One of the classiest window treatments out there is the Roman blind, or Roman shade. It is a simple but elegant design, featuring a long piece of fabric that is gathered with the use of wooden dowels and string to create a gathered look that is both formal and simple.

 

Though making a Roman blind is a little complicated, it is possible to make them yourself. The key is to plan carefully and measure well before beginning your project.

 

Almost any kind of fabric can be used to make a Roman blind, from plain, informal cotton to showy velvet or brocade. Whatever the design or level or formality in your room, you can design a shade that will be practical as well as

beautiful

.

 

A Roman blind is typically mounted inside the window frame and is often hung with a valence above it. You can also mount the blind outside the window’s recess. Whichever method you choose, measure the space carefully. For a blind that will hang inside the window recess, you will measure the window, both width and height, and add two inches to both the height and the width to allow for seam allowances.

 

If you want to hang your shade outside the recess of the window, measure the widow and add a couple of inches to the width (however much wider than the window you plan to hang it) and two inches for the seam allowances. For the width, choose where you would like to mount the shade (usually this should be no more than six inches above the top of the window). Then measure from that point to the bottom of the window and add two inches for seam allowances. These measurements will determine the amount and dimensions of fabric you will need.

 

If you have a small window you may be able to find fabric wide enough to fit the window without piecing. But large windows will require piecing of fabric

to get to the proper width. Measure carefully when cutting fabric to make these pieces, and take special care to line up any pattern in the fabric when you sew the widths together. For this reason it may be easier to use a plain fabric on a wide window, but fabric can be repieced well if you take the time to do it properly. Also be aware of any focal point in the fabric that you would like to be centered in the center of the shade.

 

You will need a piece of fabric of your measured size for the curtain front and another piece of the same size of a lining fabric. This is usually a light colored cotton fabric that will reflect light away from the shade when the sun hits it and will not fade. You’ll also need some extra pieces of this fabric to make pockets for your dowels. These pieces should be about four inches wide and about an inch shorter than the width of your finished shade (because these will mount horizontally on the back of the shade but you don’t want to see them). How many of these pieces you need will depend on the length of the blind, which you will see in a moment.

 

Once you have a top piece and lining piece that are the proper size, press them and pin them together, top sides facing each other. Sew the sides and the bottom, an inch away from the raw edges, leaving the seam that will be the top to the curtain open. Then trim the seam allowances slightly and turn the whole thing right side out. Press it well and pin the layers together firmly.

 

With the lining side of the curtain facing up, draw a horizontal line with fabric pencil or chalk two inches from the top of the blind. From this line, measure eight to 12 inches down the shade (use the closer distance if your fabric is very heavy or your window very wide) and draw another line. Continue to measure eight to 12 inches evenly down the length of the fabric, stopping when you are four to six inches from the bottom of the blind (half the length of the other sections). These lines mark where your pockets will go. You will need an equal number of four-inch wide fabric strips cut from the same fabric as the lining and small pieces of wooden or plastic dowelling slightly narrower than the full width of the curtain (about a quarter of an inch).

 

To make your strips into pockets, fold each strip widthwise, with the top side of the fabric facing in (this is really easy to do with an iron). Then sew along the long edge, about half an inch from the raw edge, and along one of the short sides. Turn each pocket right side out and press. Pin a pocket to each of your marked lines, begin careful not to pin the seam of the pocket to the shade. Center the pockets on the width of the shade, or if your strips are extra-long, mount them about half an inch from the edge of the curtain and trim the other, open side.

 

You can sew the strips to the curtain by machine, using a thread that matches the lining in the top of the machine and a thread that matches the front of the curtain in the bobbin. Sew these lines carefully, making sure that you are leaving enough of the pocket open to slide your dowels through.

 

Slide the dowels into the pockets and sew the pockets closed by hand. Then you will hand sew small (around a half inch in diameter) plastic rings to the bottom edge of each pocket, starting about two inches from each side and then at intervals of eight to 16 inches across the width of the blind (again, depending on the weight of the fabric and the width of the blind).

 

For each set of rings you have running vertically down the shade you will need a piece of nylon cord that is 1.5 times longer than the shade, plus the width of the shade. Once the curtain is mounted you will use these cords to lower and raise the shade.

 

To mount the curtain you will need a batten of some sort to support the weight of the curtain and secure it to the wall. This can be as simple as a piece of wood that is an inch tall and deep and as wide as the curtain. This piece can be painted the same color as the wall or left bare if it is going to be covered by a valence. You can then either attach Velcro to the batten and the back of the curtain to secure it or use decorative nails to secure the shade to the batten. Again, if you’re using a valance, none of this will show, so it doesn’t have to be pretty.

 

Secure the batten to the wall, being careful to attach it in a manner that can support the weight of the curtain. Attach eyelet hooks to the batten that correspond to the rings on the shade, and add one more on the side the cords will pull from. Turn in the raw edge of the top of the curtain about one inch and either slipstitch (if using decorative nails) or machine stitch (if using Velcro, you can sew the seam closed and attach the Velcro at the same time).

