over a kitchen sink.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not usually critical of window treatments. I'm intrigued about how blinds operate, love embellishments such as fringe and rivets and I'm impressed with fine workmanship. I often wish I had taken a photograph of an interesting shade when I am trying to recall details. If you come upon a lady half-way behind a shade with a pad of paper sketching away, don't call Social Services. It might be me!

Cord Shroud

I recently got this Comment on my YouTube video which shows how to add cord shroud to an existing Roman shade to make the back exposed lift cords child-safe: "What am I missing? How are these cords inaccessible? You can pull them right out of this shroud and still form a huge loop."

This is a very good question. The latest Safety Standard for Corded Window Treatments addresses "reasonable" strangulation situations.

The photograph above shows the back of a Roman shade with shrouded lift cords. The lift cord is brown and the cord shroud is white. It has little loops through which the lift cord is threaded. I made a sample shade using this cord shroud and had it tested for compliance last December. It passed the required tests at an independent consumer products laboratory.

There are two test devices used to confirm that a corded shade does not pose a strangula- tion hazard. The first device, which is called the Accessibility Probe, identifies any exposed cords that might form a hazardous loop (large enough for a child's head). The Accessibility Probe consists of a 24-inch arm with ONE hook. If you can hook a cord from the front, back or side of a shade using this probe, it is considered exposed. Our Sample Shade did have accessible back lift cords which were hooked by the Accessibility Probe.

The second test device, which is called the Hazardous Loop Test Stand, determines if an exposed cord poses a strangulation hazard. The Hazardous Loop Test Stand has an arm with TWO hooks, spaced 2.8-inches (70 mm) apart. This represents a hand which might grab the exposed cord. Why the two different probes to pull out the exposed cords?

My understanding of the definition (both from repeated reading of the Standards and discussions with many industry experts) is that it is highly improbable that a small child would manage to pull out the cord with one finger and then insert his head into a loop. The Hazardous Loop Test Stand was designed to most accurately duplicate situations that have resulted in strangulation. The loops on our cord shroud are spaced less than 1-inch apart. The Hazardous Loop Test Stand did not pull the lift cord out from the shroud. Therefore this way of shrouding the cord is deemed safe and compliant with the Standards.

I have more information on this issue on my web site in the Safety Issues for Roman Shades section.

Kitchen Shades

Roman shades are a good solution for that window over your sink. An inside-mount keeps the shade out of the way. In the evening when the sun goes down, it is so nice to look at a lovely fabric shade, rather than a mini-blind. This shade was made by SB of Goderich, Ontario, Canada for her neighbor (yes, she was paid to do the sewing). You can see the photographs of her other three shades in the Gallery Section of my web site.

I made this 46-inch wide by 38-inch long shade in 1997 for a Junior League Show Home in Denver, Colorado. It is a simple pieced blind made with 4-inch squares set on-point. The top of the shade has a strip of squares that mimic the dentil molding at the ceiling of the room (out-of-view). When the sun comes through the shade the seams joining the squares look like the grout between the tiles on the wall surrounding the window. I love this effect.

Some people worry about having a shade near a sink because of possible staining. I had an intricate pieced shade over my sink in Lexington, Massachusetts. It was made from quilting cottons and then sprayed with ScotchGard fabric protector. I often splashed it with food, even tomato sauce. The stains wiped right off. If your fabric is a decorator fabric it will already be treated with a fabric protector. If you're not sure, you can use ScotchGard.

June 22 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

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.

June 8 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-09T11:22:00.002-06:00

Sunroom Roman Shades

YA of Brooksville, Florida made these large shades for her sunroom. She sent this message along with the photographs: "I wanted to thank you for your wonderful website showing exactly how to make your own Roman shades. Everyone who has seen them is impressed with the results." From the photographs it appears that YA only covered the windows on one side of her sunroom. Perhaps it was too big of a job to do all of the windows or she only need for those windows to be covered since she continued in her message: "The completed shades were 51-inches wide and 62-inches long. They are east-facing windows and do a wonderful job of blocking the morning sun."

This photograph shows the room before the shades were installed. If she had covered the windows on both walls, how would she deal with the corner of the room? As you can see in the photograph above, the raised, folded shade projects about 2-inches out from the wall when it is pulled all of the way up. You need to account for this by making the shade narrower. I would construct the blind so that the inner edge of the shade was at least 2-inches from the corner of the room. The window trim in the corner will show when the shades are lowered.

YA made four separate shades for her eight windows. Given the size of each double window, this was a good choice. It appears that she made each shade the exact width of the window trim. That leaves a small gap between the shades. This usually works well if there is enough wall between the windows. In this case, I think I would have constructed the shades so that they butted up against each other since there is very little wall between the windows.

Blue and White Bedroom Shade

PL made this beautiful bedroom shade. She wrote: "This is my second set of Roman shades and I used your instructions. Thanks for your wonderful web site. I must have watched the videos a dozen times. Your instructions are perfect."

This is an inside mount installation which showcases the beautiful window trim. This window has a wide sill that projects into the room. If PL had made an outside mount shade, she would have had it drop to the sill. I prefer an inside mount in this situation. You can just see a fabric cornice she placed at the top of the shade over the window.

PL continued: "I used wooden dowels in the fold lines, but next time, I am going to order your plastic battens". This photograph shows her shade turned inside out with the dowels placed in position and held down with magazines. It looks like she glued on her battens on top of her bed!

May 25 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-07T16:29:00.003-06:00

I love May. The days finally warm up and we have more hours of sunshine. I definitely feel more energized. I also hate to sit at my computer this time of year. I have been juggling four projects: finishing the child-safe shade for the guest room, making Roman shade Sample Kits (these are sold on my web site), sewing a pieced Roman shade for my Family Room and planting a new perennial garden. The first three projects can be called work-related. The perennial project is definitely a “free-time” project. Well, I run my own business and that means work and play activities don’t always follow the traditional 5-day workweek, 2-day weekend schedule. The spring weather in Colorado justifies planting on a Monday afternoon if it happened to rain over the weekend.

I remember a conversation I had with my brother-in-law several years ago. We were at a family gathering and I was discussing the weather for the upcoming week. I was trying to schedule my exercising activities (swim indoors, bicycle outdoors, do nothing, etc). Mike commented that he never bothered about the weather. That could wait until he was retired. It seemed like a strange remark. Later I realized what he meant and that I’m sort-of retired, in the sense that I set my own schedule. And yes, the weather is very important to me. I want to be outside as much as possible. I work very hard at my business and much of my work is done on the computer. If the morning is cold, that’s when I’m tapping on my keyboard. If it’s rainy, I’m in the workroom sewing or in the garage making shade mounting boards. If it’s warm and beautiful, I’m on my bicycle or digging in the garden. There is always too much to do. I’ve sure lucky that I get to choose between activities I love.

One Shade or Three Shades

A very common window type is a large center fixed window with two narrower side windows that open. I usually make one large shade for a multiple-window. I find it much easier to raise one shade rather than several. This photograph shows a Classic Roman shade made by SS of Angola, New York. She made one 82.75-inch wide by 42-inch long shade. You can see more photographs of SS's shade in the Gallery Section of my web site.

There are situations where you will want several shades. Let’s say this type of window is in your bedroom and you want to let the fresh air in at night. Three shades will allow you to open the side windows while leaving the majority of the glass covered. RD of Rockville, Maryland made these three shades for her large window. You can read more about RD's shade in the Gallery Section of my web site.

You have to be very precise when sewing multiple shades that will be mounted together on a window. You cannot overlap the shades. You won’t be able to raise the shades properly if you do this. You should mount them on the board so that they butt up together. Yes, the shades will raise and lower correctly even if the sides are touching. You should expect to see a light leak between the shades. This may not happen along the entire side of each shade, but perhaps only part of the junction.

Multiple Shades on One Mounting Board

If you have two shades on one window, you will usually have one shade pull up on the left and the other shade pull up on the right. The mounting board for a window with three or more shades takes a little more thought. This drawing shows a schematic of the mounting board for three shades on one window. The left shade pulls from the left. The center and the right shades pull from the right.

The board is mounted “Projected”
The cords for the left shade (blue) pull to the left. The pulleys or screw eyes are placed at the front of the board.
The cords for the center shade (red) pull to the right. The pulleys or screw eyes are placed at the front of the board. There is an extra pulley or screw eye at the far right, front side of the board. This directs the cords over to the right edge so that you can raise and lower the center shade.
The cords for the right shade (green) pull to the right. The pulleys or screw eyes are placed at the back of the board. This keeps them out of the way of the center shade cords, which also exit on the right.
You can read more about a multi-shade mounting board in the FAQs of my web site.

May 11 2011 Newsletter

2011-05-12T08:19:00.000-06:00

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “How large can I make a Roman shade?” So far, I have not found a maximum size. We’ll discuss which construction steps and hardware ensure that your large shade will operate flawlessly. An important requirement is that you have a large enough area to complete the final assembly steps. Your workspace has to be larger than your shade. I remember a telephone conversation I had last month with a woman who was making four shades that were 8-feet wide by 10-feet long. I asked her if she had a giant living room floor for the final layout. She replied that she was making the shades for her son’s new loft and, yes, she did have quite a large space in which to work.

I am surprised at how many people are making shades for their children. They will often call or attach messages to their orders inquiring on delivery. This is because they are timing the sewing or installation with trips to visit the lucky recipient of their do-it-yourself skills. Mothers love to help out their grown kids and making window treatments for a new home is always an appreciated gift.

On a similar note, I was teaching a workshop for a quilting retreat in Pierre, South Dakota almost 10 years ago. A man walked into the room at the beginning of class carrying his wife’s sewing machine. She followed him into the room with a rather glum look on her face. He picked out a table, put down her machine and asked if I was the instructor. When I answered yes, he grabbed my hand and vigorously shook it. “I read the description of your workshop and told Clara that I was signing her up because FINALLY she would learn something practical to do with her quilting.” She ended up pleased that she could combine quilting with making a Roman shade.

Large Roman Shades

The largest Roman shade that I have made was 14’ 7” wide (175-inches) and 5’ 8” long (68-inches). I have made many shades for sliding doors, which are typically 8-feet wide and 7-feet long. These shades work just as well as a smaller shade. This shade was made by RR of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He did not send the dimensions of the shade along with the photographs, but I'm guessing it is at least 7-feet wide and 5-feet long.

Here you can see RR’s shade inside-out on the living room floor. He has glued the plastic battens to the backside of the fabric and is holding them in place with magazines while the glue dries. The shade takes up almost the entire floor area, so this is the “largest” shade that he can make in this workspace, unless he wants to move some furniture out of the room. As you can see from the next photograph, the shade pulls up perfectly. It doesn’t sag in the middle and lies nice and flat against the window trim. The real issue with a shade this large is the ease of pulling it up.

There are many things you can do to ensure that a large shade works perfectly:

· Use pulleys rather than screw eyes for the lift cords. This is the single-most important thing to do for a large shade. Pulleys make it easy to lift a very large shade.

· Use aluminum rather than steel for the bottom weight rod. Aluminum is about half the weight of steel. You definitely need a weight rod on a large shade for it to drop correctly when lowered. The Hardware Calculator will recommend the correct type of weight rod based upon your shade dimensions.

· Use plastic battens in the folds. They make a large shade look truly professional. You can join the 5-ft battens using rib splices.

You can read the rest of the tips for making large shades in the FAQs Section of my web site.

Roman Shades for Sliding Doors

Roman shades work great on sliding doors. The only requirement is that there is enough wall above the door so that the shade can be raised up to the point where you do not have to duck to get out the door. I usually use a “ceiling” mount, which means the mounting board is placed on the wall right at the ceiling. You often have a door handle that projects into the room, so you need to mount the shade far enough out from the wall to clear the handle when the shade is raised and lowered.

The shade shown above was made in 1997 for my kitchen. I used a continuous loop clutch lifting system because I thought it would raise this "large, heavy" shade better than just using pulleys. I found that it was rather annoying to have to pull and pull on the continuous loop to raise and lower the shade. A pull of 10-inches on the cord resulted in raising the shade only a few inches.

This shade was made in 2006 for my bedroom. Even though it was larger than the kitchen shade, I decided to use the flat pulleys and a cord cleat. The shade raises easily with one hand.

April 27 2011 Newsletter

2011-05-02T09:04:00.003-06:00

In this issue I describe a way to easily add internal battens to an existing Roman shade. You can even do this without taking down your shade. I’ve uploaded a short video showing this trick. The second article describes the first segment that I taped in March for the PBS television program “Creative Living with Sheryl Borden”. It reviews the Second Provisional Safety Standard for Corded Window Treatments.

I am lucky to participate in correspondence with many small window treatment workrooms on the safety issue of shades. A year ago most of us feared that Roman shades would be outlawed. What has happened instead is that a lot of people have developed unique ways to address this issue. Every week I happen upon a new technique. Just yesterday I viewed a video that uses magnets in the side seams that mate when the shade is folded. Other inventions involve the marriage between a roller shade and a Roman shade. The only thing I don’t like about these two particular systems is that they appear to work for some shades (narrow enough to not sag in the middle or low enough off the floor so that you can reach the shade to pull it back down), but not necessarily for all sizes and locations of windows. What is exciting is that you are going to have lots of options for safe Roman shades.

