Inverted pleat panels over flat valance

This is a style that Liz Davidson from Paris Interiors has been refining for awhile now.  We've done it often with sheers and lightweight embroidered linens; here, for five master bedroom windows, it's been reinterpreted in a heavier weight black and white woven geometric, to stunning effect.

The style itself is simple to fabricate, but one you add layer a pattern, it gets awfully complicated.  I will say that it made me nervous!
The panels were easy to make; the hard part was figuring out the layout.  I made a template for the left panels and one for the right panels and one for the valance, to guide in cutting.

Then I pleated more strips to represent the panels and pinned them to a strip representing the valance, marking the board line. 
(If you're looking carefully, you'll see that in the end the pattern fell on the alternate diamond in the end.)

Instead of a chunky upholstered cornice, the flat valance is made on chipboard so it's thin and sleek.

There was no reason to not just attach the panels in the workroom, where we could control the pattern placement.  It's not like there were any adjustments that could be made on-site- the pattern had to match from panel to valance- so why not finish it in the workroom where it was manageable.
The panels were pleated on the table; plastic clips held the pleats in place.

The panel was folded once;

Then rolled over itself into a neat bundle.

That made it easy to pack up once the panel was stapled and the dustboard finished.

I'm so happy with how these treatments turned out!  They really were a challenge, and it worked beautifully.

 

 The white silk blackout shades were trimmed in charcoal grey banding, and motorized.