I've lived in my house for four and a half years and I have hung one set of curtains. Luckily the previous owners left the shades and blinds or we would be exposed for all the world to see (or at least all the cul de sac). I think I never got around to window treatments because they are expensive and I tend to have expensive tastes...so there just always seemed to be something else more important to spend money on.
Window treatments are still expensive and I still have expensive tastes, but I
need want some window treatments. The idea for making my own window treatments came to me when I was reading one of
my favorite sewing books. There is a simple tutorial in this book for making roman shades. I thought, "I can do that," (famous last words?).
I have three windows at the front of my house that will be getting the roman shade treatment; one in the entryway and two in my living room.
The entryway is pretty plain with the exception of a red accent wall. Ignore the boxes. We've recently taken our house off the market. We are now in the process of "re-cluttering".
The two windows in the living room.
The rest of the living room.
I intentionally bought plain beige sofas for my living room so that I could change the accessories and colors at will. But it still looks so bland. This room is in the dying for a strong print, so that is what I am currently searching for. I have narrowed it down for two. I am optimistically thinking that I can finish this in a weekend. So this weekend I will be sewing. This project will be a test of both my fledgling sewing skills and of my general inability to translate written instructions. Any tips or advice?
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5 comments:
Good luck! I wish I had some tips...
Read through the instructions first...and measure, measure, measure.
Good luck!
no advice, but i can't wait to see what you do -- i miss the roman blinds from my old apartment, and our current place has windows too long for the (cheap) IKEA kind. lead me!
Great project! My living room is currently bare-windowed, while I sew for other people... hmm. Roman shades can be easy - break it down into individual tasks & do it assembly-line style (cut them all out & sew the same seam on all before the next step) That works best for me, anyway. You're basically making a flat panel & adding rings & cords - breaking it down also makes it less intimidating. Good Luck!
Okay, so I just stumbled upon your blog and as luck would have it, I have made a Roman Shade or 3. The best tip I can offer is to utilize a mini blind header and string mechanism to operate your shade. I happened to have them existing in the windows and cannibalized them to make them work for my shade. Also, make sure to line the blind in a less expensive, plain muslin so the outside window looks uniform, it also helps the blind fold properly. I love my blinds and have had them up for 4 years with no problems. Mine cost about $200 for 3 windows of a bay. Compared to $400 - $600 A PIECE! I am typing too much for a comment... good luck! I can email more details if you want them, not quite a tutorial but I can get close.
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