Adding Internal Battens

We created a short one-minute clip from a portion of a Creative Living program that demonstrates an easy fix for existing Roman shades. If you have read more than a few pages of my web site, you'll know that I rave about using internal battens on the fold lines for smooth operation of your shade. This procedure only adds battens in the "up" folds. I usually recommend also placing them in the "down" folds as well. However, for a quick fix to a very annoying problem, I'm very excited about it.

What if you have a shade that does not have battens? You most likely will be "dressing" the folds when you raise the shade. You MUST watch this video. You don't even have to remove your shade from the window. You simply slip battens up inside the shade and lay them on each row of lift rings. This creates a fold line for your shade.

Your shade must have these aspects:

the shade must be lined (have a front fabric and a back lining),

the lift rings must be sewn through both layers,

and the bottom of the shade must be open.

If the shade isn't lined, forget this tip.

Here are the easy steps:

Cut a plastic batten 1/2-inch shorter than the width of the shade for each row of lift rings.

Slip the first batten up inside the shade, threading it between the lift rings up to the top of the shade. Lay it on top of the top row of lift rings. It will rest between the two layers (front fabric and lining) along the stitches used to tack the rings onto the shade.

Repeat this procedure for the remaining rows of lift rings, laying a batten on top of each row of rings.

Because the shade is hanging vertically, the battens don't move around. You can also do this with a shade that you are constructing. You may have to adjust the battens after you hang the shade. The "standard" way to add battens is to glue them inside the shade.

Understanding the New Safety Standards

You can view a 10 minute video on YouTube titled An Update on Safety Standards for Roman Shades. This program was taped in March 2011 for the PBS television program “Creative Living with Sheryl Borden”. It will air later in 2011. Using several sample shades and the actual shade that was tested by an independent consumer product testing laboratory, I describe the parts of the Second Provisional Safety Standard that is relevant to Roman shades. If you are making shades for yourself, you do not have to adhere to these rules. None-the-less, you should be aware of what they are and you may want to incorporate some of the new construction techniques and products into your next shade project.

April 13 2011 Newsletter

2011-04-18T08:25:00.002-06:00

This issue shows photographs sent in by four different home sewers. The first article features a beautiful set of shades for a bay window. The unique thing about these shades is that each window contains a Double Roman shade mounted on one board. The front shade is fabric while the back shade is sheer. You'll love this look. The second articleis about using striped fabric for your window shade. It's important to center your stripes in the window. This is true with plaid fabrics as well.

I have loaded the first of three videos that I taped in New Mexico last month onto You Tube. These segments will be featured on the PBS television program "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden over the next 18 months. This taping session was punctuated with memorable moments. The television station is located on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. I was thrilled to discover that I could now fly into Clovis, New Mexico and drive 17 miles to Portales. I used to fly into Amarillo, Texas and drive 110 miles to Portales. The morning of the taping, I got a call from the airlines that my flight back to Alburquerque had been canceled. I ended up driving four hours to catch my connecting flight back to Denver. The saga continues. After waiting almost a month for the DVD of the segments, I contacted the show producer and discovered it had been mailed weeks earlier to my old address. The new home owners were up in the mountains for Spring Break. I finally picked up the DVD last week. All's well that ends well.

Double Roman Shades

One of the negatives of a Roman shade is that it is open or closed. MM of Franklin Square, New York fixes this limitation with a double shade. We had been corresponding for several months about instructions on making a double Roman shade. With my brief directions and her ingenuity, MM produced these wonderful shades.

A Double Roman Shade is two shades on one mounting board. The front shade is made with decorative fabric - a standard Classic Roman shade. The back shade is made with sheer fabric.

Be sure to see the segment I taped for the Public Broadcasting Station television program "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden" on this shade. You can view it on You Tube.

In this photograph, the sheer shades are completly lowered. Here is the message MM sent along with photographs of her Double Shades.

Dear Ms. Sundermann,

Thank you so much for your web site and your Email response to my questions. The shades turned out as wonderful as I had hoped. I made them for my sister and she is thrilled.

They are two Roman shades on a single mounting board with Velcro installed on both the front and the back of the board. Two sets of hardware (pulleys and cord locks) were installed with the second cord lock slightly offset from the first so the cords wouldn’t be on top of each other. You can read more on the Gallery Page on my web site.

Making a Roman Shade with Striped Fabric

Striped fabric results in a striking Roman shade. In order for the shade to look symetrical, I have developed an easy system for placing the stripes across the width of the shade. I choose a dominant stripe and place it in the center of the shade. The large shade shown here was made by BS of Loveland, Colorado. These wide stripes are sewn from four fabrics, creating the vertical stripes. The shade is 6-feet wide and 9-feet long. The wide gold fabric is centered on the window. This is an extreme case of stripes, but the process is the same for any striped fabric shade. If the window is wider than your fabric width, you will have to seam narrower panels on each side of the shade. I pick the edge of a stripe, add the seam allowance and sew the panels together so that the stripes continue across the shade.

These top-down/bottom-up shades made by GW of Montgomery, Texas show that it is important to center your stripes even if they are narrow. The top-down cord is at the center of the window and you can see that GW has picked a green stripe to place at the center of the shade. The shade on the right is in the top-down position, while the shade on the keft is in the bottom-up position. You can see more photographs of these great shades in the Top-Down Gallery Section of my web site.

Now for a look at shades where the stripes were not centered. This photograph shows two lovely shades. However, the stripes are just slightly off-center. Moving the center of the pattern ever so slightly to the right would have resulted in perfect shades. This window has a mullion right down the center and it really pulls the eye to the center stripe which is not in the center of the window.

March 23 2011 Newsletter

2011-03-28T11:37:00.004-06:00

Spring has finally arrived. The mornings are still very cold in Colorado, so our sprinkler system can’t be turned on for several more weeks. I have a serious case of Spring Fever and spent the weekend at Garden stores hoping to see something I could plant. I passed up on the pansies because I had visions of me carrying the watering can outside every day. We are in the middle of a major drought so the possibility of Nature helping me out is nil.

I have lots of sewing projects that I need to get done before the arrival of Summer Visitors. I love to be woken by the sunlight, but our kids want their kids to sleep in. Now that I’ve figured out how to make child-safe shades, I need to finish the guest area shades. If I can keep myself indoors, there should be plenty of time. Working with fabric is certainly a great substitute for digging in the dirt.

Designing Borders for your Shade

An easy way to embellish a Roman shade is to add a border all around the edges using a contrasting fabric. CB of Broomfield, Colorado designed this shade for her dining room. Because of the wide expanse of the shade (85" wide) she also added a simple pattern using the same fabric that borders the panel.

CB cut strips of the contrasting silk fabric for the internal design and sewed them onto the background fabric, which was also silk. That was much easier than piecing the front of the shade. She did band the shade with wide strips as described in the next section of this Newsletter.

This large shade that I made in 2004 measures 95" wide by 46" long and shows another way to embellish a shade. It brightens up a home office. The homeowner did not want to cover up the beautiful alder trim on the windows, so we went with an inside-mount shade. He also expressed the need for only one shade rather than three on this large window.

Due to the wide expanse we came up with a very simple pieced pattern that mimicked the three windows. I love the way the shade looks when it is raised.

Adding a Simple Border to a Roman Shade

This shade was featured in our last Newsletter article on making the mounting board for a Self-Valance Shades. This time we'll discuss how to add the borders on the shade. It's easier to include the seam allowances in these borders and then make the shade in the normal way. I have directions on how to determine the cut size of your contrasting banding in the FAQs Section.

The standard instructions (and Hardware Calculator) tell you to cut your front decorative fabric 8-inches longer than the Finished Shade Length. This allows 6-inches for the hem (a double 3-inch one) and 2-inches at the top to turn over to the back and for "slop". You still need these extra inches for a bordered shade, but you have to divide the additions up between each border. Click on the drawing and you will be taken to the FAQs Section with complete instructions on cutting your borders.

March 9 2011 Newsletter

2011-03-14T07:51:00.000-06:00

I'm flying to New Mexico today to tape programs for "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden". Read about this amazing "How-To" series that has been airing on PBS stations since 1977. I 've been working seven days a week since the beginning of the year on these programs. I know both I and my husband will be very happy when the taping is complete and life can return to its usual busy (but not crazy busy) pace.

The second article is about making a self-valance shade. I wrote an article on this shade in 2003 for Sew News magazine. This style continues to be very popular.

Taping of New PBS Programs

I am in Portales, New Mexico this week. This is the third time I’ve taped segments for the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) KENW-TV program “Creative Living by Sheryl Borden”. Sheryl is an unbelievable hostess who is currently in her 34th Season of one of the longest running “How To” television programs in the United States. The programs are taped live. I really don’t know how she does it. I guess years of practice means that every segment is flawless.This photograph shows me and Sheryl the last time I taped programs in April of 2009.

I fly from Denver to a near-by town in New Mexico. I bring along as many shade samples as I can fit into two very large suitcases. I have a tight travel schedule this year so I’m going to set up the night before the taping. We tape three to four segments in a two hour period. Each segment runs for 5 to 10 minutes. My problem is always that I have too much material to cover in each 10-minute segment!

The program is produced by the students in the Communications Department of Eastern New Mexico University. What a fun way to earn a degree. As you can see from the sign greeting visitors, Portales is a quaint place with lots of friendly people. I haven't met any of the grouches yet, but I'm looking. The Creative Living series is carried on more than 118 PBS stations in the United States, Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico. My programs will be broadcast separately over the next 18 months. Even if your local television station doesn’t carry this program, you can still see my segments on YouTube. I receive a DVD from the Station several weeks after taping. I then send that off to a local media guru who translates the programs into a format that I can upload onto YouTube. The new videos should be available by mid-April.

Mounting Board for Self-Valance Shade

A popular Roman shade style available in catalogs and big box stores is banded with a “self-valance”. The self-valance is usually required on these manufactured shades to cover up the lifting hardware. It is such a great look that I get lots of requests for instructions on how to make them. You can see photographs of the shade BS of Camden, Arkansas made for her grandson in the Galleries. I first came up with a very complicated method to attach the valance to the top of the shade. Another customer, PH of Lafayette, Louisiana, took one look at my directions and came up with her own, simpler method.
PH wrote: “I ended up putting the shade up as normal on the front door. I made a valance and sewed the corners so they were square (boxed). [I have instructions for making this type of valance on my web site.] I attached this valance to another 1x2 board and then just screwed it right into the other one. It worked perfectly.” I prefer to make the board first. Then you can attach the whole thing to your wall or window (or door). Attach the shade to the flat board and then put the valance on the projected board.

February 23 2011 Newsletter

2011-02-23T07:03:00.003-07:00

Today I’ll discuss a reader’s ingenious approach to a cordless shade as well as facing the hem of your shade to save on fabric. I think you will enjoy these two topics.

I’ve been busy making samples for my next taping session at a PBS station in New Mexico in 2 weeks. I’ve had this scheduled for 8 months so I should be ready. Right? Wrong. Last summer I was making samples for two of the three sessions when the new Safety Standards were announced. They invalidated both techniques I was going to demonstrate. The half-completed samples are still on a shelf in my workroom. I thought I would have to cancel the programs. In early January I received the positive test results for my new safety-compliant technique. I figured I had just enough time to whip up enough samples to tape sessions on that topic. So “the show will go on”, as they say. Wish me luck. Hopefully I will finish the samples in time to also figure out what to wear!

Cordless Roman Shade

PH of Wisconsin sent me photographs of her cordless Roman shade. She explained how she made them. "I have developed a technique for making Roman shades without cords and without making holes in the windows. I used Velcro with one sticky side, applying the sticky hook side to the window and sewing the soft loop side to the shade. I attached the shade to the window, then pulled down one corner at a time and put two pieces of contrasting ribbon behind the shade. To raise the shade, I fold it up and tie it in place. Very very easy and I think they look great. The ribbons can be removed when the curtains are down."

This technique would work well on a small window that is accessible. Obviously you have to be able to reach the top of the shade so you can tie the shade up. I have a feeling that PH was really interested in not making holes in her beautiful window trim. She couldn't attach any hardware, so she came up with this ingenious idea.

Facing the Hem of Your Shade

I often get asked why I recommend a double 3-inch hem at the bottom of a Roman shade. Some of you want to purchase as little fabric as possible. I've tried skimping on the hem and I've always been unhappy when the shade is complete. It just doesn't hang well. You need a deep hem and a heavy hem, which is why I make two complete 3-inch folds. There are times, though, when I absolutely don't have enough fabric. Perhaps I cut the front panel too short or there was not enough fabric on the bolt. I fix this problem by facing the hem of the shade. What this means is that I cut a strip of another fabric that resembles the front fabric and sew it onto the bottom of the shade. Then I use that facing fabric for the hem. Don't try to add fabric at the top of the shade. There is already too much bulk at the top with the Velcro to add still another seam. You can read the step-by-step directions in the FAQs section of my web site.

