Why some fabric doesn't work for Roman Shades

This is a post from last year, but I just wanted to remind everyone why you can't just pick any fabric for a roman shade.

 Fabric Choices for Window Treatments

Not all fabrics are suitable for all projects. While you can use any type of fabric for a window treatments, they are not all appropriate. Today we will focus on the Roman Shade and I will show you some samples.

For a Roman Shade the ideal fabrics are thick and sturdy such as cotton duck, canvas, burlap, 100% flax linen (like the imperial trellis) and even upholstery weight fabrics:

100%flax linen

Burlap

Canvas and Duck

Even upholstery weight fabrics makes a lovely roman shade.

Now see if you can tell the difference looking at the followinf pictures. The next few pictures are Roman Shades meade from fabrics that are not ideal, particularly light weigth quilters cottons.

Dupioni silk

Light weight quilters' cotton

Another Dupioni Silk

In the case of the two samples above, notive that the one on the left lays flat and has no body. The one on the right has som lift and body to each roll. The one on the left is a light weight quilters cotton. The one on the left is a medium weight drapery cotton. You can also see this in the pictures above with the silk and other light weight cotton, there is no body or lift to them. They just lay flat with no personality. While the ideal fabrics are more expensive it is clear that they are worth the expense. You will be much happier with your product if you put the money into the more appropriate fabrics for your particular project.

When shopping around for fabric for your project, be sure to look in the home decor fabrics section. That is where you will find the ideal fabric choices for your custom window treatments.

On the right collumn of my page underneath "Buy Fabric for your Custom Window Treatments" are four options to choose from for fabric. Almost anything in those options is appropriate as long as it says, "home decor fabric" or "drapery weight."

Click here to learn about the different types of Roman Shades

What were they thinking?

I was writing up a blog post on how accent walls, or more specifically painting one wall one color and the other three another color is OUT! I was cruising around Pinterest looking for some support photos and I thought I'd post some images I found in keeping with our Ugly Fabric Challenge theme. 

I call this, "What were they thinking?" 

No comment. It speaks for itself.

I think my favorite part of this is the faucet to the tub. Where does one find such an item?

In college I was a performing arts major for about 5 minutes and in stage craft we made walls like this for the Anne Frank play that takes place is the attic. . . . 

I thought I was looking at an image of my children's bedroom for a second. I left my daughter alone in her room with a paint marker once during nap time. . . . The evidence of that day is still all over the walls, mattress, and bed frame to remind me daily to search the room for anything permanent before nap time.

My eyes are having a hard time focusing on this. I am literally squinting.

I was thinking about our Ugly Fabric Challenge and how some people can take a pretty fabric and use it to death until it is ugly. Don't over do it!

The Ugly Fabric Challenge

Window Treatments by Melissa presents the first annual Ugly Fabric Challenge!

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Or are there really ugly fabrics?

Maybe there are and maybe there ARE!

The Challenge

Between NOW and Sunday February 24th I will be accepting entries to the challenge. An entry is one ugly fabric suggestion sent to me at windowsbymelissa@gmail.com or left in a comment below. You may also leave it in a comment on our Facebook page.

Between Monday February 25th and Sunday March 3rd I will be taking votes and comments on the most hideous fabrics. I will post them here in a blog post for voting and they will also be available for viewing in a Pin Board in Pinterest. From these votes and comments I will pick the top three fabrics and work some Window Treatments by Melissa magic and make them into "beautiful" window Treatments.

On Monday March 11 I will post the completed window treatments and you will have the opportunity to vote for whichever ones you like best and for whatever reason (i.e, ugliest, best treatments for what material we were working with, etc.).

The Winner will get their choice of one free window treatment including cost of fabric, materials and shipping! (Not in the ugly fabric). . .

Every Participant will earn a coupon or credit of some kind. Details below.

Please read the entry details and winner details below. 

I look forward to seeing lots of ugly fabrics and making them into something. . .  unexpected. (I don't think I could go so far as to say beautiful just yet). Have fun!!! Grab the image below and share it on your blog with our link if you are participating.

PARTICIPATION COUPON DETAILS
1) All ugly fabric entries will received a 10% of coupon good toward custom window treatments, ready to ship item or our clearance section. Must be redeemed by April 19th, 2013
2) The top three finalist ugly fabric submissions will receive a 50% off coupon. This is not in addition to the 10% off coupon. One coupon per person. Coupon may be used for custom window treatments, ready to ship items or our clearance section.

THE UGLY FABRIC CHALLENGE WINNER
The winner of the ugly fabric challenge may choose ONE from the following:
1) A Roman Shade no wider than 38" and no longer than 48". WIll include drapery lining, hardware, and fabric choice from our own stock in our etsy shop or your own fabric choice for $9 per yard or less.
2) A set of curtains 84" long or less with a rod pocket top. Drapery lined. Made from a fabric from our etsy shop or your own fabric choice for up o $9 per yard.
3) A valance of any variety: rod pocket, hidden tab, corner pleat, ribbon tie up valance, etc. Made from a fabric from our etsy shop or your own fabric choice for up to $9/yard.

