This is a very long post because I wanted to make these instructions as clear as possible as well as to aim for a really professional finish. But the good news is that there isn't anything complicated involved - if you can sew a straight line, you can make a Roman blind. With that reassurance in mind then, let's go through what it takes to make a really professional-looking Roman blind.
I will admit that there are easier ways of making a Roman blind if that's what you're looking for - simply sew your lining to your fabric, turn it right-side-out, and attach the velcro hanging strip and rod pockets. If that's how you'd like to do it, you should still read below how to position the rod pockets correctly (See: Calculating the Folds and Rod Placement). However, that method results in a lot of sewing lines being visible at the front of the finished blind, which I dislike. My preference is for a professional, almost seamless finish (you still need one sewing line at the top of the blind to ensure that it hangs correctly), and that is the technique I show here.
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Materials
- Fabric of your choice
- Blackout Curtain Lining (blackout fabric prevents the seams from being visible when the blind is backlit, and it also has better thermal insulation properties)
- Roman blind cassette kit including: headrail with beaded chain and velcro, brackets, rods, weight bar, child safety guide, Roman blind tape, Roman blind cord, cord stoppers, clip-on rings, fixings - screws & plastic plugs. Be sure to purchase a headrail that is at least as wide, if not wider, than the window you wish to dress. I ordered mine off eBay. See below for how to measure the window opening.
- Sewing thread
- Sewing machine
- Basic sewing supplies - scissors, handsewing needle etc.
- Steam Iron
- Measuring Tape
- Pencil
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Hammer
- Hacksaw
Measuring the Window
Obviously, you will want to measure the window, but what might not be so obvious at first is that the window may not be the same size all the way around. For that reason, you will want to measure the height of the window opening at each side and in the middle. You should also measure the width at the top, bottom, and middle.
There are two ways of hanging a Roman blind. For blinds hung inside the window reveal (like mine) you will need to use the shortest measurements along each dimension to ensure that it will fit. Then subtract about 1.5cm (⅝") so that the edges of the blind will not rub against the walls. To hang blinds outside the window reveal, you should use the longest dimensions and then add a bit to ensure that the blind will completely cover the window opening.
Calculating the Size of the Fabric
The fabric should be cut 10cm taller and 9cm wider than the window size.
Cut the lining the same size as the window opening.
Cutting the Fabric
Start by cutting the fabric and lining to size according to your measurements.
Pattern Matching
This will only required if using patterned fabric on a very wide window.
If your window is wider than your fabric, you will need to join two pieces in the centre. If your fabric has a pattern, then make sure that you cut the second part so that it will join the first part without disrupting the appearance of the pattern across the blind. You will also need to sew the seam so that the join is invisible. I have covered pattern matching in detail in the post about Making Lined Curtains.
Calculating the Folds and Rod Placement
A Roman blind opens by folding up in pleats at the top of the window. To achieve this, rods are placed at intervals down along the drop of fabric to hoist up the blind. Accurate positioning of the rods is crucial to ensure neat folds when the blind is open.
Before calculating the rod placement, you need to measure the height of the headrail (it's usually 4cm). To that measurement, add a 2cm allowance. Subtract that total (e.g. 6cm) from the height of the window opening. The remaining amount of fabric will then be divided into an odd number of sections, typically 7 sections.
So, for example, let's say that the height of our window is 83cm high and we are using 6cm total headrail allowance, then: 83cm - 6cm = 77cm of fabric that needs to be sectioned. Dividing that 77cm into 7 sections means that each section will be 11cm high.
A rod is placed at the top of every other section, starting at the bottom. So that's three rod pockets in total.
Construction
If the blind is to hang well, it is important that all the seams are exactly straight. For that reason, I find it helpful to mark the sewing line on the wrong side of the fabric. I allowed a 1.5cm (about ⅝") seam along each side, so I used a quilting ruler and fabric pencil to mark that line. At the top and bottom, I allowed for a 2cm (about 1") seam, so I marked that accordingly. You will stitch along this line later on.