February 9 2011 Newsletter

2011-02-14T16:15:00.002-07:00

Today I'll discuss using Roman shades on French doors. The shade is attached directly to the top of the door. If you mount the 1 x 2 headrail flat, the shade hugs the glass when lowered. If also slips down nicely past the door handle.

The continually "improving" Standards for child-safe Roman shades sure keeps me busy. Some of you may have noticed that we no longer offer the break-away lift rings in our Web Store. I'll give you my intrepretation as to why my own supplier has discontinued these items.

We had a very mild January in the metro-Denver area, even though the mountains in Colorado had record snowfall. Well, that is over. February has been cold and snowy, with snowstorm after snowstorm. Spring, where are you? I'm ready for warm sunny weather, as I'm sure most of you are.

Roman Shades on French Doors

Roman shades work very well on French doors. This photograph shows a French door framed by two sidelight windows. DS of Lexington, South Carolina made these great shades for her granddaughter's bedroom. These are relaxed Romans. You can see the slight sag in the center of the shades when they are raised. That is intentional. There are only two lift cords, one on each side, with no cord in the center of the shade. Furthermore, there are no internal battens in the folds, which allows the folds to sag. There is a weight rod, but it is encased in fabric tubing and whip-stitched to the back of the shade. You can see more photographs of these shades, which also have a beaded bottom trim in the Gallery Section on my web site.

I normally place the top of the shade very near the top of the door. This way you will be leaving as much glass uncovered as possible when you raise the shade. This drawing has the shade mounted 1/2" below the top of the door. I always place the mounting board "flat" against the door. This way the shade only sticks out about 1/2" from the door. In fact, it tends to fall down right against the glass. I don't normally recommend using a Top-Down shade on a French door since the mounting board must be placed “projected”. However, if that is what you want and you realize that the valance at the top of the shade will stick out 1-1/2" from the door, then go ahead. I have a new page in the FAQs section that contains lots of information on French Door shades.

Update on Break-Away Lift Rings

Last year, we offered child-safe lift rings. These rings are designed to release the lift cords when the force exceeds 4 pounds. You needed two different types. A bottom ring was made with a holder and a disc. The disc snapped into the holder. The second type was a “fish-shaped” lift ring, which is pictured here. The body of the fish was sewn onto the shade, just like a normal lift ring. The lift cord was threaded through the tail of the fish. The cord slipped out of the tail when pulled with sudden excess force.

The latest revision removed breakaway lift rings on the back of the shade as a method of compliance. An industry webinar presented the reason for that decision: the rings didn’t always release the cord when pulled in a direction the committee felt was relevant. Based upon that statement, my supplier removed the breakaway rings from their product offerings. The new safety standards now require testing of a shade to prove compliance. I’m guessing that results with the breakaway rings were deemed to be too varied for the supplier to even have them tested. That is just my own guess, I didn’t ask them.

I have had an ongoing correspondence with an excellent window treatment installer in New York City who uses a variation of the break-away ring system. He modifies the bottom ring so that the disc releases with 2 pounds of force. He also replaces the remaining lift rings with large metal rings. This is the key modification. The bottom disc can now slide up through the column of lift rings. He claims that the bottom ring stays in place when raising even heavy shades yet releases when stressed from the side. He has a cool video that shows a doll’s head being inserted into the back lift cords. I don’t know if he has had a shade tested. He didn’t answer that question in our last correspondence. This tells you that there are a lot of creative people in the window treatment business that are developing solutions to solve the safety issue of Roman shades.

January 26 2011 Newsletter

2011-01-26T14:28:00.006-07:00

Once again, I will be covering Safety-Compliant shades in this issue. Today I’ll explain how you make the lift (back) cords on your shade child-safe. I use a simple cord shroud that prevents the formation of a hazardous loop. We have received the cord shroud from our supplier and it is available on the web site. We have the shroud in natural, tan and brown. I’m having trouble loading the colored shroud on the site, so only the natural is available now. That problem will be fixed next week.

The fun part of the newsletter shows a beautiful ice-blue silk shade that is banded with a plaid silk. Looking at the photographs of this stunning shade reminds me of my trip to Boston last week to visit my son’s family. The Northeastern part of the United States is having a record-setting winter. I witnessed two snow storms during 5 days. Let me tell you, shoveling snow in Massachusetts is a lot harder than in Colorado. We have the light fluffy variety; they have the wet heavy type.

I can’t believe that January is almost over. I hope that you have had a wonderful start to a new year.

Silk Shade with Plaid Banding

BW of Tustin, California sent photographs of her shade with these comments. "I want to thank you for your wonderful turtorial. I thought I'd share pictures of the finished shade - my first one! It is made of silk and lined with RocLon's Budget Blackout. You might recall that I didn't want to use glue on the silk and that you didn't recommend sewing pockets when using Blackout because of all the holes. I came up with a creative solution that worked like a charm." You can read about BW's great trick for making internal batten pockets in the Gallery Section.

I asked BW how she applied the banding. She used a fusible webbing called Steam-a-Seam 2.

Making your Lift Cords Safety Compliant

According to the Second Provisional ANSI Safety of Corded Window Covering Products regulations, exposed cords are allowed on the back of a Roman shade as long as they can’t form a hazardous loop. This assures that a small child cannot become entangled in the lift cords. Two simple modifications are required to the standard construction techniques to achieve this. Number one, the cord must be encased in a shroud device that is attached to the shade. Second, the spacing between the “attachments” cannot be larger than testing allows. This translates into about 8-inches. With a cord shroud, the lift cord can travel freely to lift the shade, while the shroud gathers up between the lift rings.

This photograph shows the back of two shades. I grabbed the lift cord on each shade and pulled it out from the shade. The shade at the top of the picture has a shrouded lift cord. As you can see, the loop is limited by the distance between the lift rings because the lift cord runs through the cord shroud, which is tied to the lift rings. The shade at the bottom of the picture does not have a cord shroud. The lift cord can be pulled all the way out. Conclusion: using a cord shroud prevents the formation of a hazardous loop.

The photograph above of the entire back of the shade gives you an idea of what the shade will look like from a distance. What happens to the cord shroud when the shade is raised? It gathers up between the lift rings. It looks a bit like very loose crocheting.

The photograph above of the entire back of the shade gives you an idea of what the shade will look like from a distance. This photograph is a close-up of one shrouded lift line. Yes, it looks messy. However, this is the back of the shade and you can’t see it unless you are outside the window. I have complete instructions on the web site for attaching the shroud to the back of the shade.

This photograph shows the shroud (white) attached to a lift ring. It also shows the lift cord (brown) threaded through the shroud that is below the lift ring. I haven’t yet threaded it through the shroud loops above the ring.

January 12, 2011 Newsletter

2011-01-14T14:48:00.001-07:00

Even though it is the coldest month in Colorado, I do like January. It is an opportunity to start with a clean slate, renew goals and look forward to Spring. After the craziness of the Holidays, I welcome the quiet time and "business as usual". We enjoyed five wonderful days in Florida then a week back home with mild weather. Right now I'm looking out my office window at 10-inches of new snow. It's the perfect weather to hunker down and get some business items done.

The wonderful news for 2011 is that my sample Classic Roman shade passed all tests at an independent lab. That means it is fully compliant with the 2nd Provisional Safety Standard for Corded Window Treatments. I am writing a new section on the web site with detailed instructions on how to make the same shade. The only additional hardware item required for this shade is a cord shroud. This inexpensive loop-cord prevents the formation of a hazardous loop with the lift (back) cords.

Sample Shade Passes All Safety Tests

Our sample Classic Roman shade was tested by Bureau Veritas Consumer Product Services Division for compliance with all parts of the ANSI/WCMA Safety Standard that apply to our method of making a simple shade. My goal was to comply with the standards by changing as few constrution steps as possible. As you can see from the Summary of the testing above, the relevant sections of the Standard are 4.3.8, 4.5 and 5.

Section 4.3.8 This section describes the requirement for the Operating (Pull) Cord. It states that if the product requires a cord connector, the exposed loop above the cord connector shall be less than 3-inches below the bottom of the headrail when is in the fully lowered position, and that there shall be a warning on the product that describes the potential hazard when the product is in the raised position. I use a knot to connect all of the lift cords, so this is the cord connector.

Section 4.5 This section describes the requirement for the Lift (Back) Cords. It states that the accessible rear cords shall pass requirements of Appendix D (Roman Style Shade Accessible Lift Cord Test Procedure). Yes, the shade passed that test!

Section 5 This section describes the labeling and Operation Tag requirement. The shade contained two Warning Tags, one on the Operating Cord and one hanging down from the bottom lift rings. Both tags are sold on our web site. I also used a permanent marker to identify the Product Origin. This states my company name, city, state and dated of manufacture.

You can read more about the testing on the in the Safety Issues for Roman Shades section on our web site.

Top-Down Roman Shades for Bay Windows

Jane Ann B of Albuquerque, Arizona sent these photographs along with this message: "Your gallery inspired me and while I'm not ready to quilt yet, I had purchased yards and yards of this fabric at a sale and decided it might work for Roman shades.

Your instructions are superlative and your supplies are very well priced. Thank you for continuing to have them available to all who are directed to or who stumble onto (as I did) your web site. The Portales public broadcast show gave me the confidence to finally order hardware and start cutting up fabric last December. I can't thank you enough!

You can see more photographs of Jane Ann's shades in the Gallery section on our web site.section of my web site.

Updated Hardware Calculator

We have just uploaded a new version of the Folding/Hardware Calculator onto the web site. The biggest change is that you can now calculate results for shades that are safety-compliant. When you specify a safety-compliant shade, the fold depth is limited to a maximum of 4-inches, which is an 8-inch spacing between lift rings. The distance between the top row of lift rings and the mounting board hardware is also limited to a maximum of 12-inches. The Hardware Shopping List now includes lift cord shroud and Warning Tags.

Another improvement is requiring you to specify Inside Mount or Outside Mount. This allows us to be much more specific about folding requirements. You will get better results (fewer folds) with this enhancement. We also corrected an error that occassionally resulted in the Lower Drop being less than the Fold Depth. Finally, the results section specifies the cut size for both the front fabric and the lining based upon your Finished Shade dimensions.

Safety Compliant Shade Passes All Tests

2010-12-31T14:52:00.002-07:00

Wonderful news. We just received test results from Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services for a sample Child-Safe Classic Roman shade. The shade PASSED ALL TESTS. This means that we can move forward on writing instructions that result in a Roman shade that is compliant with the ANSI/WCMA Corded Window Treatment Safety Requirements. Happy New Year!

December 22, 2010 Newsletter

2010-12-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

My Safety-Compliant Roman shade is at the test lab. I’ve had several discussions with the lab about what to test, but the actual procedures have not been done. I’ll be glad when a new set of instructions have been finalized and I can get back to the fun part: making shades.

We have been very fortunate in the past to have all three (or at least two) of our kids and their families descend upon us for the holidays. With the addition of more babies and the difficulty of traveling with youngsters, two of the three couldn’t come to Colorado. This year we will be in Florida with my husband’s youngest daughter. It will be quite the change from continuous trips back and forth to the Denver airport, daily excursions to the grocery store and endless dishwasher loads. We’ll miss having everyone together, but strolling on the beach sounds like a pretty good trade-off.

Rick McQuire: The Quilt Nerd

Rick McGuire of Connecticut sent a link to his Blog. way back in August of 2009. I was in the middle of a major upgrade of my web site and put his information in my “When the New Site is Up and Running” folder. That folder has been very useful when I sit down to write a new issue of this Newsletter.

Rick sent this message to me: Thought you might enjoy this Blog entry I wrote up on making a set of blinds for my kitchen. I loved your book (and the fact you provide one-stop-shopping for all of the supplies).

Rick purchased a house with a kitchen with 3 walls of windows, 10 in total. He is a talented quilter. “I realized that making my own window treatments could be an option since I did know my way around a sewing machine. I started checking out books on how to make shades, blinds, etc. and stumbled upon the follow book: Pieced Roman Shades – Turn Your Favorite Quilt Patterns into Window Hangings (that’s my book).”

Rick goes on to describe the designing, sewing and installation process for his stunning ten shades. You can read his entire story on his Blog.

Musings on the Latest Shade Recall

There was another shade recall in the news early this month. Lowe’s recalled 11 million Roman shades and roll-up blinds after reports that two young children nearly strangled in the window coverings. I’m not at all sure why this was reported as a recall, since these products were covered by the initial recall last January. Lowe’s reported that they took steps at that time to provide warning and repair kits. I happen to frequent the window treatment aisle of my local Lowe’s. I have been curious as to whether and when they would remove these corded stock shades that are on the shelf. Most of the boxes have a small package taped onto the box (not all of them do). Without actually removing the package, I can’t tell exactly what is inside. I can see that there is a warning label.

