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lynn237

Placement for this Mock Roman Shade, please vote

Lyban zone 4
9 years ago

Hi,
I was on here before with this problem and we have now progressed a bit.

I am trying to help out my daughter with this problem window for my granddaughters room. She is 4 years old and this room is very very small.
It was very hard to put a single bed in and have any kind of storage or dresser or anything.

She has now taken down the small wardrobe and put in a pax with mirrored doors along one wall up till where the entrance door is.

On the opposite wall she has put an Ikea daybed which she built in with cabinets from Ikea on either side.
It has solved lots of problems and she now has a single bed plus a good amount of storage.

Now to the problem window. As some might remember we originally tried drapes on this window but there was not enough room on either side to open them properly.

This window is very low on walls which are 8 feet High.
So we decided to do a roller shade for black out so the little one sleeps.
Then a Mock roman on top which will come just to the top of window so that all light is maximized.

Our problem is this, we made one and it looks funny to me, like something is off but I am not sure what.
I have included some photos
one is of the windows with curtains-which we cannot use
one is of the romans as they are today (the ones going right to the top of ceiling)
One is of the same roman ,photoshopped cut off at top, so showing only mounted a bit above window
and one that Errant posted some time ago that could be done going to the top but taking out one flap and having more straight fabric on the top tier.

Wow, I hope you are all following me.
Here are the photos

Comments (18)

  • Sheeisback_GW
    9 years ago

    I think the amount of folds close together is what looks off to me. I like it up to the ceiling, but prefer that longer space of fabric like the last photo shows.

  • nosoccermom
    9 years ago

    Honestly, I think it's because "working" Roman shades have the top fabric piece unfolded, i.e. straighter the more they are covering the window--- that's what makes the shade hang down.

    So, if the shade covers more of the window, the straight piece gets even bigger.

    Yours is "all folded up", but it covers a fair amount of window. With that many folds, it should be all the way up on the window if it were real.

    Basically it looks like a folded up shade, but it covers too much window. Not sure if I'm making sense.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sheesharee,
    Thanks for chiming in, I have been following your shade problems in your kitchen.

    Nosoccermom,
    I am not sure what you are saying. My shade as it is today is the second photo I posted and it ends at the very top of the window.
    So are you saying it should be hanging from the top near ceiling as it is but with a bigger expanse of fabric at the top and then some 5 or 6 bunched up closer folds at the bottom.
    My length I need from ceiling to top of window is 28 inches.

  • antiquesilver
    9 years ago

    I like the shade all the way to the ceiling but perhaps the length should have been made all the way down to the sill so the proper amount of folds would be at the bottom when drawn up (mock or otherwise). Now it looks more like a too-long cornice rather than a drawn up shade. Add that to the strong vertical lines of the windows & you may have the 'off' feeling.

    Just my 2 cents and I could be wrong. I'm in the process of deciding on Romans & totally understand your frustrations.

    .

  • marcolo
    9 years ago

    No, Roman shades are not always entirely flat when opened, which means they're also not entirely flat at the top. What's pictured is what Smith and Noble sell as a "soft" Roman shade. It does have those extra folds in it.

    I feel like the short version looks like a head bandage. I like the one that goes to the ceiling.

    To be realistic, don't simply tack or Velcro fabric to the wall. You need to include a flat stick or dowel behind the top hem, to mimic the header of a real shade.

  • Sujafr
    9 years ago

    I think the first thing that would help is to make sure that the folds are straight across the fabric. With that strong a pattern, you really have to line up the folds to correspond with the fabric pattern. This is sometimes done by inserting small diameter dowels between the fabric and lining at regular intervals where the Roman shade lifts up to keep the folds straight across. You say this is a "mock" shade, so perhaps you don't have folds that pull up. If so, it may help to not crease the bottom of each section so it looks more like a soft fold, but make sure you keep the bottom straight across so the hem or horizontal fold is always at the same point on each chevron.