On the right side of the lining, I also drew a guide line 1.5cm from each side edge and 1cm from the top edge. However, this line is not a sewing line; I use this as a guideline so I know where to place the edge of the fabric when pinning it to the lining. (You will see how this works further down.)
Now press a line in the fabric, 5cm from the top edge where it will fold over the lining to form the return (the border of fabric at the back of the blind).
Cut the velcro hanging strip to size (this attaches the finished blind to the headrail). The length of the velcro will be the same as the width of the lining, and therefore will not reach the edges of the fabric, so make sure that it is centred correctly. Sew it onto the right side of the fabric, just above the pressed fold.
Attaching the Rod Pockets
The rod pockets are formed using a special tape that is stitched onto the back of the blind.
When cutting the tape to size, allow about 2cm extra so that you can fold over 1cm at each end. At one end of each pocket, fold over the 1cm and stitch closed. Leave the other end of the pocket open so that you can insert the rod later.
Then stitch the pockets onto the lining where you had previously marked the rod positions. Make sure to leave a minimum 3cm gap at each side to allow space for the fabric to be sewn on later.
Attaching the pockets to the lining now - before assembling the blind - ensures that the stitching will not be visible at the front of the completed blind. This gives the professional finish that I like.
Repeat for each pocket.
Attaching the Lining
Now it is time to sew the lining onto the fabric. Bear in mind that the fabric is larger than the lining, and that the whole thing will be constructed inside-out. In other words, don't panic that it looks baggy! It will correct itself when it's turned right-side-out again.
With right sides together, lay the edge of the fabric along the guideline we marked earlier on the lining. Remember to allow the fabric to overhang the lining by 5cm at the bottom edges. Place a pin here to secure the fabric.
At the top edge, lay the fabric so that the fold we pressed into it earlier meets the top edge of the lining. Again, place a pin to secure it.
Next place a pin in the centre, and then work out towards the top and bottom while continuing to pin, ensuring that the fabric is evenly distributed along the lining.
Stitch along the sewing line we marked earlier on the fabric, but don't sew all the way to the top edge of the lining - we need a a gap to pull out the corner later on.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Turn the blind right-side-out for a moment to make sure that the blind lies perfectly flat. Make any adjustments now, if necessary.
At the top, mark the centre of both the lining and the front fabric. Pin them together at that point first, using the guide line to place the fabric 1cm from the edge. Then continue to pin outwards towards the corners.
You will notice a bulge along the top, especially in the corners, but don't worry because that's the excess fabric we need to fold over the top.
When stitching, again remember to leave a gap at either edge so that the corners are not closed yet. Below you will see how you pull that bulge out through the opening when the blind is turned right-side-out.
To fold the corner, start by flattening the side edge.
Then fold and tuck in the top seam.
Pin the corner down into a neat fold.
Handstitch the corner into place.
Using a complementary shade of sewing thread, sew through all layers of fabric at the top of the blind, about 1cm from the top edge. This is the only sewing line that will be visible at the front of the blind, but it is necessary to ensure that it hangs properly.
At the bottom of the blind, fold up the excess fabric to create a pocket for the weight bar. Handstitch the hem, making sure that the stitches only pierce the lining and do not go through to the front of the blind. (If you want to avoid handsewing, you can machine sew through all the layers, but obviously those stitches will then be visible at the front of the blind.) Leave one short end of the pocket open to insert the weight bar.
At this stage, you should have a perfectly flat rectangle of fabric, with a border of fabric around the edges of the lining at the back. This border ensures that the blind looks good, even if viewed from a side-angle.
Press the blind flat using a steam iron.
Stab Stitching
I promise this is not as violent as it sounds! Stab stitching ensures that the fabric and lining will move together when the blind is drawn. This really just involves making stitches that are so small on the right side of the fabric that they are barely visible - literally only picking up a couple of threads of the fabric.
With the blind laying perfectly flat, place a few pins along the top edge of each rod pocket. Make the stab stitches where you have placed the pins.