After thinking about this for several weeks, I realized that these shades are fully compliant with the Safety Standards. At least the ones that actually have a “repair kit” are compliant. The shades were manufactured before the latest safety update (September 3, 2010). Lowe’s attached a warning label about strangulation danger and a repair kit to change the shade into a “cordless” shade. This is an interesting fix. The kit contains inexpensive metal hooks (also called shower curtain hooks). The consumer is supposed to cut off the lift cords and remove them from the shade. To raise the shade you open the metal ring and slip it into the lowest lift ring. You then manually fold the shade up, hooking each lift ring, until the shade is raised to the desired level. You now close the metal hook. Voila, a cordless shade. To lower the shade, you remove the metal hook. They aren’t exactly easy to operate, but they certainly are child safe.

Building Self-Confidence for Sewing your Roman Shade

I occasionally get asked how I gained the confidence to make shades for others. Here’s a question from Teresa: “I know how to sew shades and curtains but I’m always afraid of messing up someone else’s fabric, especially when they tell me how much money it cost them. When I go to hang the finished treatment, I’m always afraid something will go wrong. How do you shake the jitters”?

After almost 20 years of making shades for others, I still haven’t shaken the jitters. One of earliest projects for an interior designer resulted in my having to length six valances by ¼” because they were shorter than quoted. Now I measure, measure and measure. I do still jump every time the telephone rings for several weeks after I’ve installed the job, thinking it is my customer calling to say there is a problem. I deliver my shades with cleaning instructions that begins with a congratulatory paragraph about their “beautiful hand-made shades”. I point out that there may be slight irregularities in hems, seams, etc. and that this adds to their charm. If you sew for others, remember that you are offering a valuable service. Very few people know how to sew and you are giving them the custom look they want.

Comments and calls from hardware customers point out that you can get the jitters with your own project. Once again, the fear seems to be the greatest when the fabric is expensive. I’ve found that the easiest way to get past this “first time” feeling is to take a piece of inexpensive fabric and make a small sample shade. I don’t have to change the color of the thread, or measure accurately. Once I have gone through all of the steps, I usually am so impressed with the results and feeling good about myself that I can cut into that expensive piece of fabric with confidence.

December 8, 2010 Newsletter

2010-12-13T07:42:00.003-07:00

I have been working with a new safety shade item for the last two weeks. The cord shroud is a woven cord with monofilament loops every 1.5 inches (38 mm). The lift cords are threaded through these loops and the shroud is attached to the lift rings. In theory, this makes the lift cords safety compliant. You can read below about my initial thoughts on this product. We have been working on modifications of the Hardware Calculator, so that you can use it to determine folding of your Safety Compliant shade. I was over-due for updating the calculator. It’s wonderful that I kept putting off dealing with it since I had no idea several months ago that I would need these particular modifications.

This is usually the time of year when I am going through my Business Goals from the beginning of the year to make sure I’ve completed the important items. The new Corded Window Treatment Standards aren’t on my list. As my husband is fond of saying “Life is what happens while you are busy making lists.” Of course, that never stops me from making lists!

First Shade

JH sent photographs of her three inside-mount shades. They are mounted in bay windows. This is a great application for Roman shades.

JF wrote: “I just finished these last night and had to send you photos of my Roman shades. These are the first I've done and I think they look great! I could never have done it without your website - it was so nice to be able to read, re-read, and watch videos of each step. These blinds look like they were professionally done! Thanks so much for the 1) super quick shipping of supplies and 2) your incredibly helpful website!”

You can see larger versions of these photographs on the Gallery Page.

Folding and Hardware Calculator

We update the Folding Calculator several times a year. There always seem to be small errors along with lots of enhancement requests from customers. We are working on several major upgrades, which should be loaded onto the web site next week:

Inside Mount and Outside Mount. You will need to specify which way you are installing your shade. This will allow us to give a “better” folding scenario and correct the mounting board error for Top-Down shades that were mounted inside the window.
Safety-Compliant Shade Options. You will be able to calculate folding and hardware requirements for all types of shades (Classic, Top-Down/Bottom-Up and Top-Down Only) that are compliant with the new Safety Standards. The calculator will limit the vertical spacing between the lift rings to 7.5” or less and recommend the required amount of cord shroud.
Cut size of fabric and lining. The Results Section will include the cut size of both the front fabric and the lining. I often get asked what size to cut the fabric and lining, so we are adding the answer to the Calculator results.
A rounding error has been fixed that occassionally returned results with a Lower Drop smaller than the Fold Depth.

If all of this is Greek to you, read the web site page on Using the Hardware Calculator for more tips.

Safety-Compliant Shade Update

I received a cord shroud product and have been making sample shades. In the photograph, the shroud is white, with little monofilament loops. The BROWN lift cord is threaded through the loops, which are spaced 1.5 inches apart.

When I am developing a new construction technique, I keep making samples until I understand how everything works. Each time I make a sample, I write down the steps I am following. On the final sample, I take photographs or make a drawing of each step. I then write detailed instructions for the web site. I am pretty far along with this process for a Classic shade that will comply with the new Safety Standards. However, I am having trouble with the back lift cords. They are threaded through the loops of the cord shroud but I am not convinced that they are safe. The distributor of the shroud assures me that they are. However, I’m skeptical enough that I am going to have a shade tested by an independent lab. I hope to have the results in time for the next Newsletter (December 22nd). If not, I will send out a separate Newsletter, since the next issue wouldn’t be until January 12th.

Note that if you sell your shade, you are now required (as of December 3, 2010) to be compliant with a cord-shroud system for the rear exposed lift cords. I was hoping to have instructions posted by now (there is that “life happens while you are making lists” rearing its head again). My cord shroud arrived 2 weeks later than expected and I initially did not feel that I needed to have an official test. If you are making shades for a customer at this time, you may want to contact your client and tell her the shades will be late. I know that December is usually very slow as far as sewing jobs are concerned. Most of my clients want their shades delivered before the Thanksgiving holiday. They are then too busy during December to even think about that next project. Things really pick up in January. All of our ducks will be in a row by mid-January, with full online instructions, an updated Folding Calculator and all of the required Safety Compliant products.

November 24, 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-29T08:11:00.005-07:00

In this Issue, I’ll be addressing arch windows. Many new homes have these large, unusual windows in the Living Room or Family Room. Beautiful, yes, but how can you cover them if you want to use a Roman shade? I’ll discuss several approaches.

I received two types of lift cord shroud last week. I’ve been making sample shades and developing sewing techniques that will make the lift cords (the ones on the back of your shade) safe for young children. That will be one of the topics I’ll cover in my next Newsletter. Today I’ll summarize the new Corded Window Treatment Safety Standards and discuss how to make your Operating Cord compliant. All of the information that I am sharing is my own interpretation of the Safety Standards. You are encouraged to read them for yourself if you will be selling Roman style shades.

For those of you in the USA, I’m sure you are looking forward to tomorrow’s Thanksgiving holiday. We are hosting the dinner this year. Our kids live elsewhere, so we're having a fun get-together with good friends.

Roman Shades for Arch Windows

The original arched windows were called Palladian windows. A Palladian window is defined as a three-part window composed of a large, arched central section flanked by two narrower, shorter sections having square tops. This type of window was popular in the 17th and 18th Centuries.There are many ways to cover these windows. One option would be to leave the top of the center arch open. But how do you mount a shade across the span of glass? You can make an inside-mount rectangular shade. Purchase a very "strong" piece of 1 x 2 board, such as oak, ash or maple (not pine). If your window expanse is less than 36", just the board will suffice. If not, you may want to reinforce the board using a flat metal strip that you nail or screw onto the back or top of the board. You mount the board to the sides of the window using angle irons .

You can read about two more ways to cover an arch window at Arch Window Installation Techniques.

Summary of the New Roman Style Shade Safety Standards
The Second Provisional Standard for the Safety of Corded Window Covering Products covers all types of corded window treatments. These include cellular shades, horizontal blinds, pleated shades, roll-up blinds, roller shades, Roman style shades, traverse rods and vertical blinds. The Standard covers both stock and custom products. Since I only make (and teach you how to make) Roman style shades, that is the only area I am going to discuss. I have read the new Standard more times than I like to think about. Here is my summary of what it means to me and to you.

The Standard is meant to encourage the development of devices and fabrication methods that improve the safety of shades.
The Standard no longer tells you how to make the shades, but tells you how to test a shade to verify that it complies with current safety standards.
You first test a shade to see if it has any accessible cords. If the cords are accessible, then you test to see if they will form a hazardous loop. If they do, they are not compliant and should not be sold. Note the word “sold”. You can make shades for your own home, but you need to realize that they are non-compliant.
A hazardous loop means that a combined loop of exposed cord and/or shade fabric can be formed on a properly installed shade by reasonable and foreseeable manipulation of the accessible cord by a young child that would be large enough to fit over their head to create a strangulation hazard. Whew!
A loop of cord/fabric is allowed as long as it is too small to form a hazardous loop.
A single cord (such as a braided operating cord) is allowed as long as a Warning Tag is attached to a shade that you install for a customer.
A permanent label stating the name, city, state and date of manufacture of the US entity responsible for the product must be attached to all corded window treatments that are sold to a customer.
Please note that this is a United States Safety Standard. I have heard that Canada Health is considering adopting the same standard.

I have been specific about the exact Warning Tags required on my web site.

The Big Question is: Who do the new Standards hold responsible for compliance? The answer is YOU. I will be adding this Disclaimer to my web site: The information on this site is for educational purposes only. By following these FREE directions, you will not hold Terrell liable for any damages, loss of fabric, loss of sleep or replacement of teeth due to gnashing and grinding. After all, she has to fend off her own dentist who insists on a night mouth guard, she doesn’t want to deal with yours. You will enjoy your beautiful shades that have been made to comply with the current Corded Window Treatment Safety Standards. If you choose to make your shades using non-compliant methods (which you have every right to do, if the shades are for your own home), you do so with full knowledge of the possible dangers inherent in a product that contains exposed cords.

New Requirement for Operating Cords

The Second Provisional Safety Standard for Corded Window Covering Products lists the following requirements for the Operating Cord (what you pull to raise and lower the shade)

The Operating Cord must meet one or more of the following:

Have no operating cords which are accessible - this means that the lifting mechanism is either motorized, or uses a roller-spring system, much like a roller shade.
Have one or more separate operating cords - a single "cord" can actually be a braided cord containing all of the lift cords, or can be one cord.
Contain a cord release device in the loop or headrail that meets requirements - this requirement does not apply to my on-line directions since I don't use any loop lift systems.
Contain a permanently attached cord retraction device that meets requirements.
Contain a cord shear device that meets requirements.
Contain a cord shroud device that meets requirements.
Contain a cord tension device that meets requirements.

If the Operating Cord contains a cord connector, the exposed loop above the cord connector and the bottom of the headrail shall be less than 3” (7 mm) when the shade is fully lowered (or in the case of a Top-Down shade, fully raised – in other words, when the window is completely covered) AND the shade shall include a Warning Tag when the shade is delivered that states a strangulation hazard will exist when the shade is raised. I use a knot as a cord connector. There are three easy ways to make your Operating Cord compliant:

Tie a knot with all lift cords as they exit the top of the shade, making sure that the knot is less than 3" from the bottom of the headrail. Braid the cords together and attach the ANSI/WCMA 5.2.2 Cord with Cord Connector Warning Tag to the operating cord (if you are selling the shade). This warning tag is available in our Web Store. You should also install a cord cleat.
Tie a knot with all lift cords as they exit the top of the shade, making sure that the knot is less than 3" from the bottom of the headrail. Leave the cords separate and attach the ANSI/WCMA 5.2.2 Cord with Cord Connector Warning Tag to the operating cords (if you are selling the shade). This warning tag is available in our Web Store. You should also install a cord cleat.
Do NOT knot the lift cords together at the top of the shade and leave the cords separate and attach the ANSI/WCMA 5.2.1 Individual Tassel Cords Warning Tag to the operating cords (if you are selling the shade). This warning tag is available in our Web Store. You should also install a cord cleat.

All of the "that meets requirements" involve testing that the cord shear/shroud/tension/retraction device will release or break with 10 pounds of pressure and eliminate a hazardous loop. You will note an interesting point, or at least this is my interpretation of the Standards: Shades cannot contain a hazardous loop that will not break or release with the amount of force that could be applied by a small child. Having a single cord that could potentially be wrapped around one's head is NOT part of the new Standard. The shade cannot have a permanent cord HAZARDOUS LOOP when the shade is in the CLOSED (window fully covered) position . If you are using a cord connector (knot), there is a loop formed when the shade is raised. However, you can easily wrap those cords up out of the way using a cord cleat.

