A motif that made its own border

Sometimes a pattern motif makes itself into a beautiful border.

For these shades, the designer left it up to me to decide on the ribbon placement.  It was total serendipity that the diamond shapes came right to the edge of the shades, so I could center them between the ribbon and the edge.  The shades are pleated to pattern, too!

After mitering the corners, I applied Dofix Bortenfix tape to the trim....

then fused it to the shade, starting at the bottom.

I use a separate square of Bortenfix tape in the corner so I have more control over its application.

After the trim is fused, I take small hand stitches in the outer corners to keep the fibers from straying.

For extra assurance, I apply a tiny dot of glue to hold down any loose fibers.

I hated to see these shades leave!

Grosgrain ribbon binding as banding for shades

When banding is intended to go right at the edge of a shade, rather than inset, I do love the look of it wrapped around the edges, for a super clean look.
This does present challenges for inserting a weight bar, if you like your weight bar at the bottommost ring, as I do.
Here are two similar shades which were fabricated with different methods.  Yes, I know I'm showing them out of order.  That's because I like Method B better and want to show the better way first :)
For both of these shades, grosgrain ribbon was used as the wrapped binding, but the same methods would apply if the binding were a contrast fabric.
You can see that the results are pretty much the same from the front:

METHOD B- WEIGHT BAR INTERIOR POCKET

METHOD A- EXTERIOR WEIGHT BAR POCKET

METHOD B- INTERIOR POCKET
For this three-sided shade, we sewed a pocket in the lining for a flat weight bar.

 

The grosgrain binding was sewn to the shade face and pressed finished.

 A pocket was sewn in the lining to accommodate a weight bar.  The prepared lining was layered on and the bar inserted.  We used a flat bar to avoid the bulk of a heavier round bar. 

We added a second flat bar to stabilize the bottom and keep it square.  It also helps by adding a bit more weight.

The binding was hand-sewn.

The miters on the front were ladder-stitched by hand.

This was an aesthetic improvement over a previous similar shade, where we chose to tack the weight bar pocket  to the outside back of the shade.  However, the exterior pocket method does allow us to use a heavier weight bar, which helps when raising the shade, and this shade was much longer than the one I just showed.  We covered the ends of the pocket with the contrast ribbon, in case it showed from the side.  We also added a second flat weight bar at the bottom to keep the bottom edge straight.

 

In this case the ribbon was applied with Dofix fusible Bortenfix.  At the lowest fold you can see the bit of navy ribbon covering the ends of the weight bar pocket.  It's set in enough that it isn't visible from the front.

The results from the front are basically the same, but the pocket version is so much better on the back.  Also I think the sewn ribbon folds better than the fused ribbon.

P. S. I like to cover the ends of the boards with a bit of binding material, whether it is grosgrain or fabric.

Custom Workroom Conference

Hi blog people!
I have been out of town at the Custom Workroom Conference in Spartanburg, SC, the workroom industry's premiere educational event, packed with inspiring instructors, eager attendees, and the most attentive and helpful vendors imaginable.

I was honored to be chosen to present my class "Set Yourself Apart," addressing ways in which a small workroom can set itself apart by offering the best in service, collaboration, and fabrication.

Thanks to Penny Bruce for the photo xoxo

Before heading to CWC we were busy in the workroom- besides fabricating for our designers and their clients, we were doing new quotes for future projects, research for product sourcing for current projects, and having a blast making class samples.
The last customer product that we finished was a roman shade with grosgrain ribbon banding.  I think this little shades is a great example of "setting ourselves apart."  We used the ribbon to cover the board ends as well as the ends of the weight bar.

 We made so many samples- I love this one, showing 5 different ways to make a top tack.

I left a day early so I could spend some time exploring South Carolina.

It was hard to choose what to visit, but I think I made the best possible choices for me.
I headed first to Middleton Place National Historic Landmark, one of the early rice plantations in the Low Country.

The tours showed me a perspective of history that I had never considered before.  I think that the Eliza's House and Beyond the Fields tour should be required attendance by every American.  I could've stayed all day, listening and learning.  I hope to return to the Low Country area and visit more historic sites and natural areas.

I was determined to get some sun on my face and dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean, so I randomly picked what turned out to be the best beach choice I could've made for me- Folly Beach, off of James Island, just across from Charleston.  I traded $10 admission for a mere but highly satisfying hour walking in the ocean and collecting shells.

I was thrilled to find plenty of Thai food in both the Charleston and Spartanburg areas.  This is one of my favorite cuisines, so I got my fill, and for awhile, at least, I won't have to pester anyone at home to go to Thai restaurants with me!

In Charleston downtown, there are so many beautiful sights, I couldn't imagine what to pick to show you.  Just google Charleston, and you'll get an idea.

But what really sparked my imagination was this: the Karpeles Manuscript Museum.  What on earth is THAT?  I don't know, yet, but I know that I want to go back and visit it.

Well, I was so busy during the conference, there's not much I can show you in the way of pictures to give you an idea of what it's like.  Our workroom community is vibrant and exhilarating, and at the conferences and trade shows the excitement spills over until you think you just can't take in any more.  

The days were filled with meeting up with old friends, meeting new attendees and even brand-new rookie workrooms, attending the extremely moving and inspiring Keynote speech from Lonnie and Kelly from Weave Gotcha Covered!, sitting in on classes with other instructors, and networking with our awesome workroom supply vendors.  

Promoters Susan Woodcock and Rodger Walker are our workroom heroes and they put on an event for us that is unmatched.

If you've never been, and think that a few days of intensive industry immersion can improve your workroom business, let me know, and I'll keep you informed as details about next year's conference are settled.  

Now I'm home, in the workroom, and supplies that I ordered are beginning to arrive.

Time to get back to what I love to do- working with beautiful fabrics!  Stay tuned!

Grosgrain and French blackout

Four rows of grosgrain ribbon: this is why I got a Dofix!  Well, one of many reasons.  But grosgrain ribbon application was near the top of my reason list. 

With the many widths to choose from, the tape fit from edge to edge.   We marked the finished width with blue tape and then applied the ribbon, so we knew the lines were symmetrical without any fussing.

French blackout lining adds such substance to a roman shade.  I love how it's thick yet sleek. Although adhesive tape plays important roles in the workroom, when it comes to shades with interlining or French blackout, we always hand-sew side hems.  The bottom hem is reinforced with fusible buckram to encourage a straight bottom line.  A weight bar tube is hidden in the hem.  This is the essence of the Leatherwood shade method.

The fat folds make me smile :)
We left the shades hanging in the workroom for a day to let the folds train.  

Afterwards, these beautiful shades went to their forever home.

Multiple French Blackout shades

Following up from my last post, I want to share how I speed-produced the three cute French blackout shades with the pleated grosgrain ribbon trim.

Making multiples of small shades is easy with the gridded canvas table cover.  I can line them all up sideways on the table and pretend they are all one shade.  Of course I still have to do all the steps!- but I can do the same step for all the shades at once.

I first sewed the trim to the bottom of all three, using Dofix to first baste it into place.  The trim was machine sewn, then the facing which is the back hem and weight bar pocket.

Repeating this photo, you can see that all three linings, rough-cut, were layered onto the shades and trimmed at the bottom, tucked under the facing seam.

The side hems were pressed then the linings trimmed 1/8" from the crease to grade the layers.

With the side hems finished, the bottoms were all completed at once.  Fusible buckram on the hem stabilizes the bottom, and weight bar tubing is secured to the buckram, before turning the hem up.

All three tabled-

and ready for rings!