No sew? No go!

No Sew or Sewn shades: What's the difference?

Ask your seamstress if your shades are sewn or "no sew" shades.

While the difference in appearance between no sew and sewn shades is slight, the difference in quality is huge! 

I wanted to write about this because platforms like Etsy have become inundated with sellers that offer roman shades for a very low price. That seams great at first sight, but if you ask how they are constructed you might learn why the price is so low.

Even to a professional, someone who makes these shades every day, I cannot tell from an image if a shade is sewn or no sew. So I am writing this to hep those who don't know to help protect you from where you are putting your hard earned money.

No sew shades are often constructed with materials like fabric glue such as "Liquid Stitch," or fusible interfacing. Sometimes it is constructed with both. These materials break down when exposed to heat and lose their ability to stick and hold fabrics together over time. Then the shade falls apart a little at a time. 

The wear from raising and lowering the shade will also affect the stability of a shade assembled with glue and fusible interfacing. Glue and fusible facing will not stand up to the use of a shade being folded up daily or even several times a day. 

The stitching on a sewn shade will stand up to use several times a day for as long as you choose to have the shade. The seams cannot be broken down by heat and are  not at all affected by being pulled on or carrying any weight when raised or lowered several times a day. 

Be very careful when ordering ribbon trim shades as well. Some creators will apply the ribbon trim with fabric glue. Not only will the fabric glue break down over time, but the glue aso changes the color of the ribbon where the glue is applied. 

What it comes down is you get what you pay for. If you are shopping around for quotes and they are drastically different, I would suggest that you ask if you are getting sewn or "no sew" shades. Be careful with your money. You may pay more for sewn shades, but they will last longer and you won't regret the choice.