On a sad note, some of you may have noticed the news article on another shade recall on November 10th. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Hanover Direct Inc recalled 495,000 Roman shades and 28,500 roller/roll-up blinds after evaluating a May 2010 strangulation of a toddler in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The child was found hanging from the Operating Cords, which were knotted at the end, forming a permanent loop. We just discussed how to avoid this with your Operating Cords. I don't know why it took so long for this company to recall these shades, which were sold from January 1996 through October 2009. I also don't know how they could notify a customer who bought a shade in 1996. Note that the longest article I found was written by a malpractice attorney.

November 10, 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-11T10:06:00.007-07:00

On September 3rd, the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) came out with the Second Provisional Voluntary Safety Standard for corded window treatments. I’m sure you are all aware that Roman shades are corded treatments. This Standard is in response to the large recall in December 2008 of “stock” shades from large retailers like Target and K-Mart. Rather than wait for outside regulation, the WCMA volunteered to modify its own safety standard. Our Safe Breakaway Lift Rings were in response to the First Provisional Standard. The Second Standard has so many changes that I will be writing about this topic in the next few issues of the Newsletter. A Preview follows, as well as a list of the topics that will be coming in future Newsletters.

Our online Hardware Calculator is a very useful tool for determining the Folding requirements for your shade. We are continually modifying the algorithms as we get feed-back on different shade sizes. A customer recently sent in photographs of her shade that pointed out a quirk of the Calculator.

On a personal note, my husband and I just returned from Boston to visit my son’s family. Grandson Henry is 11 months old and quite the cutie. While we were there, my husband's daughter gave birth to her third child, also a boy. Not so long ago, we were wondering if any of our kids would ever get married, yet alone have children. The safety concerns of my favorite window treatment take on a very personal note when I see how active and curious my grandchildren are. My basic business premise is to make (and teach you how to make) Roman shades that are affordable, easy to construct and beautiful. Now I add to that: safe for your home.

Second Provisional Safety Standard for Corded Window Treatments

I make Roman shades for clients, both interior designers and homeowners. Because of this, I am required to adhere to all Safety Standards connected to my product. Even if I only make one shade per year that I sell, that shade must adhere to those standards. I also teach and write extensive instructions for making shades, which I offer free-of-charge on my web site. I have always been aware that the standards with regard to the safety of corded window treatments are evolving. I just never really thought it applied to me as long as I delivered the shade with a warning about that pesky operating cord since I always use a cord cleat to keep the operating cord up out of the way. As far as my instructions, I note the safety issues for the operating cord in the instructions. So I’m covered and you are too, right? Maybe.

There were times over the last 2 months (always in the middle of the night) that I thought I should just shut down my business. I felt like I was operating an asbestos company. After reading the latest Safety Standards multiple times, listening to numerous Webinars and talking by e-mail and telephone to industry experts on the subject, I’ve concluded that the new Standards are a good thing. You can easily modify your fabrication technique to comply with the new safety standards and be assured that your shades are safe for your clients and your own family. The techniques are evolving and I will do my best to keep you abreast with the best and latest techniques. Yes, you can still make Roman shades with exposed cords. If you sell these shades, you will have to comply with the exposed cord standard by using a cord shroud and limiting the spacing between the lift rings. Yes, you can still make Top-Down shades as long as the Lift Cords and Operating Cord comply. If you make shades for yourself and don’t have small children or the shades aren’t in a room where they play, you can choose whether you want your shades to be compliant with the Safety Standards.

You may have noticed that I am using two terms when I refer to the shade cords: Lift Cords and Operating Cords. This drawing shows the differentiation. The Lift Cords run up the back (window-facing) side of the shade. Once the cords exit the shade at the top, they become the Operating Cords. There are separate Standards for each type of cord. I will be explaining those Standards and how to make your shade compliant in future Newsletters as well as on the Safety Issues for Roman Shades section of my web site.

You can purchase a copy of the Standards for $36 on the Window Covering Manufacturers Association's web site and you can view a read-only copy of the Standards on the Window Coverings Association of America's web site.

Upcoming Newsletter Topics on Corded Window Treatment Safety

Summary of the New Standard
Operating Cords – how to make them compliant
Lift Cords – how to make them compliant
Top-Down Shades - how to make them compliant
Warning Label and Product Origin Requirements
Modifying your Existing Shades to make them Safer
Safety requirements – making shades for yourself
Safety requirements – making shades for others
New lift systems – what is available now and what is being developed

Hardware Calculator Quirk - Long Lower Drop

The online Hardware Calculator is a really valuable tool that you can use to determine perfect folding for your Roman shade. What do I mean by perfect?

Pulls up to your Ideal Stackage length, or very close, to your Ideal Stackage length
Folds up using the minimum number of folds, which also minimizes the quantity of hardware
Leaves room at the top of your shade so that the lifting hardware does not interfere with the last fold of the shade

If you are not familiar with any of the above terms, you can read about how a Roman shade folds in the Instructional section of the web site. The Hardware Calculator uses a set of mathematical algorithms to recommend the correct folding after you input the length of your shade and your desired Stackage. A customer recently identified a quirk in the calculations.

JJ wrote: “I was wondering if you could take a look at the photo of my shade and tell me what I did wrong. They look good except they have a piece that hangs below the fold when they are drawn up. I must have put the first batten in the wrong place, but I used the calculator and put it where I was suppose to (I think??).”

JJ made her shade correctly. Her particular folding resulted in a somewhat longer Lower Drop than required. You can tell how much will hang down past the folds by subtracting the Fold Depth from the Lower Drop. For example, if your Fold Depth is 4" and your Lower Drop is 6", you will have 2" hanging down past the folds. You can always change this by adding to the Top Border the SAME amount that you subtract from the Lower Drop. In the above example, if your original Top Border was 4", you can add 1" to the Top Border and subtract 1" from the Lower Drop. You can do this as long as you do not have a Lower Drop smaller than the fold depth.

We are continually updating the calculator. I have added this issue to the list of things to be fixed. I personally like for the bottom of the shade to hang down 1" or less below the folds. It is always useful to play around with different Stackage values when designing your shade. You should read the web site page on Using the Hardware Calculator for more tips.

Extra Long Lower Drop on Shade

2010-11-08T11:33:00.006-07:00

The online Hardware Calculator is a really valuable tool that you can use to determine perfect folding for your Roman shade. What do I mean by perfect?

1. Pulls up to your Ideal Stackage length, or very close, to your Ideal Stackage length
2. Folds up using the minimum number of folds, which also minimizes the quantity of hardware
3. Leaves room at the top of your shade so that the lifting hardware does not interfere with the last fold of the shade

If you are not familiar with any of the above terms, you can read about how a Roman shade folds in the Instructional section of the web site. The Hardware Calculator uses a set of mathematical algorithms to recommend the correct folding given the length of your shade and your desired Stackage. A customer recently identified a quirk in the calculations.

JJ wrote: “I was wondering if you could take a look at the photo of my shade and tell me what I did wrong. They look good except they have a piece that hangs below the fold when they are drawn up. I must have put the first batten in the wrong place, but I used the calculator and put it where I was suppose to (I think??).”

JJ made her shade correctly. Her particular folding resulted in a somewhat longer Lower Drop than required. You can tell how much will hang down past the folds by subtracting the Fold Depth from the Lower Drop. For example, if your Fold Depth is 4" and your Lower Drop is 6", you will have 2" hanging down past the folds. You can always change this by adding to the Top Border the SAME amount that you subtract from the Lower Drop. In the above example, if your original Top Border was 4", you can add 1" to the Top Border and subtract 1" from the Lower Drop. You can do this as long as you do not have a Lower Drop smaller than the fold depth.

We are continually updating the calculator. I have added this issue to the list of things to be fixed. I personally like for the bottom of the shade to hang down 1" or less below the folds. It is always useful to play around with different Stackage values when designing your shade. You should read the web site page on Using the Hardware Calculator for more tips.

October 27, 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-04T10:04:00.004-06:00

Our first mailing of “Tips from Terrell” was mostly a success. We’re working on figuring out why some messages were flagged as Spam, even though you only received the Newsletter if you signed up. For example, Comcast is famous for blocking e-mail messages from IP addresses that it has deemed to be spammers. It only takes one instance of a perceived Spam message sent from the IP address for Comcast to block all senders. I know, because I have a Comcast account myself. I had to open a G-Mail account so that an important supplier could contact me. It may not help to add TerrellDesigns.com as a friendly site, because the Newsletters are sent by Campaigns.NetSuite.com. I’m working on figuring out how to fix this problem, so stay tuned. You can always read the Newsletters on my Blog. Just click on the Newsletter category in the right-hand column.

I get a lot of questions about techniques for adding internal battens in Roman shades. This issue discusses an aspect that seems to concern home sewers. If you have read my opinionated instructions, you already know that I strongly recommend using internal battens in your Roman shade. These stiffeners are placed in every fold and ensure perfect folding of your shade every time it is raised. No more “dressing” the folds that tend to bunch up on a shade made without battens. Once you have made a shade using internal battens, it would be hard to talk you out of using that technique on future projects.

Battens with Sheer or Light-Colored Fabrics

Nora R of Woodland, California recently sent this question: I am making Roman shades from a beautiful cream colored sheer that looks like loosely woven linen that I will back with an ivory sateen drapery lining. Because the fabric is light and sheer, I am thinking that the battens will show through the fabric. I'm not too worried about having to dress the shades a little bit on the rare occasions that they are lowered. But, if I don't use the battens, will the shades sag in the middle? The widest shade is 82" wide.

It is very possible that you will see a shadow of the battens with a light-colored shade when the sun is shining from the back. The photograph of the beautiful kitchen window shade made by Sue Courtney of Los Lunas, New Mexico illustrates this point. I don't find the effect displeasing, but that is a personal thing. Her shade was made with our off-white battens. You can use the clear battens and the effect will be less noticeable. The clear battens are more expensive and also, more flexible. I prefer to use the off-white battens with wide shades. Read the Blog Entry on this subject for directions on testing your own fabric and lining combination.

In answer to NR’s second question about whether her 82” wide shade will sag in the middle, there is a possibility that her shade will sag if she doesn't use the battens. You do need to use more columns of lift rings without battens. The Hardware Calculator gives you the different number of lift lines by checking or un-checking the “I'm Using Battens” box. For example, an 82" wide shade requires 6 lift lines with battens and 9 lift lines without battens. This is because the rings must be spaced closer without battens to maintain the straight, horizontal folds. Nora decided to use the internal battens on her shades.

First Shade

Charlene B of Hood River, Oregon sent me these photographs of her stunning shades with this message: "Hi Terrell, I have completed my first set of shades & I am thrilled with the results. I want to thank you for putting all of the instructions up on your website. They are so easy to follow & having all the supplies in one place made it a snap."

"As you can see from the pictures, our home is very modern. It is a renovated church with a sort of warehouse feel. The shades are in our Great Room. Since the windows are so large, there isn't much wall space for art; so the shades became the central art pieces. The quilt pattern is one I found from Maple Island Quilts. Every single person who enters our home comments on the shades & I'm working on shades for three of my neighbors."

"Because your instructions are so clear, I didn't have much trouble. The size made the task a little daunting, though. They are each 91" wide by 84" long. I glued the battens & sewed on the lift rings on the floor in a room that didn't feel much bigger than the shade itself! Anyway, here are the results. When the sun comes in behind the shades, they light up like fireworks. Thank you again!!"

Shadowing of Internal Battens with Light Colored Fabrics

2010-10-21T19:43:00.012-06:00

Nora Asks: I'm making Roman shades from a beautiful cream colored sheer that looks like a loosely woven linen that I will back with an ivory Sateen drapery lining. Because the fabric is light and sheer, I am concerned that the battens will show through the fabric. The largest shade is 82" wide, so I feel that I should use battens.

Terrell Says: It is very possible that you will see a shadow of the battens with a light-colored shade when the sun is shining from the back. The photograph above is of a beautiful kitchen window shade made by Sue C or Los Lunas, New Mexico, which illustrates this point. I don't find the effect displeasing, but that is a personal thing. Her shade was made with our off-white battens. You can use the clear battens and the effect will be less noticeable. The clear battens are more expensive and also, more flexible. I prefer to use the off-white battens with wide shades.

You can test your fabric and lining to see if the battens show through. Cut out a small piece of your front fabric and lining. I usually do a 6" by 6" square. Tape a short piece of batten on the back of the decorative fabric.

Now tape the lining on top to complete the sandwich.

Finally tape the sandwich on your window. As you can see from the photograph below of a light-colored cotton front and a muslin lining, the batten is clearly visible. As I said before, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If your lining is heavier, such as ThermalSuede, the effect will be much less noticeable. If you use Blackout lining, there is no need to test, you will NOT see the battens.

If you don't have your battens yet, I will be happy to send you a sample for your test.

Nora Replied: Thanks for sharing your experience. I think the amount that the battens show through is fine. I will use them in my shades. I'll also glue them to the lining, as you suggested on your web site since I am using a loosely woven front fabric.

