Roman Shade Pattern

It goes without saying that any Roman shade pattern is an elegant element of home décor, which makes your window look marvelous. The only their disadvantage is high price, that’s why many homeowners cannot afford to replace current window coverings with smart shades.

Let’s have a view at some of the most widespread Roman shade patterns.

The first one, a flat linen Roman shade, doesn’t have any swags. It hangs straight on the window and the pleats fold straight across when pleated.
The second case, a hobbled Roman shade or a soft fold shade, has mild permanent folds that fall down the curtain in the form of a cascade.
A slatted Roman shade has ribs sewn at each row of rings, which give the shade structure, so they pleat and fold easier. Surely, one of its pros is avoidance any fuss while lifting and pulling down, but the cons lie in showing seams on the front of your shade. In the case that you like a patterned fabric for your window, it’s better not to use such a shade.
A relaxed roman shade pattern has two lift cords, one on each side. It hangs flat unlike the other curtains. At the bottom of the curtains they gather at each other to create a smile. An inverted box pleat in the center gives the shade professional style and more fullness.
A London shade is a kind of a Roman shade pattern with only two lift cords. Somehow it resembles a relaxed curtain. Their key differences are the inverted box pleats at each lift which look like butterfly tails. As a result you’ll have a light, full and refined window covering. Remember that the wider the window, the fuller the shade and the better impression it makes. So, this style is not recommended for narrow windows which are less than 30″ wide. If you are fond of these two shades, then you’ll like the following one.

A Stylish and Luxurious Home with the Hobbled Shade Pattern

A butterfly Roman shade is a mix of a London shade and a relaxed curtain. The largest difference between them is that there are no box pleats at the lift.
A shade valance has permanent folds and uses no sew techniques.
Usually a flat shade pattern requires almost the exact quantity of material and decorator with allowances added for seams, hem and mounting. But in the case of a balloon shade you need additional 30% of fabric. It also requires additional length to allow for various seams, mounting and to create the “balloon” at the bottom of the shade when it is fully closed.
An Austrian shade’s soft gathered look in most cases is achieved by using twice more length of fabric than the equivalent flat  curtain. Its specialized shirring tapes “gather” the fabrics in both the vertical and horizontal direction.
It’s for sure, that shades must fit your windows perfectly, so you may draft your own shade pattern. All that you require is to make measurements, a piece of paper and a ruler.
Firstly, decide whether you want your blinds that are situated inside the window casing or outside of it. Then measure your window and note down the results. Draw a rectangle on your paper using your measurements. Don’t forget to add half an inch from each line to allow for seams. Mark the position of each dowel or slat in your shade. Determine how many cords you will use to draw up your shade and mark them on the vertical side of the shade. Mark the position for each shade ring on the horizontal side. After that transfer all drawingss from your pattern to the fabric before construction.
I hope that’s a nice piece of advice which allows you to make a Roman shade pattern which is not to expensive, but looks gorgeous.