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carolt924

Need help with faux roman shades...

carolt924
9 years ago

I have just finished furnishing my family room with new upholstery pieces and tables and have now decided to install window treatments on my previous bare windows. I plan on hanging grommeted drapery panels on my patio doors and have sewn faux roman shades (using imparting graces blog tutorial) for the two narrow windows flanking the fireplace. The problem I am having is decided what the dimensions of the shade should be. The inside of the window frame is approx 23W x 56L. I would appreciate your input and opinions. The pic below shows the shade just pinned up, once I figure out how it should look I will complete the sewing and pressing. Thanks in advance for your interest and help!

This post was edited by CarolT924 on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 9:48

Comments (8)

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    It depends on how much of the window you want covered. In my case, I wanted to cover the minimum amount of window, so I mounted mine outside the frame and had them end just skimming the window top.

    What you have pinned up looks fine too.

  • ratherbesewing
    9 years ago

    FYI: Imparting Grace's method is an inside mount application using 3 evenly placed tension rods to keep the folds in place. So, I guess your question is how long should your blinds hang, right? Your current example looks too short to me. It's a balance thing not some secret formula. I think the blind should be about 1/3 of the window. Do another mock up(actually a pin up) and take another picture.

  • carolt924
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the quick reply ladies. Yes, you are correct about the inside mount with three tension rods although I can't figure out if they are evenly spaced by her pics. I have re-pinned having the overall length being 18 inches which is about one third of the window height and the top layer is 10 inches long and the two bottom layers approx four inches each, better? I am nervous about sewing my panel loop to the correct size, don't want it too long nor to short. I guess I always need to measure seven times, cut once!

    This post was edited by CarolT924 on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 9:50

  • carolt924
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry cannot figure out how to post more than one pic at a time.

    This post was edited by CarolT924 on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 9:52

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    1/3 is a rule of thumb, but for me, it would cover too much of the window.

    I made my mock hobbled roman shades so they hang from the top only. They are stitched, but in such a way that the fold above covers the stitching on the fold below. Because I was dealing with the bay window, I used velcro to mount them to a board that was mounted with L brackets.

  • andee_gw
    9 years ago

    If your wood trim looks as nice IRL as it appears in the picture, I'd keep the inside mount. I take it you don't need privacy and there is something to look at outside the windows? If so, I'd plan the length so that the tallest person in the house can stand at the window and see out with bending down. I think the longer shade in the second picture looks better.

  • carolt924
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Andee-Yes thankfully the wood trim is in very nice condition and I do like the look of the inside mount. No, I do not need the privacy as the view is of our side yard and the front walk. The only one who looks out that window is the dog and he stands on the fireplace hearth to do it!

    Annie-Can you elaborate on how you sewed your shades so that the stitching was hidden? I could sew a pocket on the top of the shade to insert the rod so that I could keep the inside mount.

    Also, there are between the glass blinds in the window which can be opened and closed, but not raised and lowered. I can remove them and thought I would as I think it may look better without them. Yes, no, maybe?

    This post was edited by CarolT924 on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 10:43

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Hard to explain, but I'll try and hope the pic helps you see what's going on.

    As long as you make the pleats in the fabric deeper than the distance between the pleats, when the pleat falls, it will cover the seam in the next pleat.

    Hopefully this pic will help.

    Take the fabric strip and play with it a little bit, and I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about. However, with this method, you can't hide the stitching line for the top most pleat...doesn't bother me, but it might bother some.