 

Attach the shade to the batten in whatever way you like. Ensure that the blind hangs straight before threading the cord through the rings on the back of the shade and on the batten. You’ll want to tie each cord to a ring at the bottom of the shade, then thread it up to the top and thread all of your cords through the ring on the side you want to pull from. Test to make sure the pleats fold evenly and snip your cords to the same length. Tie them together. Mount a decorative bracket to the side where your cords are and wrap the cord ends around this piece (otherwise the curtain will not stay open).

 

Making a roman blind is a rather big project, but the results are well worth it.

 

 

 

Preparing Your Pieces

1. Step 1

   Take your measurements! The success of every sewing project is directly contingent on having accurate measurements. Measure the entire perimeter of the window. Add to those initial figures 4 inches widthwise and 9 inches lengthwise.

2. Step 2

   Cut the shade and lining fabrics as measured.

3. Step 3

   Place each fabric right side out. Pin the fabrics in preparation for hemming, folding in 1 inch on each side widthwise and 3 inches on the bottom lengthwise. Iron a crisp line along each hem.

4. Step 4

   Use a simple stitch to sew the top and bottom of the shade. Make a pocket for the curtain [показать] rod by sewing another line 3/4 of an inch below the initial stitching.

5. Step 5

   Plot the placement of your curtain rings [показать] by measuring 6-inch intervals for the width of the roman shade.

6. Step 6

   Sew the rings on using a zigzag stitch.

7. Step 7

   Add the shade cord by threading it through the rings, securing the cord by knotting at the bottom.

Assembling Your Pieces

8. Step 1

   Use the same measurements you used to place your curtain rings, and mark your mounting board to match.

9. Step 2

   Screw in the eye hooks by hand.

10. Step 3

    Use a staple gun [показать] to fix the roman shade to the board.

11. Step 4

    Thread the shade cord into the hooks.

12. Step 5

    Place the dowel rod into the previously fashioned pocket.

13. Step 6

    Attach the shade to the window and enjoy!

14. Step 1

    Measure the width and the height of the window. Measure the width of the window at different locations and use the measurement that is the smallest.

15. Step 2

    Purchase enough fabric and lining to cover your window. Add 1 3/4 inches to the width of your window and 4 3/4 inches to the length. Cut your purchased fabric to these dimensions.

16. Step 3

    Lay your roman shade face down and center the lining on the fabric. The fabric should be a 1/2 inch wider than the lining on both sides.

17. Step 4

    Place the right sides of your fabric and lining together, stitch the right and left side raw edges together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance and press both of the seams open.

18. Step 5

    Stitch the top edge of the roman shade together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, and press the seam open.

19. Step 6

    Turn the fabric right side out. Turn up the bottom edge of the fabric 1/2 inch and hem in place.

20. Step 7

    Hem another seam at the bottom of the roman shade by turning up the bottom edge 2 inches and hemming along the previous seam.

21. Step 1

    Mark horizontal lines with a fabric pen at equal intervals, 8 to 9 inches apart, on the back of your roman shade. The top interval needs to be 1 3/4 inches larger than the others, and the bottom interval will be slightly smaller than the middle ones.

22. Step 2

    Pin lengths of roman shade tube tape on each line, aligning the loop portion of the tape on the line and the channel portion towards the bottom of the roman shade. Sew the tape in place along the loop portion of the tape, being careful not to sew over any of the loops.

23. Step 3

    Thread three lengths of curtain [показать] cord through the loop tape at the center of the roman shade and down the length of the roman shade 1 1/2 inches in from each side. Tie the curtain cords in a knot around the bottom loop to secure the cord.

24. Step 4

    Insert plastic dowel rods cut 1/2 an inch shorter than the widths of the roman shade at each interval through the tube tape and one dowel rod through the 2-inch hem you stitched at the bottom of the roman shade. Fold the edges of the tube tape and stitch them closed; also stitch both sides of the bottom hem closed.

25. Step 5

    Cut the pine [показать] mounting board 1/4 inch shorter than the width of the top of your roman shade.

26. Step 6

    Attach a cord pulley on one side of the mounting board 1 1/2 inches in from the edge, and attach another cord pulley in the center of the mounting board. On the other side of the board, 1 1/2 inches in from the edge, attach a cord lock.

27. Step 7

    Tack the roman shade to the back of the mounting board with thumb tacks spaced 3 inches apart, across the length of the board.

28. Step 8

    String the cords attached to your roman shade up through the pulleys, and string all cords through the cord lock.

29. Step 9

    Cut three small holes in the fabric with a utility knife [показать] where you want to screw the mounting board in place, and screw the mounting board into the inside of the window frame.

30. Step 10

    Line up all your cords along one side of the roman shade and cut them at the length of the window frame. Thread the ends through a cord drop and knot the ends together. Pull the cord drop over the knot to conceal it.