First Shade - and It's a Large Silk One

2010-10-20T08:13:00.004-06:00

On September 17, 2010, Abra sent this message: Silk shade is finished! I love it and I'm ecstatic! Couldn't have done it without you. It used to intimidate me but I'm so proud! I plan on making five more. Thanks again!

I have corresponding with Abra since April. Our conversations went like this.

April 15, 2010 Abra asks: Do you recommend screw eyes and a cord lock as opposed to several flat pulleys? I like the idea of a locking shade over one that doesn’t.

Terrell replied: This is a matter of personal taste. I prefer the flat pulleys with a cord cleat to hold the shade in place. Many people do prefer a cord lock pulley (1 per shade) used with either screw eyes or flat pulleys.

I’ve found that many home sewers are very comfortable with the sewing part of making a Roman shade but are quite intimidated by the hardware aspect. Some are lucky to have a husband that claims responsibility for making the mounting board. I personally enjoy experimenting with the workings of the shade. A Roman shade utilizes a very simple lifting system requiring only a few hardware items. However, there are always choices to make for your own situation.

Most of the summer passed and I heard from Abra again (we’re getting close to the Fall Decorating Season).

August 1, 2010 Abra asks: I was wondering which size cord I should get for my Classic Roman shades? Is it just personal preference or is it dependent on how thick your fabric is? I was guessing on the middle size. Also, how necessary are the weight rods?

Terrell replied: I always use the medium, weight cord (1.4 mm). The only time I use the narrow cord is for a top-down shade, and the only time I use the thick cord is when the shade has just 2 lift lines. The weight rod is necessary if you are using a cord lock pulley. It needs downward pressure to work. You can try your shade without the weight rod. If it doesn’t lower all of the way when released, then you will need to use a weight rod.

There is lot of information online about how to decide on each option. AH just needed reassurance as she was working up the courage to actually make her shades.

August 24, 2010 AH asks: I wanted your professional opinion: I have two 36" wide windows together to make one giant window in a room. Should I make two shades and have one with cord on the left and the other with the cord on the right, or should I just do one big shade?

Terrell replied: I would make one shade to cover both windows. I've found it much easier to raise and lower one shade each morning and evening, rather than two. It is also hard to make the shades square enough to butt them up properly at the center. If you will be having one shade open, while wanting the other half of the window covered, then you should make two shades.

Abra started sewing her shade the next day. She sent several messages every day for almost a week, asking for guidance, usually followed a few hours later with don’t bother to answer because she had found her answer on the web site.

One very useful tip I gave her involved attaching the internal plastic battens to the silk front fabric. This tip is included in the Blog entry "Glueing Battens inside your Shade". This technique works great on silk shades.

October 13, 2010 "Tips from Terrell" Newsletter

2010-10-19T10:36:00.005-06:00

I love new seasons, and I am enjoying the shorter days and lower temperatures. We had a beautiful, but very hot, summer in Colorado. Even though I have grown children, I still get that back-to-school energy boost. The home decorating industry has two busy seasons, Fall and Spring, which coincide with the end of the holidays. Homeowners are back in their quiet houses, looking around, and planning their next decorating project. I have a Roman shade partially designed for the family room. Now that summer is over, I’ve vowed to finish the design, sew the shade and have it installed before the Holidays. I’m sure many of you have similar intentions.

I also seem to re-visit my business goals this time of year. I have three more months to complete some action items before the end of the year. This Newsletter has been on my Need to Do list for quite some time. I’m excited to send out this first issue. I have many wonderful conversations with customers, both on the telephone and by e-mail which I would like to share with all of you. Why give out individual advice on my favorite subject of Roman shades, when I can inform all of you?

Cord Drops

I have been spending many hours measuring, photographing and documenting a new set of cord drops. I once had an assistant who routinely suggested new products that he felt I should sell in our online store. I would nod and say That’s a great idea, Randy. He had no idea of the many steps I take before adding a new item: locate product, locate suppliers, use product on several shades, measure dimensions, take photographs, write instructions on how to use product, order inventory, etc., etc. There is a high threshold of pain that has to be surmounted for me to actually add a new product!

So on to the cord drops. My very favorite cord drop of all time was discontinued by my supplier over three years ago. I purchased all of their stock, but I finally ran out last summer. I went searching for an alternate cord drop that was the same size, weight and color. I have another supplier who is absolutely great and they had some manufactured for me. We ended up with an all-metal cord drop. The samples I examined were chrome. That is a very popular finish, but I also wanted white and antique bronze. After a 3-month wait, I received 1,000 of each color. I have updated and expanded the information on cord drops. You can read all about the new cord drops and how to thread a cord drop.

Cord Drop Tips

Braid all of the lift cords and insert the ends into the top of the cord drop, knot the cords together and pull the cord up into the body of the drop.
Match the color of the cord drop to either the lift cord or to other hardware in your room.
Make sure all of the cords will fit into the drop. We have a handy chart online detailing the minimum and maximum number of cords for each cord drop.

First Shade

On September 17, 2010, AH sent this message: Silk shade is finished! I love it and I'm ecstatic! Couldn't have done it without you. It used to intimidate me but I'm so proud! I plan on making five more. Thanks again!

I have corresponding with AH since April. Our conversations went like this.

April 15, 2010 AH asks Do you recommend screw eyes and a cord lock as opposed to several flat pulleys? I like the idea of a locking shade over one that doesn’t.

I replied: This is a matter of personal taste. I prefer the flat pulleys with a cord cleat to hold the shade in place. Many people do prefer a cord lock pulley (1 per shade) used with either screw eyes or flat pulleys.

I’ve found that many home sewers are very comfortable with the sewing part of making a Roman shade but are quite intimidated by the hardware aspect. Some are lucky to have a husband that claims responsibility for making the mounting board. I personally enjoy experimenting with the workings of the shade. A Roman shade utilizes a very simple lifting system requiring only a few hardware items. However, there are always choices to make for your own situation.

Most of the summer passed and I heard from AH again (we’re getting close to the Fall Decorating Season).

August 1, 2010 AH asks I was wondering which size cord I should get for my Classic Roman shades? Is it just personal preference or is it dependent on how thick your fabric is? I was guessing on the middle size. Also, how necessary are the weight rods?

I replied: I always use the medium, weight cord (1.4 mm). The only time I use the narrow cord is for a top-down shade, and the only time I use the thick cord is when the shade has just 2 lift lines. The weight rod is necessary if you are using a cord lock pulley. It needs downward pressure to work. You can try your shade without the weight rod. If it doesn’t lower all of the way when released, then you will need to use a weight rod.

There is lot of information online about how to decide on each option. AH just needed reassurance as she was working up the courage to actually make her shades.

August 24, 2010 AH asks Hello. I wanted your professional opinion: I have two 36 wide windows together to make one giant window in a room. Should I make two shades and have one with cord on the left and the other with the cord on the right, or should I just do one big shade?

I replied: I would make one shade to cover both windows. I've found it much easier to raise and lower one shade each morning and evening, rather than two. It is also hard to make the shades square enough to butt them up properly at the center. If you will be having one shade open, while wanting the other half of the window covered, then you should make two shades.

AH started sewing her shade the next day. She sent several messages every day for almost a week, asking for guidance, usually followed a few hours later with don’t bother to answer because she had found her answer on the web site.

One very useful tip I gave her involved attaching the internal plastic battens to the silk front fabric. You can click on the photograph of her shade at the beginning of this section to read about painting the glue to the battens. This technique works great on silk shades.

Top-Down Shade with No Valance

2010-08-11T09:17:00.006-06:00

Lyn Asks: is it possible to make a Top-Down/Bottom-Up Roman shade without a valance? I am not crazy about valances but like the look of the Roman shade. Some of the pictures on your site look like there may be some type of cover included in the shade. A fold over perhaps. You have a great website. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge.

Terrell Says: you can make an inside-mount Top-Down/Bottom-Up shade without a valance. This customer wanted a minimalist look. You do see the hardware, which in this case are screw eyes screwed directly into the top of the window opening and a cord cleat. The photograph is pretty low resolution so the lifting items are hard to see. The pull cord is on the left side of the window. The cord cleat is 1/3rd of the way down the window and the cord pull is near the bottom of the window. When the shade is pulled all of the way up, the hardware is covered.

You can make your own Top-Down shade using our free online directions (http://www.terrelldesigns.com/Instructions/Make-a-Top-Down-Bottom-Up-Roman-Shade). Attach your hardware to the inside top of your window opening rather than to the mounting board.

Tips for Gluing Internal Battens in Roman Shades

2010-07-21T09:56:00.004-06:00

I always use internal battens in my shades. They are placed at both the Up Folds (where the lift rings are sewn) and the Down Folds (half-way between each row of lift rings). I never have to “dress” my folds, they pull up cleanly every time.

My first attempt at fixing the “dressing” problem involved stitching parallel horizontal lines across the shade to make a Batten Pocket. I had two issues with this approach. First, I am not a particularly accurate sewer and my stitch lines looked free-drawn, rather than neat and straight. Second, the battens (actually, rather large wooden dowels) would work themselves out over time and have to be shoved back inside. Shortly after this, I was attending a Trade Show for Window Treatment Fabrication when I found the plastic battens. They were small in diameter and extendable using splints. I don’t know why, but as I was examining a sample, I thought I would try and glue them inside the shade. I tried this on my next project and was totally amazed at how easy the process was and how effective the smaller battens were.

For the first fifteen years of making Roman shades, I was definitely in a fabric rut. I always used high-quality cottons which I purchased either at a quilt fabric store or a decorator fabric store. I didn’t trust blends and I was uncomfortable using “shiny” fabrics because they seemed rather slick and hard to handle. Because I was sticking with cottons, I never had a problem with the gluing technique, which involves placing small dots of glue on the back side of the decorative fabric and then laying the batten across the line of glue dots. Complete instructions on this technique can be found at http://www.terrelldesigns.com/Instructions/Make-a-Classic-Roman-Shade/Attach-Internal-Battens. I also have a YouTube video on the technique at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OGs6uHoSz0. This photograph shows one batten at the bottom weighted with books and two rows of glue dots ready for battens to be applied.

Many of you are attracted to discount fabric stores. After all, one of the reasons you may be going to the trouble to make your own Roman shades is to save money. Many of the inexpensive decorator fabrics are acetate or polyester. You can usually spot them because they are shiny. These fabrics react differently to my favorite batten glue, Aleene’s Jewel-It. The glue can bleed through to the front of the fabric and leave a stain. Not a good thing. I have found a different glue that is better with polyester fabrics. It is Aleene’s Fabric Fusion. I recommend that you test the glue on your fabric if it is not 100% cotton. This also applies to loosely woven linen.

To test, take a small piece of fabric, about a 5” square. If you have a plastic batten, cut a 5” piece. If you don’t have a batten, you can use a small stick, about 1/8” to ¼” in diameter. I now check the results three ways: dots of Aleene’s Jewel-It (AJI), dots of Aleene’s Fabric Fusion (AFF) and AFF “painted” on a batten. The photograph shows the three techniques on the back side of an almost-sheer, “shiny” fabric. It is difficult to read the labeling, it says, from top to bottom: AFF Painted, AJI (middle) and AFF (bottom). It is VERY important to lay a heavy book on top of the battens to simulate the actual gluing process. Don’t just lay the test batten pieces on top of the glue. Let the glue dry for at least 4 hours.

As you can see from the photograph of the front side of this fabric, the Jewel-It left noticeable stains (just below the white woven design). The Fabric Fusion dots left little puckers (near the bottom of the sample). The painted-on Fabric Fusion left no noticeable trace (you can see a slight indention right at the top of the sample). I use a small artist brush and squeeze a glob of glue onto a piece of cardboard or wax paper. One customer commented on his silk Roman shade: “You helped me figure out about gluing the silk fabric to the battens. Fabric Fusion worked great when I painted it on the battens with a paint brush. Sometimes I brushed over and over on the battens to make sure there weren't any globs of glue on them before I pressed them to the fabric.”

I’m sure that you are now wondering why I go to all of the trouble of gluing the battens inside. You can use other techniques, such as sewing parallel lines, making pockets, or purchasing rib-tubing which you sew or iron on the back of the shade. I really like the way the battens look (actually they are usually invisible) when they are glued inside. It is an easy technique and takes much less time than any of the alternatives. One bottle of glue will make dozens of shades, so it is also less expensive than purchasing rib-tubing.

Blackout Lining Tips

2010-06-18T10:11:00.004-06:00

Janice asks: I finished my Roman shades and we got them up and they work really well. However, when I sewed the shade tape on for the battens, it now shows sunlight through them like little dots. What can I do?

Terrell replies: On my web site, I recommend that you test first if you are sewing lines across a shade lined with Blackout lining. If you have only a few holes on each seam, you can use our white paint marker (http://www.terrelldesigns.com/Shop-for-Roman-Shade-Hardware/Lining-Supplies/White-Paintmarker) to fill the holes. If you have mucho holes, you will want to glue a piece of Blackout lining to the back, covering up the seams. Several of my customers have done this, with good results.