Stab stitches should be practically invisible at the front
Inserting the Rods
Using a hacksaw, cut the rods 1cm (½") shorter than the rod pockets and slide one into each rod pocket. If your rods are made of fibreglass, like mine, I strongly recommend using gloves when handling them to prevent loose glass fibres becoming embedded under your skin. If you think I learned that lesson the hard way, you guessed right!
Then fold over the open end of the tape and stitch it closed.
Cut the weight bar 2cm (about 1") shorter than the bottom pocket. Once the bar has been inserted, stitch the end closed.
Your blind is now complete and ready to hang!
The Headrail
Let's leave the sewing now for a while now and focus on the hardware. Start by cutting the headrail to size, if necessary.
Then replace the plastic end-cap into the cut end of the headrail.
Attached to the headrail are the cords used to draw up the blind. You will have at least three cords; one at each side and one in the centre. With larger blinds, you may have another two cords in between. These are adjustable, so you will need to determine their final position and tighten the screws to hold them in place. A good rule of thumb is to position the outer cords 10cm (about 4") from the edges and, if you have extra cords, place these between the middle cord and the ones at each side.
Use the attached screws to fix the position of the cords
Next, fix the brackets onto the window. Mark the positions of the brackets and drill a hole in the top of the window reveal. Hammer in the plastic wall plugs and then screw the brackets into place.
Note the locking lever on the brackets. This should be in the open position.
To fit the headrail, clip it into the brackets so that the velcro strip is facing into the room, not out the window, and close the locking lever.
Next - and this is very important - pull the beaded chain at the side until the cords are at their longest position.
Roman Blind Rings
Measure and take a note of the position of each of the cords along the headrail. As mentioned above, if you have three cords, these should be in the centre and 10cm (about 4") from each side. To ensure that the cords run perfectly vertically along the back of a blind, use a safety pin to mark the loops on each rod pocket that correspond with those positions. We will attach a clip-on blind ring to each of the marked loops (except the bottom rod pocket - we'll get to that in a moment). These rings will not be provided in your Roman blind kit, but you can buy then separately in any good haberdashery. Alternatively, you can simply thread the blind cords through the loops on rod pockets, but I think the blinds move more smoothly when I use the rings.
Fix the rings onto all the rod pockets, except the bottom pocket.
Cord Stoppers
The cord stoppers contain a spring-loaded toggle to grip the cord.
Like the cord rings, they also clip onto the loops on the rod pocket, but they are fixed onto the lowest rod pocket only. They should be placed so as to align with the cords and the cord rings i.e. in the centre and 10cm (about 4") from each side.
Hanging the Blind
After all that hard work, you are almost there! I found it easier at this point to remove the headrail from the brackets and work on a flat surface. Use the velcro to attach the blind to the front of the headrail.
Check that the headrail cords are at their lowest position, as though the blind is closed. Thread each of the cords through the corresponding rings and then through the spring-loaded cord stopper at the bottom.
Clip the headrail into the brackets on the window. Allow the blind to hang in the closed position and then reach behind to adjust the cord stoppers so that the blind hangs flat and even.
This blind has not had the cord stoppers adjusted yet, resulting in an uneven hang.
Trim the cords just below the cord stoppers. Be careful not to trim too close to the cord stoppers as you may need to make adjustments later as the blind settles. To comply with safety standards, do not tie a knot in the blind cord. Also be sure to correctly fit a safety cord guide to the beaded chain.
Important: To avoid strangulation or injury, please refer to the Standards to Protect Children from Window Blind Cords published by the National Standards Authority of Ireland.
Also please see my personal disclaimer.
Now you can pull the beaded chain to open up the blind. The fabric should fold like an accordion at the top of the window. The picture below shows the rods in the open position, pulled together at the top of the blind. This gathering of rods is why we needed to allow a 2cm headrail allowance at the outset..
You may need to neaten the folds as they open at first. I recommend keeping the blind open for a few days to allow the folds to set in.
Et voilà! You have just completed a handmade Roman blind that looks it was professionally custom-made!
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