    Your fabric is so colorful. Good luck.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I agree that the shade should start at the top of the wall just under the ceiling and stop when it is barely covering the top of the window (just enough to conceal the roller shade.

    However, I think the larger problem is that you have hung this treatment atop a casement window, and it is unsuitable for that type window IMO. It doesn't look right and will never look right because if this were a "real" roman shade you could never open the window,

    This post was edited by kswl on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 6:11

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks to all,
    The consensus seems to be to hang the shade at the very top which is what I have now in the second photo one.
    But if I am reading the responses correctly I should take it down and re work some folds.
    What I have now to make up my 28 inches to just barely come to top of window is 10 inches, followed by 3 folds of 6 inches.

    So maybe if I put the top panel at 20 inches and then the other 8 inches made up of folds bunched very close together.
    I am going to try this with an old piece of fabric.
    If anyone has other suggestions, let me know please.

    Kswl
    I have casement windows in my home and have a few real roman shades with no problems. The casement windows open to the outside

  • nhb22
    9 years ago

    I actually think that both the curtains or the Roman shade look fine the way they are. I prefer the curtains more than the shade, but think that you have done a fine job with the shade. I'd pull it up to the window casing and not block the window glass, at all. That, and a few adjustments, as suggested, may make the look more to your liking.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    newhomebuilder
    thank you, but the curtains are a no for sure because they interfere with the pax door on the left when trying to open it and on the right there is a built in with drawers that open out to almost where the window frame is.

    As for the two roman shades that I have shown, they are both ending exactly at the window top. no way that they can be pulled up more. I have a black out roller shade underneath for when grand daughter is sleeping

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Sorry, Lyban. Ours sort of pivoted and while they ostensibly opened outward, the edge nearest the window frame pivoted inward several inches and would have caught on any type of window treatment that hung over the top edge of the wndow, however slightly.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Ohh, I really like it! What a difference. I am such a sucker for soft Romans.

    To the ceiling, bien sur!

  • maddielee
    9 years ago

    To the ceiling, but adjust that third fold down so the lines (ziggy) of the folds are straight...

    ML

  • theclose
    9 years ago

    Another vote for to the ceiling. Very pretty!

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    maddielee,
    You don't know how many times I have tried to adjust the folds .
    I must be doing something wrong. I have never made a roman shade before so this was all trial and error.

    At first I had dowels in but they still did not look full enough . My daughter wanted the folds to be straight across but to have a fuller look in the loop fold so
    We then tried putting a wrapping paper cardboard tube in , but I only had one and it was 36 inches instead of the 49 I needed so it is still there and I think that is causing the uneven flap.

    I will be doing more experiencing tomorrow.
    You guys have been very helpful, please keep any suggestions coming.

  • Sheeisback_GW
    9 years ago

    Did you try using the plastic sew on rings? I was going to space out and hand sew rings on the back of mine and use a ribbon to run through them to gather the folds together. I'll probably end up combining a few different tutorials. I should probably test mine out on cheap fabric too.
    I'm going to somehow tie mine to the rod I'll be using. Both of these are for relaxed romans though so maybe that won't work for straight folds.

    This is for a functional roman, but it shows using rod support at the bottom. I'm not sure how necessary that is.
    http://www.addicted2decorating.com/second-roman-shade-finished-plus-a-tutorial.html

    Here is a link that might be useful: with rings

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Sheesharee,
    I am going to look at that tutorial and maybe try another one with junk fabric using rings.

    For mine I used a piece of wood at the top and screwed it into wall, then stapled velcro on that piece and sewed velcro on my drape and attached.
    That way I can remove them easily and throw in dryer on cool setting to get rid of dust.

    I think yours is an inside mount but maybe you could still do that attaching the wood to top of window frame.

    off to practice some more, my old sheets come in handy for using as fabric to get an idea of what I am doing.

  • dixiedo
    9 years ago

    I know you are still fussing with the loops and folds but in any event, hung at the ceiling ;)