9 Expert Tips for Making Roman Shades

1. Square the fabric

There’s nothing worse than hanging up your Roman shade and finding out that the shade hangs crooked… twists… or just isn’t right. One of the main causes of this is that your fabric is not square. Be sure to use a T-Square or Right Angle tool when measuring and marking your fabric for cutting. If your edges are square…then sewing your fabric to your lining is easier…and your Roman shade will hang nicely.

2. Space lift cables every 10″

Many people think that you only need 2 or 3 lift cables to operate a Roman shade. Then, when they go to lift the shade, the fabric swings between the lift cables. That’s because there aren’t enough lift cables and they aren’t close enough together. You should space the lift cables approximately 10″ apart. This will ensure that the Roman shade does not get tangled up between the cables.

3. Consider the hardware

Choosing roman shade hardware is important. A basic installation of grommets and cable ties may be all you need. This is appropriate for lighter shades. A little upgrade to adding a cord lock will make operating your Roman shade 10 times more enjoyable. A cord lock will make your Roman shade work like a blind. For shading, replace screw eyes with cable pulleys or cable rollers. These reduce the friction of the hoist cable rubbing against the screw eyes…allowing for smoother operation. For the ultimate and most professional result, consider a bead chain clutch system. These systems have a continuous loop bead chain that you pull…and your roman shade goes up and down smoothly. Super nice!

4. Center the main panel when joining

If your Roman shade is wider than your fabric, you will need to mend your fabric. Make sure to place a full width of fabric in the center of your screen. Then join to each side the remaining width needed. This will make the Roman shade stronger and you won’t have a nasty seam down the middle of the shade.

5. Use a blind hem stitch

Try to avoid too many stitches showing on the front of your Roman shade. Many times you simply cannot avoid this. Try using a blind hem stitch to sew the bottom hem of your roman blind. Depending on how you sew the side seams, a blind hem stitch may also be perfect to use here.

6. Use ribs

Adding Roman shade ribbing to your curtain will help your curtain fold evenly and neatly as you pull it up. Ribs aren’t necessary to make a roman shade, but they are really nice to have. You can add ribs to your roman shade in a variety of ways. You can sew a shell on each row of rings, and then insert the ribs. You can use ironing tape on the ribs which creates a casing on each row of rings without the extra sewing. And there is also a roman shade rib loop tape that you can sew through your shade instead of sewing on individual shade rings. This tape creates a cover and has loops for threading the lift cable.

7. Terminate Your Hoist Cable With Cable Drops

Don’t forget about the lift cable you pull to operate your shade. Condense them into a riser cable with a cable condenser, and then add a decorative cable drop at the end. You will enjoy looking at this little detail every time you raise or lower your Roman shade.

8. Use Roman Shadow Orbs

Instead of tying the lift cable to the bottom rings of the roman shade, use a roman shade orb. These orbs are very easy to use and save you a lot of time. Simply slide one at the end of each lift cable under the bottom rings…and you’re good to go! No more problems with knots!

9. Sew with a long straight stitch

Be sure to extend the length of your straight stitch on your sewing machine as much as possible…before it turns into a basting stitch. A common problem when sewing Roman shades is the fabric pinching or bunching. Sewing with a long stitch will help prevent this problem.