Home >> Hobbies >> Sewing

How to Make a Soft Roman Shade

A Roman shade is a type of blind that stacks in pleats when raised. These shades offer clean lines, giving an elegant, tailored look to any room. They can be a more economical way to dress a window than other styles, such as Austrian or London shades, because less fabric is needed to make them. When closed, Roman shades cover no more than the window area. This attractive window treatment can be made from natural materials such as wood, bamboo and reeds, or created using fabrics. The styles made from lightweight to medium-weight firmly woven textiles such as linens, corded silks or cottons are referred to as soft Roman shades and are not difficult to make at home.

Things You'll Need

Fabric
Lining fabric
Nylon cord
Five wooden dowels
Piece of 1-by-2-inch wood
1/4-inch small plastic rings
Straight pins
Velcro
Tailor&'s chalk
Iron and ironing board
Yard stick
Scissors
Sewing machine and heavy-duty thread

Instructions

- 1
  Use a tape measure to measure the width of the window in which you plan to hang a soft Roman shade. This window treatment hangs from a batten placed just above the window frame. A batten is simply a long piece of straight wood used in construction. Your batten should extend past the window frame 7/8-inch on each side. Write down the measurements and add 2 inches on each side for turn-back allowances.
- 2
  Measure the length of the window from the top of the batten to just under the window sill. Write down the measurement and add 2 inches for a turn-down allowance and 2 inches for a hem allowance.
- 3
  Use a high-quality pair of sewing scissors to cut an appropriately sized rectangle out of the material that you have chosen to use to make your soft Roman shade. Be sure to include the additional inches needed for turn-back and hem allowances. Turn back each side 1/2 inch and use an iron to press the seams flat.
- 4
  Cut the lining to the exact width that the finished shade will have. The side edges of the lining will stop 1 1/4 inches from the edges of the finished shade. Add 1 1/4 inches for a turn-down allowance at the top of the lining and 2 inches for the sleeves that will encase the wooden dowels needed to create pleats in the soft Roman shade.
- 5
  Use tailor’s chalk to mark the positions of the sleeves on the lining fabric. Start at the bottom pressed edge of the lining and measure up approximately 10 inches. Draw a straight chalk line using a yard stick. Draw another chalk line that is 2 inches above the first one. Repeat this pattern until you near the top of the lining.
- 6
  With wrong sides of the lining fabric together, use a sewing machine to stitch each set of 2-inch chalk lines to each other. This creates small sleeves or casings for the wooden dowels to be inserted. Reverse stitch at the end of each sleeve for added reinforcement. Press each sleeve flat to one side.
- 7
  Pin the lining down the middle of the wrong side of the main fabric. Stitch on top of the sleeve stitches that were previously made on the lining material and reverse stitch at the ends once again. Turn down 1 inch of the main fabric and pin a strip of Velcro on top. This Velcro will be used to attach the shade to the batten. Stitch the top edge of the Velcro and then hand sew the bottom edge to the lining fabric only.
- 8
  Hand sew the side seams of the lining. Do not stitch through to the right side of your soft Roman shade. Hem the bottom of the shade by pressing up 1/2-inch and then folding up 2-inches. Stitch along the edge, reinforcing the edges with back-stitching.
- 9
  Cut each wooden dowel 3/4 inch shorter than the width of the shade. Insert a dowel into each casing and stitch the ends.
- 10
  Hand sew a plastic ring onto each end of each of the sleeves. Placement of the rings should be approximately 4 inches in from the sides of the shade. Cut the nylon cord in half. Thread one end down through the rings on the left side, tying it tightly to the last ring. Do the same thing on the right side.

Sewing