Critical Tips You Must Know When Making An Extra Wide Roman Shade 
Submitted by Jennifer on 2005-12-31 and viewed 5701 times.
Total Word Count: 744 Making a roman shade that is wider than 60" can be tricky and a bit overwhelming... especially when it comes to installing it. Here are 5 must-know secrets to get you started on the right track.
If you're thinking about sewing a roman shade for a window that is wider than 60" across, then you are going to make an extra wide roman shade. This means that you now have to deal with piecing your fabric to achieve your shade width... dealing with extra weight when raising and lowering your shade... and dealing with installing an extra wide shade.
At first, you may think that sewing a roman shade is sewing a roman shade... regardless of its width. And you would be right... but there are still some things you must consider to have an extra wide roman shade that you'll love.
1. Make sure you have the correct amount of cords for your shade. The rule of thumb is to have your cords no more than 10" apart. I've found, that when making a wide roman shade, it's better to reduce that spacing to 8" apart. So, if my roman shade is 80" wide, I want my cords 8" apart... 9 cords.
All that extra fabric can create weight which may result in sagging inbetween your rings. If your goal is to have a flat roman shade, then you certainly don't want sagging. AND the extra cords will help distribute the weight on the cords, reducing the amount of stress on them... increasing the life of your cord.
2. Plan your seams. Fabric is typically 54" wide. So, you're going to have to piece 2 or more widths to achieve the final width of your roman shade. Start with a full width of fabric in the middle... and then work your way out to the sides with the remaining fabric. So, for example, if your roman shade will be 70" wide, place a full 54" width in the center and 8" panels on each side.
Also, plan your seams as to where your cords will be. You may need to trim your center panel's width to have it so the seams land where you planned on putting your shade rings.
3. Use cord idlers instead of screw eyes for raising and lowering your roman shade. The standard installation of a roman shade is a screw eye for each cord installed into a 1" x 2" board. With the weight of the roman shade pulling on the cords... dragging them through screw eyes will not only wear your cords down, it will make raising your shade very cumbersome. Cord idlers create a round smooth path for the cords to glide through. Install these on your board instead of the screw eyes for smoother operation.
4. Avoid using cord locks. Cord locks are a great way to lock your roman shade in a raised position... it works just like a blind. But when you're working with a heavier roman shade that is wide with lots of cords, a cord lock is more of a headache than anything else.
5. Consider investing in a continuous loop clutch system. This is the ultimate solution for wide roman shades that will be raised and lowered frequently. A clutch system has a looped bead chain that you pull and it smoothly raises and lowers your roman shade. It's fantastic and well worth the investment. Instead of pulling your cords and wrapping around a cleat or trying to get them to lock in a cord lock... pull a bead chain and that's it!
Interested in learning more about the continuous loop clutch system? Visit www.roman-shades-shop.com to discover this amazing product.
Sewing an extra wide roman shade can create all kinds of complications. When you're trying to get all that fabric to be smooth, square... have patterns match on seams... and then have it raise and lower smoothly can be quite a challenge.
The 5 tips I've just told you will greatly improve your final result.
Want to know more critical tips to making roman shades? Visit http://www.sewing-roman-shades.com to read even more exciting techniques you can use on all of your roman shades.
Jennifer Thoden
Article Source: http://www.simplesewingprojects.com
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