Liza asks: I am happy with my shades except for one thing - at each place I sewed a lift ring, the light shines through! When the shades are down and the sun is shining, I have bright little dots coming through my shades. I have many more windows for which to make shades. Is there any way to avoid this resuilt?

Terrell replies: Try the white paint marker.

Most Roman shades are backed with a drapery lining. The reasons are that a high quality drapery lining will provide:

protection from ultraviolet light, both for the decorative fabric on the front of the shade and for your furniture and floors
stability to your shade
a means to “hide” the internal parts of the shade, such as battens (which are placed between the front fabric and the lining) and the weight rod (which is placed in the hem of the lining)

In addition, linings can provide:

insulation, both from heat in the summer and cold in the winter
sound muffling
room-darkening properties

If you desire the last property, room-darkening, you will be using a Blackout lining. This lining is used when you want to completely block out the light coming in a window and is commonly used in bedrooms and home theaters.

My favorite Blackout lining is RocLon Budget Blackout. It is a tightly woven fabric that is backed with a thin layer of insulating foam. The fabric is 70% polyester and 30% cotton. The foam backing contains an extra “black” layer that blocks the light. The lining is non-porous and will not crack, peel or bubble. After talking to a sales representative at a trade show, I switched from the highest-quality Blackout to the Budget Blackout. The Sales Rep told me that the room-darkening qualities are the same for both linings, but the Budget version is lighter weight and less expensive. Sounds like a deal to me.

Blackout lining requires special consideration when making a Roman shade. You want to be careful if you “top-stitch” through the lining. A sewing machine needle can make a large enough hole for light to shine through. The first (and only) time that I noticed this was when I made a mistake, ripped out a seam and re-used the lining for another project. I could see the original line of stitch holes. However, I just made a sample to illustrate this property, and I did not get any light leaks. My guess is that my needle was old when I had the original problem. Given this property, here are several tips:

Use a new, sharp needle, the smaller the better. I use a Size 14.
Test first. If you are sewing parallel lines across the shade for batten pockets, take a small piece of front fabric and sew it to a small piece of Blackout lining then hold the sample up to the window to check for light leaks.
If you are using ring tape or rib tubing, make a small sample and hold it up to the window.
If you are joining panels of lining for a wide shade, press your seam to one side, rather than open.
Don’t sew on your lift rings by using the zig-zag function on your sewing machine. You’ll create a nice large hole on both sides of each ring. I hand-sew my rings and I am not very accurate at getting the needle in the same location for each stitch. It turns out this is a good thing for Blackout lining. I’ve never had a light-leak at my lift ring locations.

If you do end up with a few holes, you can purchase a Paint Marker at http://www.terrelldesigns.com/ made specifically for the purpose of filling the holes.

You should NOT use Jewel-It or Fabric Fusion glues on the foam side of Blackout lining. It is recommended that you glue your battens to the front fabric, but some customers prefer to glue them to the lining. Both of these glues interact with the blackout layer and can cause a portion of the lining to peel off. Not good!

Shades for a Bay Window

2010-05-24T07:36:00.003-06:00

Kris asks: I have attached a picture of a bay window which I want to cover with Roman shades, probably a Top-Down/Bottom-Up (TDBU) shade. Would you recommend one large shade to cover all the window of the bay, or three individual shades? The window's overall width is 87" and the length is 52".

Terrell replies: I would use three shades for this window. If you use one large shade, you will lose the architectural detail of the bay. If you make TDBU shades, cover the headrail with a very short valance, say 4" long. It looks like you currently have three roller shades installed in these windows. I would mount the TDBU shades where the blinds are now. I have complete, free directions for making TDBU shades on my website beginning on this page: http://www.terrelldesigns.com/Instructions/Make-a-Top-Down-Bottom-Up-Roman-Shade.

Shade Sags in the Center

2010-01-04T14:22:00.010-07:00

Carly asks: I am writing from Australia and I wanted to say thank you for providing such concise instructions for making the Classic Roman shade. I am a novice when it comes to sewing, but with careful measurements and a slow, slow approach, I have completed my first shade! It looks great and I am very proud of myself. Everyone who sees the shade asks if I can make some for them.

The only problem I had with it was the bottom hem seems to be curved a bit, which is odd, as I measured the finished drop a million times as I progressed through the steps. It was perfect every time until after I glued the ribs on and turned the shade right-side out. Could you please share some wisdom with me about this? I guess you have come across loads of different issues over your many years of experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would love to know how to fix this, and not mess up the next one.

Terrell Replies: There are two things that may be causing your shade to sag in the middle. In the below examples, I am assuming that you have three lift cords. If you have more, follow the directions for all of your center (not the side) lift rings and cords.

1. The bottom lift ring in the middle of the shade may not be sewn in the correct position. Measure from the bottom of the shade to each lift ring. I always carry a seam ripper, needle and thread with me when I install shades as this is a common problem. You may need to move the center ring down a bit.

2. The lift cords may be tied-off unevenly. Unknot the cords at the top of the shade, locate the center cord and pull on it until the bottom of your shade is even. Now carefully knot all of the cords together.

Carly Fixes her Problem: Thank you for your reply! I have measured the distance from the bottom of the shade to the first lift ring and they varied by about 1 centimeter on one side, and half a centermeter on the other side...so I have ajusted accordingly, and it is much better!! Still not totally straight, but I think the weight rod will pull the sides down after the shade has been hanging awhile, and when I hang the shade, I will adjust the pull cords so they are even....I think that will make them just about perfect! THANKYOU!!

Again, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for providing such detailed instructions for making roman blinds!! By the time we make all of our window coverings my husband and I will have saved Thousands of dollars, which means so much to us as a single income family with two small children :)

Swag Bottom Roman Shade

2009-05-19T08:56:00.003-06:00

Karen Asks: Wow, thanks Terrell for providing such a comprehensive guide to making Roman shades! I live in Australia, and am interested in adding a swag base(attached picture) to a Roman blind, Do you have any hints, tips or instructions for this particular design?

Terrell Says: It looks like the "swag" is permanent (and very pretty). You should make this as an outside mount shade. Make sure the swag hangs below the window opening when the shade is down.

You will have to play around with the online Hardware Calculator to get the correct folding results. The difference between the Lower Drop and the Fold Depth is the part that "hangs down" when the shade is pulled up. This is called the Retracted Border. Looking at the photograph you sent, you will want the Retracted Border to be at least as long as the Fold Depth. That means the Lower Drop should be about twice the Fold Depth. Another way to approach the folding would be to pretend the shade will drop to 1" below the window opening. Use the Hardware Calculator to determine the best folding to acheive the Stackage you want. Now, add the Fold Depth to the Shade Length.

You can follow the online directions for making a Classic shade. The Modified Lower Drop is now the "added Fold Depth" plus the Lower Drop calculated by the Hardware Calculator. Sew on the lift rings per the online instructions. Now you need to make the swag. Sew two tabs in your front fabric and stitch the tops so that they will be hidden by the first fold when raised. Be sure to turn the raw edges under because they will be visible when the shade is lowered. Place each tab the same distance in from the side of the shade as the swag length. Lay your shade on a working surface with the fabric side up. Pull the tabs to the back of the shade and dress the shag. Pin the tabs in place and turn the shade over and whip stitch the back side of the tabs in place.

Also, you should place the weight rod into a fabric sleeve (which matches your lining) and whip stitch it to the lining at just below the bottom row of lift rings. Cut the weight rod about 1/2" shorter than the width of the shade so that the sides don't pull in.

Here is an example: Your window is 33" wide and 60" long. A typical outside mount shade would be 37" wide (2" extension on each side) and 65" long (4" extra at the top and 1" extra at the bottom). I use the Online Hardware Calculator to determine the folding. I specify Finished Shade Width = 37", Finished Shade Length = 65", Ideal Stackage = 10", Battens = Yes, Cord Lock = No. My Fold Depth is 5.5" (11" between lift rings), number of folds is 10, Lower Drop is 7". Adding the Fold Depth to the Lower Drop, my Modified Lower Drop is 12.5". This is were I place my first (bottom) row of lift rings. I must also add the Fold Depth to the Shade Length, so I will make my shade 65" + 5.5" = 70.5" long. You actually cut the front fabric 8" longer than that, per the online directions (and 2" wider).

Stackage for Two Windows in Same Room

2009-03-30T10:10:00.005-06:00

Nancy Asks: I have a window over my sink---41.25" wide and 41.25" long (square). On the same wall, in the eating area, there is a bay window with a window seat--not used as a seat, it has plants on it. The Bay has 2 narrow windows 15.5" wide and 58.5" long and one window in the center that is 39.25" wide and 58.5" long. The Hardware Calculator on your web site calculated for the bay window, that the Stackage would be 9", the # of folds 12, and the fold depth 4.125". On the window over my sink, (41.25" x 41.25") it calculated : Stackage 8", # of folds 14, and fold depth 2.375". My question is: will the fold depth look odd, if one window has a 4.125" depth, and the other a 2.375" depth?

Terrell Says: Having a similar Stackage for the two shades is more important than having the same fold depth. However, I don't like the fact that your sink shade has 14 folds. I suggest that you have a Stackage of 8.75". This brings the number of folds down to 10, with a fold depth of 3.25". (The calculator is kind of quirky. You have to input an Ideal Stackage of 8.25" to get these numbers.)

Now you have the following:
Sink Shade: Stackage 8.75", Fold Depth 3.25", Number of folds 10.
Bay Window Shades: Stackage 9", Fold Depth 4.125", Number of folds 12.

I always try to get the least number of folds. Sometimes you can add only a quarter-inch to the Stackage and get two less folds.

Building Self Confidence when Sewing for Others

2009-01-07T13:21:00.003-07:00

Teresa asks: I have just now found your web site. I love it. I wanted to ask you a question since you sew professionally. How do you get your self-confidence up about your sewing and ability to know what you are doing? I know how to sew blinds and curtains but I'm always afraid of messing up someone else's fabric especially when they tell me how much money it cost them. When I go to hang the finished treatment, I'm always afraid something will go wrong or be wrong with what I have made. How do you shake the jitters?

Terrell says: I never have gotten over the jitters when I make a shade for a customer. Just wait until you sew for an interior designer! One of my earliest projects with a designer resulted in my having to lengthen multiple valances by 1/4" because they were too short. Now I measure, measure and measure. I also jump every time the telephone rings for several weeks after I'm installed the job. I'm convinced it will be my customer calling to say there is a problem with the shades.

I'm much better now than when I startied out 14 years ago. I print out cleaning instructions for my shades, beginning with a paragraph about their "hand-made, custom" window treatment. I point out that there may be slight irregularities in hems, seams, etc. and that this adds to their charm. This sets the stage and seems to make clients less critical. You're going to have complainers and you're going to make things the wrong size. Every seamstress does. I found that I made more mistakes several years after starting my business since I thought I'd finally learned how to do things right. Now I seldom goof and I even have the nerve to call a client a week after installing treatments and asking if everything is okay. The call is really hard to make, but I sleep better after I've done it.

If you act like a professional (and you do have to "act" in the beginning), then your customers will treat you like one. Just remember that you are offering a very valuable service. Very few people know how to sew and you are giving them the custom look they want. Good luck with your business.

Increasing Shade Cutting Width for Heavy Fabrics

2009-01-07T12:34:00.003-07:00

Katie asks: I am wondering about your note on your web site to add 1/4" to the cut fabric width if using a heavy fabric. I do plan on using an upholstery/decor fabric, so I'm wondering when I type in my dimensions to the Hardware Calculator do I add that 1/4" or do I just add it when measuring my fabric? I am trying to avoid all mess ups!

Terrell says: You type in the desired Finished Shade Width in the Hardware Calculator. This will give you the recommended number of folds and your hardware requirements for your shade. You need to ADD 1/4" to the cut width of both the front fabric and lining in order for your sewn shade to end up the correct dimension when using heavy fabrics and/or blackout lining. This is because it is nearly impossible to press the side seam completely flat with thick fabrics. By adding 1/4" to the cut width, you eliminate this problem. This is especially important if you are making an Inside Mount shade. You already have extra fabric at the top of the shade, so you don't need to make an adjustment in the cut length.

Inside Mount Shade on Small Depth Window Trim

2008-12-15T11:17:00.017-07:00

Sandy asks: My window has beautiful woodwork so I want to make an Inside Mount Roman shade. You recommend using a 1x2 board for the headrail. I just measured my window and I have less than 1-1/2" depth. How can I do an inside mount? (Sandy has noted the area where she wants to mount her shade in the photograph.)

Terrell says: A 1x2 board is actually smaller than 1" by 2". A larger piece of wood is scribed in 1" intervals and 2" intervals. Because of the width of the saw blade used to cut it into the final 1x2 boards, the actual dimensions are usually 3/4" by 1-3/4". The typical inside mount arrangement is for the mounting board to be placed in a "projected" configuration, screwed into the inside top of the window opening.

