Pretty Smocked Heading

This drapery panel was made using the Diamond Smocking tape  and lined with R-Tex Medium Weight Bump and Hanes Classic Sateen.  The fabrication is simple and stylish and installation is a breeze because the loop tape is incorporated into the smocking and is ready to install to our Right Angle Hook Strip or to a cornice, frame, pole rod or dust board.













To give the heading more definition the diamond pattern was hand tacked using a matching thread and a long, John James needle.

Silk was used at the top portion with a micro welt cord in stripe separating the solid and print fabrics.  A fringe could also be added to this seam.

For a tall window or for more drama use two layers of Smocking Tape creating a deeper heading.

Silk and print materials from Hancock's Fabric

Great Shade Experiment ~ Update

The shade from last weeks blog post has been mounted to a board and it works perfectly.  A roller clutch with bead chain loop was used instead of a spring so a warning tag should be attached and hold-down must be used to keep the bead chain retained when installed.

A 1" aluminum roller was used for this shade but a 1 1/2" roller could also be used. The Clutch and End Plug Units are available in off-white, black and white.

This shade can pull up with a very tight stack.  

The lifting ribs are made with plastic Roman Shade Ribs and Screw Eyes.  

The ribs are hand sewn to the shade, catching the face fabric as you would for other shade rings.

Please note that this is still a work in progress.  As we experiment the methods and techniques will improve.  We will continue to explore new ideas and share our progress.  

Subscribers Weekend at CHF Academy

Rowley Company's Susan Schurz participated in the Drapery & Design Professional magazine Subscribers Weekend with contest winners and special guests held at the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Charlotte, NC.

The weekend was filled with educational seminars, networking, food and fun.  Thank you D&D Professional and CHF Academy for inviting Rowley Company to be a part of your event.

The Experiments Continue...

We tried another version of a Roman Shade with Translucent Buckram for lifting.  This time small lift-ribs were made using 3/16" Plastic Roman Shade Ribs and our #SE15 Screw Eyes.  This allows for a sew on rib, catching the face fabric the same as when sewing the traditional plastic or metal shade rings.

This shade is just pinned to the table for now to give it a try.  More photos soon when it is installed.

The Great Shade Experiment of 2010

In an effort to create cordless shade options the team at Rowley Company has been experimenting with shade lift systems. Below are two recent experiments using products from the 2010 Rowley Company catalog.

The first is a lined flat shade installed on a spring roller using a system of translucent buckram and fiberglass ribs held in place with shade rings.

The shade below is lined with blackout and incorporates iron on rib tape with ribs on the body of the shade and outer ribs held in place with adhesive patches made from fabric and iron-on adhesive web. Blackout lining strips and a spring roller are used to operate the shade.

These two shade experiments are part of an ongoing effort to create shades that are easy to assemble, require no special tools and are cord free. Stay tuned as we explore more ideas and we encourage you to participate in the Great Shade Experiment of 2010 by making your own shade samples and sharing your thoughts and experiences with us.