Happy Ugly Fabric Hunting!

a few entries via email:

submitted by Erin.

Se the rest on Pinterest.

Skateboards! by Ashleigh

Giveaway Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

We are still in the process if shutting down our etsy shop. Turns out there are a lot ends that need to meet before you can just close. :) Anyway, the pillow above is an item for sale in our shop that hasn't sold yet. So I thought I'd give it away to someone who might like it!

It is a 24" square zipper closure pillow cover in brown, beige and white ticking stripe. I matched all the stripes on the four triangles that meet in the center. There is a 2" border around the triangle pieces of vertical stripes on the sides and horizontal stripes on top and bottom. The back is one piece of vertical ticking stripe, same fabric.

To Enter the giveaway just leave me a comment here (or on FB if you can't comment on blogs) and be sure to leave a way for me to contact you!

Please follow our blog or share on FB! We have more of these for sale in the shop and it can also be custom made to request in a ticking stripe you find or we have blue and white in stock (in addition to the brown/beige combo).

Goof luck!

Premier Prints New Fabric Line!!

Okay, peeps. So a while ago I wrote a blog post making fun of Premier Prints because I thought they took their zig zag stripes a little too far. They just kept makin' 'em and makin' 'em. Seeing Premier Prints fabrics more than any other, I couldn't help but wonder how many times Premier Prints was going to chew up the zig zag stripe, partially digest it then regurgitate it into the latest craze! So I made the zip a dee do da stripe.

And here it is! From the very womb of Premier Prints where the zig zag is reproduced incessantly, PP has birthed for our continued pleasure. . . . .

Diva and Zapp

These are available in many different colorways.

Now, I only have a "tone" because I've seen zig zag stripe more than I've seen my own face. But there are a few new ones that are variations on old Premier Prints designs that I haven't seen so much it makes my eyes go square.

Embrace

Jo-Jo

Willow

Savvy Dossett

Shakes

Cute new stuff!

Now don't mistake my "tone." Just because I have seen zig zag so many times doesn't mean I don't want to work with it or won't. Nearly a year ago I wrote a blog post about Robert Allen's Khanjali Peacock. To this day I still get people writing me and saying, "I know how you feel about this fabric, but would you consider making my treatments anyway?" Yes! Just because I think something is ugly or looks like an infected gaping surgical incision oozing with gangrene doesn't mean I won't work with it. If you supply the fabric, I make the window treatment. So bring on the zippys and the zappys and the zooms zooms and whatever else. 

There are always special people in this world who like to shop for their fabric while intoxicated and pick out things that no person in their right mind would be able to make coordinate with anything unless they were decorating a pigs sty. But have no fear. All window treatments that I make are created equal and not judged by the color of their fabric but the quality of their construction. ;)

I bet I'd change my mind if I could see the window treatments. My clients always say, "I'll send pictures!" and then I never hear from them again. Does anyone have pictures of any Premier Prints fabrics in roman shades?

Successful Pattern Layering

Horizontal stripe blue and white fabric image from Joy By The Yard.

Layering patterns is simple and there only a few key points to remember.

Image from hgtv.com

Odd numbers work best. Use at least three.

Image from hgtv.com

Your first choice of pattern should be large scale and should be the main focal point of all the patterns you select.

The second pattern you select should be half the scale of the first pattern and should be a different design from the first. For example, if your first pattern choice is a large floral consider a geometric, plaid or stripe for your second choice.

Image from hgtv.com

For your third pattern choice it can be similar to either of the first pattern choices but on a smaller scale. But this time focus on matching  the colors from the first two choices.
For your final fabric choice (whether it is the third one talked above previously or the fifth) make it a very small scale pattern.

All fabrics in the image above are from Lynn Chalk's fabric store.

All fabrics in the image above are from Decorate 23.

Zombie Decor

Walking Dead comes back this week! Woot!

May I ladel you a piping hot bowl of sexy?

Here are some zombie home decor items I thought were fun. You can click the picture to see where you can buy them. You are welcome to present them to your home decor designer as inspiration photos ;)

What are you doing for the mid season premier? I am going to my friend, Trena's from Rainey Creek Home. She is responsible for my Walking Dead obsession. 

What are you hoping to see this season? I hope to see Daryl and Merle step it up a little and do something the "Governor" because, frankly, he's annoying as all heck and I think they only thing that will be satisfying to me is to watch him be taken down by Daryl and Merle ;)

I hope Carl doesn't turn into a psycho that burns ants with a magnifying glass.

I would like to see Andrea get a grip! She's all bozzin' and whorin' it up with governor and that was a disappointment. She's weak.

I would also like to see a lot more of Carol. I like Carol.

I think Hershel will die. Just sayin'. He doesn't stand a chance.

What would you like to see this season? Any predictions?

Walking Dead, AMC this Sunday!!