You still have a problem with an inside mount since the depth of your trim where you want to install your shade is only 1-1/2" deep. Looking at the photograph you sent of the entire window, I am assuming that you will be making one large Roman shade. That is the recommended approach for a window like yours with multiple panes in one decorative wood frame.

I have made many shades for similar windows. One of my favorite can be seen below. It is made of four fabrics. You can see when the shade is raised that the light-tan fabric is pieced to mimic the wood trim separating the three windows.

I used a 1x2 mounted "flat" on this window. You use a 3" wood or drywall screw that will extend a little over 1" past the mounting board into the window trim. I pre-drill the hole all the way through the 2" side of the board. Just be careful to drill perpendicular to the board as you don't have much latitude for angling the screw. Another option is to use a 1"x1" board. They are more expensive than a 1x2, so I usually don't bother unless the hardware will be visible from outside the window mounted on a 1x2.

Purchasing Fabric

2008-10-20T09:04:00.005-06:00

Erin asks: I'm hoping you can help me determine how much front fabric to purchase.

Terrell says: It is best to take your pattern to the fabric store with you. (Directions for sketching your own pattern can be found at: http://www.terrelldesigns.com/howto-plandesign.htm). Fabrics come is many different widths. Quilting cottons are usually 40" to 45" wide. Decorator fabrics are often 54" wide, but may also be 48" wide. You may purchase a fabric with a "repeat" and need to account for centering it across your shade. The clerks at the fabric store are usually more than willing to help you determine the amount of fabric you need.

If your shade is narrow (less than 38" wide), you will only need to buy one length (Finished Shade Length plus 8" for a Classic Roman shade or plus 10" for a Top-Down shade). If your shade is wider, you might have to join two or more lengths. There are no hard and fast rules since each shade is a different dimension and each bolt of fabric is a different width. Be sure you measure the "use-able width", not the selvage-to-selvage width. It is recommended that you place the length of the fabric so that it runs vertical on your shade. Your shade will look better if you place a full width of fabric in the center of the shade. I ALWAYS cut the side panels several inches wider than required, sew the vertical seams (use a 1/4" seam allowance and press the seams to the outside). Then I trim the shade to the correct cut width.

Bottom Weight Rod

2008-10-20T08:37:00.003-06:00

Diane asks: At which point in the shade construction process do I add the bottom weight rod? I just want to clarify that I add the weight rod before I sew the lining to the front fabric at the sides.

Terrell says: No, you don't insert the weight rod before you sew the side seams. The very last step is to add the weight rod. You cut a small hole in the hem of the lining and drop in the rod. I usually wait until I've installed the shade to do it.

Using a hack saw, cut the weight rod 1.25" shorter than the Finished Width of your shade. File off any burrs. Using a seam ripper, cut a small slit near the top of the lining hem on the inside of the shade. Be sure to only cut through 1 or 2 layers (there are 3 layers of lining in the hem). Drop the weight rod into the lining hem. If you are using Thermalsuede or Blackout lining, there is no need to close the opening since they don't ravel. If you are using a woven lining, you can use Fray Check. I like to leave the small hole so that I can remove the rod if necessary.

Why do you need a weight rod? A weight rod in the bottom of the shade does two things. First, it makes the shade hang better. Second, it makes the shade fall down correctly. If you don't use a weight rod (or you use one that is too light, such as a wooden dowel rod), your shade will tend to "catch" before it is all the way down. You (and the neighbor's kids with sticky hands) will be pulling the bottom of the shade down the last 5-10 inches. So add that weight rod to make it fall nicely.

Roman Shades on High Trapezoid Windows

2008-09-29T12:13:00.008-06:00

Anne Asks: Our family recently moved into an A-frame house in the bluffs south of La Crosse, Wisconsin. The house is about 5 years old, and has beautiful woodwork around the windows. I am planning on accentuating the woodwork with inside mounted Roman shades. I can hardly wait to get started!Looking around the house, there is one problem area. I absolutely LOVE my big A-frame windows, but unfortunately, they are facing West, and during the summer afternoons, our open concept dining room and kitchen can become quite bright and extremely HOT!!! I am attaching a photo of the windows, and am asking for your advice. My first thought was to put Roman shades on the two large rectangular windows, but I am not sure if it is feasible to run cords down the length of the wall? Would it look tacky? Would it put more stress on the cords and would they end up breaking? I saw your designs for the trapezoid windows and was amazed! If I can figure out something for the large rectangular windows, I even thought of including the trapezoids. Please take a look at the photo and let me know what you think.

Terrell Says: Thank you for the photograph. It makes it so much easier to answer your question. You can definitely put inside mount shades on the rectangular upper windows. I have done similar installations, with the lift cord extending down from the shades to about shoulder level. Since you have white walls, the cord won't be obtrusive. And no, there is not any more stress on the cord than if you have a regular installation. Be sure to purchase enough cord for all of the lift lines to extend well past the bottom of the shade.

If you make trapezoid shades, the upper triangular windows will always be covered. You might like the look, but you also might miss the extra light and warmth in the winter. You probably know the exposure in the winter, so take that into consideration. The photographs just below show four beautiful shades made by Elizabeth DeNoble of Plains, Montana. Her windows have a very shallow peak, where yours have a sharp peak. More of your windows will be covered if you make trapezoid shades, instructions for which are available on my web site.

Another option would be to make a "frame" that fits into the triangular windows, then staple (or Velcro) a "shade" onto the frame. You can insert these fake shades into the triangular windows in the summer and remove them in the winter. I've done that, also. It works quite well, as long and you have a good storage place for them in the winter.

I would print 3 copies of your photograph of the windows and color in the inside-mount rectangular shade along with the 3 options for the upper triangular windows (nothing, insert, trapezoid shade). Then you can decide.

Aspens in Aspen

2008-09-29T12:02:00.007-06:00

I just returned from a wonderful weekend in Aspen, Colorado with my best childhood friend, Pam, her husband Mike and my husband Ned. We bicycled and hiked, surrounded by the changing aspen trees. Whenever we passed a particularly beautiful group of trees Pam would exclaim: "That looks just like your shades!". My reply was always "The trees inspired my shades, my shades didn't inspire the trees". I love to get away from the studio and the computer. It always gets me excited to create another beautiful shade when I return.

The photo above shows Ned, myself and Pam hiking above Ashcroft outside of Aspen. The photographs below show a shade I designed and made in 2006. You can see more photographs of this shade in the gallery my web site.

Installing Shades on Metal Windows

2008-09-26T12:56:00.003-06:00

Jan Asks: I'm going to put up Roman shades on vinyl window casings. What do I need to use (screws, anchors) to attach these?

Terrell Says: I always use sheet metal screws on vinyl-clad windows. You actually have metal windows, with a vinyl coating on the outside. The metal screws make a very small hole and securely hold your mounting board. I have never had to use an anchor, which is sometimes necessary whenyou attach a shade to the wall.

Length of Each Lift Cord

2008-09-12T10:18:00.005-06:00

Jane Asks: Using a Simplicity pattern, I am making my first Roman Shades. I've not spared any expense with the fabric, which is beautiful, and I've gotten to where I've threaded the cording through the rings. I made my first mistake when I cut all the different lengths of cording the same lengths. Of course, now that I have it all threaded and brought to the side of the shade, I realize each length of cording should have been different in order to be the same length when brought to the side. My question is (and my pattern doesn't say a thing about this), how do you determine the different lengths to cut your cording prior to threading through the rings?

Terrell Says: I use one continuous length of cord. I make the headrail and then lay it next to the top of the shade, which is upside down on a work surface. I thread one lift line and then cut the cord. Directions are here: http://www.terrelldesigns.com/Instructions/Make-a-Classic-Roman-Shade/Sew-Lift-Rings-on-Classic-Shade.

The lengths of the cords vary depending upon how much of the width of the shade they have to traverse to come out the side.

Mounting a Shade on a French Door

2008-09-08T12:48:00.015-06:00

Terri Asks: Which way would you recommend to mount the headrail on a wooden french door? Screw the board directly into the door through the board or use L brackets?

Terrell Says: I use drywall screws and go directly through the mounting board into the door. You can also use wood screws. The board is mounted "flat" so that the shade hangs close to the door. The photograph at the left shows a shade mounted on a French door. The shade is attached to the board with Velcro. I unmated the Velcro when I took the picture. You can see the screw in the board, just below the Velcro.

This photograph is a close-in shot of the screw. I always use a screw with a flat head so that it doesn't interfer with the lift cords.

Take your mounting board (I always use a 1x2 board) to the hardware store and pick screws that project about 3/4" past the board.

Hobbled Shade

2008-08-27T10:40:00.002-06:00

Lorna asks: I was in a home yesterday that had Roman shades and when they were down there were equally spaced folds, I would guess six inches from bottom of one fold to bottom of next fold. I loved the look rather than the flat shade that I have usually seen when the shade is down. I am about to make shades or curtains for an entire house and would love to make Roman shades like those for most of the windows. Can you instruct me on how to get that look?

Terrell says: The shades you describe are called "Hobbled Shades". I have very brief directions on my web site at:
http://terrelldesigns.com/faqs-variations.htm#Hobbled.

Please understand that I have never made one of these shades, since I prefer the Classic (what you call flat) shade. Many of the home sewers who visit my web site do make these shades. You can even make a top-down hobbled shade, as is shown below.

Shades made by S. Hansen.

Lining Fabric Too Narrow

2008-08-27T10:00:00.012-06:00

Cherie asks: First of all I want to thank you for giving excellent instructions on making Roman shades, but I have encountered an obstacle. I am trying not to seam as I think my fabrics are wide enough to get by with adjusting the cut size. Here's my thought process.

Finished size of shade = 55" wide x 53" long. The length doesn't present a problem but I am making adjustments on the width. My top fabric is a micro suede material and is 58-1/2" (not including the 1/4" selvage on each side) plenty for my 55" Finished Shade Width + 2" for the side seams. My drapery lining is 55" from edge to edge (there is no selvage), which is short 1" for my 55" + 1" required cut width.

My thoughts are that I can borrow from the front an additional 1" (55" +3") to make up for the 1" shortage of the lining. Sewing it the way instructed in your video would still give me a 55" finished width. Will this work? Am I not allowing for something that I need to consider?

Terrell says: Yes, your calculations are correct. You can add 1" to the cut width of the front fabric and subtract 1" from the cut width of the lining and end up with the correct Finished Shade Width. However, you will have 3/4" wrap-around on each side of the front fabric.

This is the recommended side seam method. The front fabric is cut 1" wider than the lining so that it wraps 1/4" to the back of the shade on each side.

This is your proposed side seam method. Your front fabric is cut 3" wider than the lining, so it wraps 3/4" to the back of your shade on each side.

If you are making an outside mount shade, no problem. If you are making an inside mount shade, look at your window trim and decide if this wraparound will be covered. The 3/4" might fade if it is exposed to the sun. It also might show from the outside of the window.

You came up with a great solution to your problem. Congratulations on getting the math correct. There is another way to solve this problem. You can turn your lining sideways and make a seam near the bottom of the shade. For a Finished Shade Width and Length of 55" by 53", your lining needs to be cut to 56" x 61". Take a 56" long piece of your lining (which is 55" wide). Now cut a second 56" long piece, then trim the 55" width down to 6.5". Sew the two pieces together using a 1/2" seam. Press the seams to one side. You now have a horizontal seam that will be 6" above the bottom of your lining. Fold on this line for your bottom hem.

Of course you are wondering why you should purchase 56" more inches of lining to do this. I do it all of the time because I make many shades and save all of my lining scraps. I always have yards and yards of 8" to 14" wide pieces of lining looking for a project. If you are planning on making more shades, this may be a solution for you.

Putting Battens in an Unlined Roman Shade

2008-08-20T14:45:00.039-06:00

Julie asks: I’m making Roman shades using drapery panels that I purchased at a discount store. They are already lined – permanently with an adhered backing. I'd like to use the internal battens that assure the shade folds up properly. Can you tell me how to make pockets for the battens?

Terrell says: It will take more fabric to make pockets, so be sure that you purchase enough. I normally recommend adding 8" to the Finished Length of the shade. You will also have to add 1" for each pocket. If your shade has six folds, you will need to begin with a panel that is an extra 6 x 1" = 6" longer, or a total of 14" longer than your Finished Length.

The first step is to hem the fabric at the bottom using a double 3" fold. Second, you “hem” the sides of the shade before making batten pockets. Turn EACH edge in ½” twice (for a total of 1”) and then top-stitch through all layers.

Starting at the bottom of the shade, mark the Lower Drop. Measure ¾" above that line and make another line. These two lines will be matched and sewn together to make a pocket. Now you measure up the Fold depth, and repeat marking the pocket lines. You can use straight pins or a pen to mark the pocket lines. The lines will be covered up with your stitching.

Stitch the pockets by folding the RIGHT SIDE to RIGHT SIDE, matching the pocket lines. Be sure to backstitch at each end.

Finish making your shade using the online directions at our web site. Slip the battens into each pocket and whipstitch the openings closed.