Double Roman Shades – Double Comfort and Elegance
It goes without saying that double Roman shades are less commonly used than other types of Roman shades, but they are rather quickly becoming a widespread window covering in many houses.
Roman shades are great elements of decorating windows of all room types: living rooms and offices, cottages, cafes and restaurants, balconies and kitchens. The shades will come to the rescue in cases if there is no way to design covering for the sides of your window. Whatever you may say, but the ancient Romans knew a lot about architecture and interior design and were real beauty connoisseurs.
I’m sure that only and the greatest disadvantages of typical shades is that they’re either up or they’re down. In the first case your window is open for prying eyes from the outside and in the second case you’re unable to see outside.
Double Roman shades include two layers, the first is usual for any typical Roman shade and the second layer is a sheer, opaque type fabric. At night the shades are down and people from outside see only the darker material that gives maximum privacy to your room. During the day you can leave the sheer layer, thus you can allow the light inside, have a full view of your window while preserving confidentiality.
These shades can be made of contrasting materials to demonstrate the difference between the two layers. This kind of shades can be combined with light, sheer drapes drapery around the sides and across the top of the window. A flower arrangement on the window shelf may also benefit the double Roman shades.
In such a construction both fabric layers are attached to one board on the window casing. Each level has its own mounting instruments and materials. The hardware is usually presented by the manufacturer. Generally, the installation is very easy for shades and you can do it yourself without any special help.
Now I’d like to give you some basic tips for you to sew double Roman shades rather quickly and without a lot of difficult actions.
I must admit that you do not require a lot of special materials, tools and supernatural sewing skills, the shades can be made even by novices.
The first step is to buy a few good quality fabrics that will serve as the basis for the shades. If you want to use contrasting materials, be sure that they don’t create a too severe clash, because it may look ridiculous.
You should measure the height and width of you window.
Cut the shade fabric in the following way: add five inches to the height and take away two inches from the measured width of the window. Sew into the top of the window.
For the sheer shade take the measurement of the window, add three inches and multiply by two, then add 24 inches. Fold four inches at a time and press, continue this all the way up the shade. Then pin a ring tape to the top and the bottom of the shade and six inches from bottom sew the first ring. Continue for the rest of the length. Knot a nylon cord (two lengths of it) to the bottom plastic ring and thread it through the rings in that row and through the screw eye at the top. Do this on the other side as well. Then knot two cords together just past the last screw eye, thus they can be pulled at the same time with even pressure.
It will take you a few pulls to make pleats work properly.
Finally, you mount drapery cleats to the window inside edge, so you can tie your shades when they are opened at any level you want.
To my mind, it’s worth saying that double Roman shades create a dramatic, elegant, or simple look of your house.
